from the Breeders Crown

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Call Me Queen Be, a Breeders Crown winner in 2016 at age 3, continued her sharp form spree in her $25,000 elimination of the Breeders Crown Mare Pace Saturday night (Oct. 20) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, traversing a “sloppy” oval in 1:50.3.

Curtis Salonick photo

Call Me Queen Be cruises to the wire on Saturday evening in her Breeders Crown elimination.

Eric Carlson, the hottest “longshot driver” in eastern Pennsylvania the last two months, sent the 18-1 daughter of Somebeachsomewhere streaking to the lead from the outside post eight, hitting the quarter in :26.2. He was able to give the mare a breather to a :55.3 midpoint clocking, then picked up the speed as Agent Q progressed first-over, with Pure Country, the winner’s contemporary who won Crown Championships in 2015 and 2017, right on her back.

But the outer tier, and pocketsitter Carol’s Z Tam, could not stay with Call Me Queen Be at the 1:23.1. She proceeded home sharply in :27.2 to be 4-1/4 lengths to the good at the finish. Pure Country came a long way in the lane to be second, a half-length ahead of Newborn Sassy. Carol’s Z Tam was fourth.

Trainer Ross Croghan and owners Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Dana Parham saw the John Carver-bred 5-year-old boost her earnings to $1,359,085, winning her fifth race in her last seven starts.

Call Me Queen Be paid $38.00 for the win.

The New Zealand pacing mare Shartin N ($4.40) was hustled to the lead then went on to a one-length victory in her $25,000 elimination of the Breeders Crown Open Mare pace.

The daughter of Tintin In America, who is now tied for second in wins in North America with her 17th win of the year, left well from post eight for driver Tim Tetrick, and she would not settle for an early tuck, but went on to the front in a demanding :26.3 opener.

Shartin N, the second choice behind even-money chalk Caviart Ally, was able to back off the half to :56, and then was ready when that one advanced towards the lead down the backstretch. But Caviart Ally never got right up tight with the leader as she reached the third station in 1:24.1, and then Shartin N kept a safe margin through the :27.4 final kicker.

Twinkle, who sat in the pocket, came up the inside to be a length behind, then came Caviart Ally, another half-length behind, with another half-length to fourth place Blue Moon Stride. Nike Franco N, the former stablemate of Shartin N, was fifth and made next week’s final because of superior seasonal earnings.

Shartin N boosted her seasonal earnings to $832,361 and her lifetime bankroll to $909,478. Trainer Jim King Jr. trains the game mare for his wife, Jo Ann Looney King, and owner Richard Poillucci. With a $270,000 final next Saturday, the $31,250 fee to make Shartin N eligible via supplementation is looking like a sound investment.