by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — Multiple stakes-winner Creme De Cocoa was among 19 horses entered in the $600,000 Breeders Crown for 2-year-old filly trotters. Three eliminations will be held Friday (Oct. 1) at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, with the top three finishers from each elim advancing to the final on October 9.

Creme De Cocoa is coming off wins in the $71,000 American-National and $161,800 Kentuckiana Stallion Management stakes. She was second in the $437,000 Merrie Annabelle. She will start from post five in the second elimination, which also includes Champlain Stakes division winner Martiniontherocks and Merrie Annabelle third-place finisher Fitness Girl.

“She’s very good,” trainer-driver D.R. Ackerman said about Creme De Cocoa. “She’s very sharp, very sound, very healthy. She couldn’t be better.”

A homebred filly, Creme De Cocoa is by Chocolatier — who won the 2005 Breeders Crown for 2-year-old male trotters and earned $1.32 million for the Ackerman Stable — out of the mare Judge Judy. Creme De Cocoa is a three-quarter sister to 2009 Yonkers Trot winner Judge Joe.

Balmoral Park photo

Creme De Cocoa has hit the board in five of her seven lifetime starts, with earnings of $269,250.

“She was perfect training down,” Ackerman said. “She can be a finicky eater at times, but on the whole, she’s not bad. She likes to compete, likes to race. She handles racing well; the whole shipping and the whole gig with it. She accepts it very easily.

“I think she’ll do well. I think she’s one of the better ones. She’s not a breaker and she’s been racing very consistent. She’s good and sharp right now. She should do very good.”

Seducedbychocolate, coming off a track-record 1:56.4 win in the $134,000 Kindergarten Classic Series final at Vernon Downs, joins Champlain Stakes division winner Global Desire, and Peaceful Way third-place finisher Lady Rainbow in the first elimination.

New Jersey Sire Stakes winner Pilgrims Truffles and Kentuckiana runner-up Angelette Hanover lead the third elim.

Following are the elimination fields in post position order, with listed drivers and trainers.

Elim One: 1. As Ya’ll Like It, John Campbell, John Bax; 2. Lady Rainbow, Rick Zeron, Zeron; 3. Hey Mister, Brian Sears, Jeff Webster; 4. Seducedbychocolate, David Miller, Jonas Czernyson; 5. Global Desire, Ron Pierce, Jimmy Takter; 6. Firstclassprincess, Trond Smedshammer, Smedshammer.

Elim Two: 1. Medusa Blue Chip, Jim Morrill Jr., Robert Horowitz; 2. Tango Dancer, Dave Palone, Jim Campbell; 3. Martiniontherocks, Sylvain Filion, Dustin Jones; 4. Bold And Fresh, John Campbell, Doug Miller; 5. Creme De Cocoa, D.R. Ackerman, Ackerman; 6. Fitness Girl, Tim Tetrick, Steve Elliott.

Elim Three: 1. Sweet Love, David Miller, Jim Campbell; 2. Angelette Hanover, Jim Morrill Jr., Trond Smedshammer; 3. Andover The Top, Dave Palone, Monte Gelrod; 4. Pilgrims Truffles, Jim Meittinis, Scott Andrews; 5. Hot Off The Press, Jacqueline Ingrassia, Frank Ingrassia; 6. Devilish Emerald, Brian Zendt, William Zendt; 7. Celebrity Katie, Brett Miller, Staffan Lind.

Three elims for Breeders Crown 2-year-old male trotters

William Wellwood Memorial winner Pastor Stephen and runner-up Broad Bahn were among 23 2-year-old male trotters entered in the division’s $600,000 Breeders Crown. Three eliminations will be held Friday at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, with the top three finishers from each elim advancing to the final on October 9.

Pastor Stephen is in the third elimination, where he will start from post five for trainer Jimmy Takter and driver Yannick Gingras. Pastor Stephen won the $485,000 Wellwood by a neck over Broad Bahn, giving him six victories in seven starts this year. His only setback came when he was placed sixth, from first, in the $500,000 Peter Haughton Memorial. His connections are appealing the decision, which cited interference on the backstretch.

Broad Bahn is in the first elimination, where he will see Haughton winner The Lindy Reserve and $200,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion Not Nice.

Leader Of The Gang, who joins Pastor Stephen, Not Nice and Johnny B Kemp from the Takter Stable, is in the second elimination. He was third in the Wellwood and Haughton. Dejarmbro, coming off a win in the $200,000 New York Sire Stakes final, also is in the field.

Following are the elimination fields in post position order, with listed drivers and trainers.

Elim One: 1. Buffalino Hanover, Todd Schadel, Schadel; 2. Just In, Ron Pierce, Marie Ortolan Bar; 3. The Lindy Reserve, Tim Tetrick, Frank Antonacci; 4. Swan In A Million, Brian Sears, Erv Miller; 5. Broad Bahn, Jack Moiseyev, Noel Daley; 6. Not Nice, Marcus Johansson, Jimmy Takter; 7. Mythical Hall, John Campbell, Jim Arledge Jr.

Elim Two: 1. Live Jazz, John Campbell, Chuck Sylvester; 2. Gimme A Good One, Phil Fluet, Fluet; 3. Tiger’s Too Good, Brian Sears, Joe Holloway; 4. Rarely Ordinary, Jim Morrill Jr., Torgeir Hagmann; 5. Orlando, Tim Tetrick, Don Swick; 6. Leader Of The Gang, Ron Pierce, Jimmy Takter; 7. Johnny B Kemp, David Miller, Jimmy Takter; 8. Dejarmbro, Jeff Gregory, Jessica Okusko.

Elim Three: 1. Neal, Brian Sears, Jim Campbell; 2. Manofmanymissions, Andy Miller, Erv Miller; 3. Carthage Hanover, Trond Smedshammer, Smedshammer; 4. Big Rigs, John Campbell, Kelly O’Donnell; 5. Pastor Stephen, Yannick Gingras, Jimmy Takter; 6. Del Cielo, Mike Lachance, Buzzy Sholty; 7. Talespinner, Daniel Dube, Benoit Baillargeon; 8. Luckycharm Hanover, Dave Palone, Tom Haughton.