Breeders Crown draws 162 in Woodbine championships
October 18, 2011,by Moira Fanning, publicity director, the Hambletonian Society
Cranbury, NJ — Entries for the $6 million Breeders Crown finals Tuesday morning (Oct. 18) revealed the expected — San Pail, Big Bad John, We Will See — and the unexpected in sophomore filly pacer See You At Peelers and 15 sophomore colt trotting entries, including supplements Daylon Magician and Dejarmbro.
The Crown Trot, headlined by San Pail and the two foreign invitees, Rapide Lebel and Commander Crowe, drew just seven trotters. Two former Crown champs — Arch Madness and Lucky Jim, as well as Define The World and Hot Shot Blue Chip — will comprise the field.
The $250,000 Mare Trot and the $500,000 Crown Pace, each with 11 entered, will go straight to finals.
The mare pacing division drew 12, so two of the highest money-earners in 2011 are offered byes, with one elimination of ten required to eliminate two mares. If byes are declined, one is offered to the next highest earner. The elimination winner may pick their post position.
Two nights of eliminations are necessary to winnow the divisions to the final fields for Saturday (Oct. 29).
There will be elims for all 2-year-old divisions on Friday (Oct. 21) with the exception of the 2-year-old filly pace, which has nine fillies and will advance straight to the $600,000 final.
All four sophomore divisions will require two eliminations on Saturday (Oct. 22). The first five finishers from each elim will advance to the final. Elimination winners may pick their post position.
Complete elimination and final fields will be available when byes and elimination draws are finalized. The $600,000 Breeders Crown Trot will be drawn at a press conference at WEGZ Stadium Club on Tuesday (Oct. 25).
- San Pail prepares for first Breeders Crown test (Tuesday, October 18, 2011)
San Pail, without question North America’s top older trotter, will once again be center stage as he contests his first Breeders Crown.
- Buck I St Pat denied Crown entry (Tuesday, October 18, 2011)
With 11 entered for this year’s Breeders Crown Mare Trot, the connections of Buck I St Pat have launched an appeal as the bay mare was declared ineligible for this year’s $250,000 event.
- Breeders Crown eliminations drawn (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
Breeders Crown eliminations are set for this Friday (Oct. 21) and Saturday (Oct. 22) at Woodbine Racetrack.
- Daley seeks Breeders Crown redemption with Royal Shyster (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
After finishing fifth in the 2005 Breeders Crown with RC Royalty, Dan Daley will seek redemption at Woodbine Racetrack with the best colt in RC Royalty’s 17-foal first crop, Royal Shyster.
- Katz has experience buying and breeding the best (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
Marvin Katz and his business partner Al Libfeld have been collecting high quality trotting broodmares for years. Their exquisite taste in bloodlines often had them bidding on six-figure yearlings. About six years ago the pair decided to change the way they do business.
- Holloway sends trio to Breeders Crown (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
Trainer Joe Holloway is sending three horses to the Breeders Crown and already knows he will have at least one horse in next weekend’s finals.
- Czernyson hopes for big night at Breeders Crown (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
Trainer Jonas Czernyson sends five horses to the Breeders Crown, with three of them, all older horses, advancing to their respective finals on Oct. 29, as no eliminations were needed.
- Minor is ‘under the radar’ heading to 2011 Breeders Crown (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)
Last October, Dewayne Minor headed to the Breeders Crown for 3-year-old male trotters with stakes-winner Wishing Stone and nearly came away with the trophy as his colt finished second from post nine to Break The Bank K in a world-record mile at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. This year, Minor goes to the Breeders Crown without much fanfare, but he hopes to make noise again.
- Hochstetler continues to be impressed by Big Chocolate (Thursday, October 20, 2011)
Although he established his lifetime mark of 1:54.3 when he triumphed in a $75,750 division of the International Stallion Stakes, his conditioner and previous pilot feels Big Chocolate’s best performance to date may have been a third place finish in the $400,000 Peter Haughton Final.
- Plenty of title shots in wide-open soph colt Breeders Crown pace (Thursday, October 20, 2011)
Each year the battle for the Breeders Crown is waged with divisional honors hanging in the balance. Rarely, if ever, has there been a field assembled with as many as five different horses who could catapult to the top of the division with a Crown triumph. Such is the case this year as legitimate contenders and major race winners in the signature 3-year-old sophomore pacing colt division vie for the Dan Patch title.
- Royal Shyster: A smooth operator (Thursday, October 20, 2011)
Dan Daley has been here before. The trainer-owner-driver who bases his operation at Vernon Downs has made a solid living developing young trotters for action on the lucrative New York Sire Stakes circuit. Year-in-year-out he cultivates good-gaited colts and fillies that appear as effective on the half-mile ovals as they do on larger tracks.
- Buck I St Pat appeal denied (Thursday, October 20, 2011)
On Tuesday, the connections of Buck I St Pat launched an appeal regarding the rejection of their entry for this year’s Breeders Crown for older trotting mares. The appeal was denied this morning at the Toronto office of the Ontario Racing Commission.