SATURDAY ELIMS SET FOR AGES 3-AND-UP CROWN HOPEFULS

By Ken Weingartner, for the Breeders Crown

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Harness racing’s No. 1-ranked horse, Lyons Sentinel, and nine previous Breeders Crown champions will be in action Saturday afternoon when Breeders Crown eliminations for pacers and trotters ages 3 and older are held at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

The event for 3-year-old female pacers as well as the Open Pace, Mare Pace, and Mare Trot each will have a single elimination. The events for 3-year-old male pacers, 3-year-old male trotters, and 3-year-old female trotters each will have two elims. All eliminations will go for a purse of $25,000.

Winners of Saturday’s eliminations will draw for posts one through five for their respective final. The remaining finalists will participate in open draws for their starting positions.

Eliminations are unnecessary in the Open Trot, with 11 older male trotters advancing directly to the $650,000 final. The 11 entrants are Amigo Volo, Back Of The Neck, Beads, Chin Chin Hall, supplement Ecurie D Dk, Forbidden Trade, It’s Academic, Majestic Player A, Ready For Moni, Sermon, and Warrawee Roo.

Saturday’s 12-race card will begin at noon. The card for Breeders Crown finals for horses ages 3 and older, Oct. 30 at the Meadowlands, also will start at noon.

Eliminations for 2-year-olds are Friday with the finals on Oct. 29.

Four-year-old Lyons Sentinel was among 13 horses entered in the Mare Pace. Byes based on seasonal earnings were offered to reduce the elimination field to 10, with the connections of Drama Act, $31,250 supplemental entry Racine Bell, and So Much More accepting the opportunity to proceed directly to the $330,000 final. The connections of Lyons Sentinel, Rockin Nola, and Rocknificent declined byes.

Lyons Sentinel will bring a seven-race win streak to her Crown elim. Her victories include the Dayton Distaff Derby, Milton, Roses Are Red, Lady Liberty, and Clara Barton.

The elimination field also includes 5-year-old Warrawee Ubeaut, a Breeders Crown champion at ages 2 and 3, as well as Peaky Sneaky, who won last year’s final for 3-year-old female pacers. The top-seven elimination finishers will join the bye recipients in the final.

Thirteen horses also were entered in the Open Pace. Byes were accepted by the connections of Allywag Hanover, Catch The Fire, and Ocean Rock. The connections of This Is The Plan, who leads all older pacers in purses with $784,269 this year, declined a bye.

The 10-horse elimination field also includes Dorsoduro Hanover, who won a Breeders Crown at age 3 in 2018. The top-seven finishers from the elim will advance to the $600,000 final.

Atlanta, who equaled history’s fastest mile by a female trotter, 1:49, in her most recent start and is ranked No. 7 in the sport’s Top 10, is among the horses in the single Mare Trot elimination. Her connections declined a bye, as did the connections of multiple Grand Circuit winner When Dovescry. The field also includes past Breeders Crown champs Next Level Stuff and Ramona Hill.

The connections of Hypnotic AM and Weslynn Quest accepted byes. Those two mares will be joined in the $300,000 final by the top-eight finishers from the elimination.

The only 3-year-old event with a single elimination, for 3-year-old female pacers, saw Test Of Faith, who is ranked No. 3 in the current Top 10, and Scarlett Hanover receive byes. The connections of returning Breeders Crown champion Fire Start Hanover, Grace Hill, and Blue Diamond Eyes declined a bye. The top-eight elimination finishers will advance to the $600,000 final.

In the following 3-year-old events with two eliminations, the top-five finishers from each elim will advance to the final. The final for both the 3-year-old male and female trotters will go for $650,000. The final for 3-year-old male pacers is $600,000.

Perfect Sting, who is the leading money-winning horse in North America this season with $961,347, was among 15 horses entered in the Breeders Crown for 3-year-old male pacers. He also is among two returning champions in the event, having won the 2-year-old final in a dead heat with Summa Cum Laude. It was the first dead heat for win in Crown history.

Summa Cum Laude and Perfect Sting drew into the first elimination, which also includes Tattersalls Pace winner Abuckabett Hanover. The second includes Carl Milstein Memorial winner Charlie May, Little Brown Jug winner Lou’s Pearlman, and Cane Pace champion Rockyroad Hanover.

Kentucky Futurity winner Jujubee, a $62,500 supplemental entry who is ranked No. 5 in the sport’s Top 10, was among 17 sophomore male trotters entered in the Breeders Crown and will race in the second elimination including Yonkers Trot winner Johan Palema. The first elimination features Canadian Trotting Classic winner Ahundreddollarbill.

The event for 3-year-old female trotters attracted of total of 19 entries. Hambletonian Oaks winner Bella Bellini will race in the second elimination. The first elim includes $62,500 supplement Katie’s Lucky Day, who won the Kentucky Filly Futurity, and returning Breeders Crown champion Lady Chaos.

Following are Saturday’s Breeders Crown elimination fields in post order (with driver, trainer).

3-Year-Old Female Trotters

Elimination One: 1. Darlene Hanover (Todd McCarthy, Brett Bittle), 2. Splash Blue Chip (Ake Svanstedt, Svanstedt), 3. May Karp (Tim Tetrick, Lucas Wallin), 4. Iteration (Brian Sears, Marcus Melander), 5. Amazone Duharas (James MacDonald, Denis Gueriel), 6. Katie’s Lucky Day (Trevor Smith, Todd Luther), 7. Altar (Yannick Gingras, Nancy Takter), 8. Anoka Hanover (Todd McCarthy, Noel Daley), 9. Lady Chaos (David Miller, Linda Toscano).

Elimination Two: 1. You Ato Dream (Jeff Gregory, Gregory), 2. Donna Soprano (Bob McClure, Luc Blais), 3. Shirley Goodness (Peter Wrenn, Melanie Wrenn), 4. Contested Hanover (Mark MacDonald, George Ducharme), 5. Mazzarati (Scott Zeron, Noel Daley), 6. Beltassima (Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna), 7. Bella Bellini (Dexter Dunn, R. Nifty Norman), 8. Adirondack (Dexter Dunn, Nancy Takter), 9. Chablis (Scott Zeron, Jonas Czernyson), 10. Herculisa (Brett Miller, Virgil Morgan Jr.).

3-Year-Old Male Trotters

Elimination One: 1. Ambassador Hanover (Ake Svanstedt, Svanstedt), 2. Plumville Prince (Scott Zeron, Rick Zeron), 3. In Range (Tim Tetrick, Marcus Melander), 4. Ahundreddollarbill (Todd McCarthy, Tony Alagna), 5. Ritson (David Miller, Mark Steacy), 6. Locatelli (Dexter Dunn, Nancy Takter), 7. Logan Park (James MacDonald, Robert Fellows), 8. Fly Light (Dexter Dunn, Ake Svanstedt).

Elimination Two: 1. Jujubee (Andrew McCarthy, Greg Wright Jr.), 2. Johan Palema (Yannick Gingras, Ake Svanstedt), 3. Dancinginthedark M (Brian Sears, Marcus Melander), 4. Delayed Hanover (Ake Svanstedt, Svanstedt), 5. Cuatro De Julio (Lucas Wallin, Marie Ortolan Bar), 6. Rattle My Cage (Andy Miller, Ake Svanstedt), 7. Balenciaga (Mark MacDonald, Paul Kelley), 8. Spy Booth (Todd McCarthy, Katricia Adams), 9. Inaminute Hanover (Bob McClure, Luc Blais).

3-Year-Old Male Pacers

Elimination One: 1. Perfect Sting (David Miller, Joe Holloway), 2. I’ll Drink To That (Todd McCarthy, Chris Ryder), 3. Chase H Hanover (Tim Tetrick, Scott Cox), 4. Mysweetboymax (Jason Bartlett, Sam DePinto), 5. Summa Cum Laude (Brian Sears, Ron Burke), 6. Southwind Petyr (Jason Bartlett, Mark Harder), 7. Abuckabett Hanover (Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna), 8. Bayfield Beach (Joe Bongiorno, Ron Burke).

Elimination Two: 1. Southwind Gendry (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), 2. Lou’s Pearlman (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), 3. Rockyroad Hanover (Dexter Dunn, Tony Alagna), 4. Charlie May (Brett Miller, Steve Carter), 5. Heart Of Chewbacca (Dan Noble, Christi Noble), 6. Dean B Hanover (Dexter Dunn, Jeffrey Gillis), 7. Water Sports Teen (Joe Bongiorno, Jennifer Bongiorno).

3-Year-Old Female Pacers

Single Elimination: 1. Shezafreaklikeme (Todd McCarthy, Stacy Chiodo), 2. Think Of Galaxies (Mark MacDonald, John McDermott), 3. Grace Hill (Todd McCarthy, R. Nifty Norman), 4. Mackie Hanover (Tim Tetrick, Tom Fanning), 5. Paulas Best Bet (Chris Page, Ron Burke), 6. Blue Diamond Eyes (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), 7. Notorious Pink (Todd McCarthy, Tony Alagna), 8. Beach Crazy (Montrell Teague, Stacy Chiodo), 9. Marsala Hanover (Scott Zeron, Linda Toscano), 10. Fire Start Hanover (Dexter Dunn, R. Nifty Norman).

Mare Pace

Single Elimination: 1. Warrawee Ubeaut (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), 2. Sweet Lucy Lou (Todd McCarthy, Robert Cleary), 3. Peaky Sneaky (Dexter Dunn, Nancy Takter), 4. Rocknificent (Scott Zeron, Linda Toscano), 5. JK First Lady (Yannick Gingras, Nancy Takter), 6. Rockin Nola (Joey Putnam, Joe Putnam), 7. Lyons Sentinel (Tim Tetrick, Jim King Jr.), 8. Treacherous Reign (Dexter Dunn, Tony Alagna), 9. Keep Rockin A (Andrew McCarthy, R. Nifty Norman), 10. Marloe Hanover (Dexter Dunn, R. Nifty Norman).

Mare Trot

Single Elimination: 1. Atlanta (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), 2. Thankful NO (Trond Smedshammer, Trond Smedshammer), 3. Refined (TBA, Virgil Morgan Jr.), 4. Felicityshagwell S (Ake Svanstedt, Svanstedt), 5. Next Level Stuff (Tim Tetrick, Jim Campbell), 6. When Dovescry (David Miller, Brett Pelling), 7. May Baby (James Yoder, Yoder), 8. Ab’sattitudexpress (Scott Zeron, Lucas Wallin), 9. Ramona Hill (Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna), 10. Sorella (Dexter Dunn, Nancy Takter).

Open Pace

Single Elimination: 1. Nicholas Beach (Joe Bongiorno, Jennifer Bongiorno), 2. Dorsoduro Hanover (TBA, Ron Burke), 3. Enavant (Bob McClure, Luc Blais), 4. Workin Ona Mystery (Tim Tetrick, Ron Burke), 5. Cattlewash (David Miller, Ron Burke), 6. Shake That House (Tim Tetrick, Tony Alagna), 7. Warrawee Vital (Trevor Henry, Robert Fellows), 8. This Is The Plan (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), 9. Ruthless Hanover (Andrew McCarthy, Tom Cancelliere), 10. Captain Barbossa (Dexter Dunn, Tony Alagna).