Harness racing's biggest stars assemble for Breeders Crown eliminations

Columbus, OH – Eldorado Scioto Downs will host harness racing eliminations for the $8 million Grade 1 Breeders Crown this weekend, and there will be no shortage of past champions and up-and-coming stars in action over the two-days of competition.

Eight of last year’s Breeders Crown titlists will race on Saturday (Oct. 17) when Scioto Downs hosts eliminations for the 3-year-old and Open events. One night earlier, Friday’s elims for 2-year-olds will include undefeated male pacer Shalom Hanover, who is ranked No. 6 in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, as well as three Grade 1 stakes-winners: filly trotter Athena’s Girl, colt pacer Eastie Boy, and colt trotter Wrong Sounds Right.

Eliminations will be required for 10 of the 12 Breeders Crown events, with the 2-Year-Old Filly Pace and the Mare Trot going directly to their finals.

All elimination purses are $25,000. Elimination winners, as well as “Win and You’re In” 2-year-old filly trotter Birr Castle (who advanced directly to her final thanks to winning the Grade 1 Jim Doherty Memorial), will draw for post positions 1 through 6 in their respective finals. All other finalists will be placed in an open draw for the remaining post positions.

First-race post time is 6 p.m. (EDT) both Friday and Saturday at Scioto Downs.

Following is a brief overview of the 10 Breeders Crown events with eliminations this weekend.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Two eliminations will be contested in each of Friday’s three events for 2-year-olds. For the freshman male trotters and male pacers, the top-four finishers from each elim plus the fifth-place finisher with the highest seasonal earnings will advance to their respective finals. For the 2-year-old filly trotters, the top-four finishers in each elim will advance to join Birr Castle in the final. All 2-year-old finals have a purse of $700,000 and will be held Oct. 23.

 

Two-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot

Fourteen horses were entered, with Wrong Sounds Right (Tactical Landing) drawing into the second of two eliminations. He is the season’s richest 2-year-old male trotter, with $586,250 in earnings, and co-fastest freshman male trotter in history thanks to his 1:51.1 victory in the Mohawk Million on Sept. 26 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The Jim Campbell trainee will leave from post 1 Friday with Todd McCarthy in the sulky. Graded-stakes winner Yankee Boss (post 4, Tim Tetrick, Åke Svanstedt) also is in the second elim.

Wrong Sounds Right heads to the Breeders Crown with five wins in his past six starts. His only setback was a second-place finish behind Lifetime Dreamer in the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship on Aug. 8 at the Meadowlands. Lifetime Dreamer’s winning time was 1:51.1, also equaling the world record for a 2-year-old male trotter. He will start from post 2 in first elim with Yannick Gingras listed to drive for Svanstedt. Graded-stakes winners Special Day, Whateverittakes AS, Presidente, and Access Now also are in the field.

Two-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace

Sixteen horses were entered, with Shalom Hanover (post 2, Louis Roy, Ian Moore) drawing into the second elimination. The multiple graded-stakes winner is 7-for-7 this year. The elim also includes Starstruck Dreamer (post 4, Todd McCarthy, Noel Daley), who is this season’s fastest freshman male pacer – 1:48.4 – and lost to Shalom Hanover by a head in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship last month for his only loss in six races.

Metro Pace winner Eastie Boy (post 2, Ronnie Wrenn Jr., Ron Burke) is in the first elimination along with graded-stakes winners Mascarpone (post 6, Scott Zeron, Ian Moore) and Blazin Lou (post 8, Dexter Dunn, Tony Dinges).

Two-Year-Old Filly Trot

Seventeen horses were entered, with Peaceful Way winner Athena’s Girl (post 3, Dexter Dunn, Marcus Melander) landing in the second elimination. The field also includes graded-stakes winner Climatic Hanover (post 8, Yannick Gingras, Lucas Wallin).

The first elimination includes this season’s fastest freshman trotting filly Kissme Ifyoucan (post 4, Austin Hanners, Todd Luther), who has a mark of 1:51.4. She was runner-up in the Ohio Sires Stakes championship for 2-year-old filly trotters to Blue Ranger (post 2, Dunn, Melander). The field also includes graded-stakes winner Orinoco (post 3, Gingras, Åke Svanstedt), who was second to Birr Castle in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship and will now try to join her in the Breeders Crown final.

For Friday’s complete entries, click here.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Two eliminations will be contested in the events for 3-year-old male trotters, 3-year-old male pacers, 3-year-old filly pacers and the Open Pace. The top-four finishers from each elim plus the fifth-place finisher with the highest seasonal earnings will advance to their respective finals. There will be three elims for 3-year-old filly trotters, with the top-three from each advancing to the final. The purses for all 3-year-old finals will be $664,500 and the Open Pace is $662,000.

There will be single eliminations for both the Open Trot (the connections of Super Chapter and On To Norway accepted byes based on earnings) and Mare Pace (Tarapasta and Unreasonable accepted byes), with the top-seven finishers advancing to their respective finals. The purse for the Open Trot final is $600,000 and for the Mare Pace it is $443,000. The Mare Trot (no elims) has a final purse of $400,000.

Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace

Thirteen horses were entered and divided into two eliminations. Beau Jangles, who won the Breeders Crown last year on his way to Horse of the Year honors in the U.S. and Canada, will start from post 1 in the first of two eliminations. James MacDonald will be in the sulky for trainer Ian Moore. The elim also features Redland Rocket Man, who will enter with a four-race winning streak that includes the Little Brown Jug. He will leave from post 5 with Jody Jamieson driving for John Pentland. Adios winner Al Papi will go from post 7 for trainer Ron Burke, with Yannick Gingras listed to drive.

In the second elimination, Brandon Blvd, ranked No. 2 in the sport’s Top 10 poll, will start from post 3 with Dexter Dunn driving for Andrew Harris. He has won five graded stakes this year, including the Meadowlands Pace. North America Cup winner Odds On Mr Mamba will leave from post 6 for trainer Melanie Wrenn and graded-stakes winner Melillo will start from post 4 with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. listed to drive for Ron Burke.

Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot

Seventeen horses were entered, with defending champion Spencer Hanover landing in the second elimination for driver Jason Bartlett and trainer Marcus Melander. He will leave from post 6. That field also includes Kentucky Futurity and Canadian Trotting Classic winner Nix Nacken (post 8, Scott Zeron, Melander) and Hambletonian runner-up Big Ranger (post 2, Tim Tetrick, Anette Lorentzon).

The first elimination features Hambletonian winner Apex (post 3, Dunn, Melander), Yonkers Trot winner Inexpressable (post 4, Zeron, Lucas Wallin) and supplemental entry Strobe Lite (post 1, Louis Roy, Benoit Baillargeon).

Three-Year-Old Filly Pace

Fifteen horses were entered, with returning champion Loua Dipa, a two-time Grade 1 winner this season, drawing post 8 for driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. and trainer Ron Burke in the first elimination. Graded-stakes winner Be Perfect BG (post 7, Dexter Dunn, Anthony Beaton) also is in the elim.

The second elimination includes multiple graded-stakes winners Sangria Summer (post 4, James MacDonald, Luc Blais) and Topville Lucky (post 6, Todd McCarthy, Andrew Harris) as well as supplemental entry Miss Jum Jabber (post 5, Andrew McCarthy, Brett Pelling).

Three-Year-Old Filly Trot

Twenty horses were entered, creating the only three-elimination event. The third elimination will include defending champion Storybook Love (post 2, Todd Ratchford, Matt Bax), Kentucky Filly Futurity winner She’s Moni (post 7, Yannick Gingras, Nancy Takter) and Elegantimage winner Nuance (post 1, James MacDonald, Marcus Melander).

Hambletonian Oaks winner Nezuko Kamado S (post 3, Scott Zeron, Marcus Melander) will go in the first elimination. Delmonica Hanover winner Victorianas Secret (post 3, Ronnie Wrenn Jr., Vernon Beachy) and supplemental entry Little Road (post 1, Brady Brown, Roger Hammer) are in the second.

Open Pace

Fourteen horses were entered, with last year’s winner Ervin Hanover getting post 2 for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer David Menary in the second elimination. The field also includes Dan Patch Stakes winner Dandy Ideal (post 4, Jason Bartlett, Brett Pelling), Dayton Pacing Derby winner Harrisburg Heist (post 7, Chris Page, Ron Burke) and multiple graded-stakes winner Prince Hal Hanover (post 5, Todd McCarthy, Ian Moore).

The first elimination includes Canadian Pacing Derby winner Best Chip (post 6, Joe Bongiorno, Joe Bongiorno), who was a supplemental entry, as well as multiple graded-stakes winner Ken Hanover (post 2, Tim Tetrick, Roland Mallar) and 2023 Breeders Crown Open Pace champ Bythemissal (post 4, Page, Burke).

Open Trot

Last year’s winner French Wine (post 3, Jason Bartlett, Nancy Takter) was among the 11 horses entered and will look to join bye recipients Super Chapter and On To Norway in the final. The elim also features 2025 Dan Patch Award Trotter of the Year Lexus Kody (post 6, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke) and O’Brien Award winner Emoticon Legacy (post 2, Bob McClure, Luc Blais).

Mare Pace

Always B Naughty (post 9, Austin Hanners, Todd Luther) won last year’s event and is joined in the nine-horse elimination by 2024 champion Twin B Joe Fresh (post 6, Dexter Dunn, Chris Ryder) and 2025 3-year-old filly champ (in a dead heat) The Last Martini (post 1, Doug McNair, Jared Bako). Also looking to join bye recipients Tarapasta and Unreasonable in the final is Milton Stakes winner Francent N (post 3, Louis Roy, Pat Lachance), who was a supplemental entry.

For Saturday’s complete entries, click here.

From the Hambletonian Society

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA