by Kimberly Rinker, managing editor, Hoof Beats

Campbellville, ON — Equinox Bi took advantage of a late break by the leading Corleone Kosmos to win the $726,000 Breeders Crown Open Trot Final in 1:52 at Mohawk for driver Trevor Ritchie, who nailed the catch-drive earlier in the evening.

“I got the call from Scott McKelvie at 5:55 tonight when I was home in Acton lying on the couch that I was going to drive the horse,” Ritchie said. “I got away third and made a move in the last turn and would have not caught Corleone Kosmos if John (Campbell) did not have trouble at the end and make that bobble.”

New Image Media photo

Corleone Kosmos’ break in stride led to Equinox Bi being placed first in the Breeders Crown Open Trot.

The 6-year-old son of Valley Boss Bi is trained by Jan Nordin for owner Scuderia Gina Biasuzzi of Fort Pierce, Florida, and picked up his fourth win in nine tries this season. He was supplemented to the Breeders Crown for $75,000.

Equinox Bi became harness racing’s newest millionaire with the victory, just his second start in this country. He had previously been racing in Italy. It was Ritchie’s seventh Crown win.

“I watched this horse race at The Meadowlands and Mike Lachance said he was impressed with him,” Ritchie offered. “Jan Nordin called me and asked me to train him so I knew he was a good horse.”

Corleone Koxmos (John Campbell) got the early lead in the field of seven, taking his rivals through fractions of :27.3, :57.3 and 1:25.2. It looked like he had the Crown victory well in hand, with a hard-driving Equinox Bi fighting gamely on the outside, but in the final strides, he began galloping, with Equinox Bi lapped on at his saddle pad.

As a result, the 5-year-old son of S J’s Photo was set down to second, giving Equinox Bi the Breeders Crown victory. Vivid Photo, who sat last throughout the mile, was a very game third.

The winning time equaled the Mohawk track record for older trotters set by Mr Muscleman on September 3, 2005. The stake record time is 1:51.1 set by Varenne in 2001 at The Meadowlands.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Owner Mauro Biasuzzi (left) celebrates Equinox Bi’s win.

“Every Breeders Crown we’ve raced, we’ve won,” said owner Mauro Biasuzzi. “It’s a good record. We were lucky in the stretch, but the horse was good. He raced very good. The first turn, it was very good for Trevor to go inside. The horse was strong.”

Biasuzzi has now raced four horses in the Crown and won with all four: Nalda Hanover, Jean Bi and Personal Banner, the dam of Equinox Bi — who beat Moni Maker in 1996.

“This horse has the potential to be as great as Varenne,” Biasuzzi continued. “He is even better on the front, you can’t pass him on the front but I never tell the driver how to drive. I have driven him myself, but I am an amateur driver and respect the horse, I have never hit him with a whip.

“He will stay here for the Maple Leaf Trot and then go to the World Cup final in Vincennes on September 30 (Equinox Bi and Corleone Kosmos have a win and a second in World Cup events, thereby tying at 75 points each. The top 14 point-getters are eligible for the World Cup).

“He will stand stud in Italy as he did when he was off a year ago. But Italians would rather breed to a mediocre American stallion than a good Italian-bred horse,” Biasuzzi said.

“This is my second win like this in two weeks. Muscovite won the Merrie Annabelle when Snow White, also driven by Campbell, went off stride. It’s not the preferred way but I will take it!!!”

Driver John Campbell was disappointed, but matter-of-fact about Corleone Kosmos’ performance.

“He just rolled off,” Campbell noted. “He did that some last year, but not so far this year, until now. It just happened at an in-opportune time.”

“I could see it was going to happen a 100 yards before,” trainer Darren McCall said. “He just lost his trot. The track is real hard and his feet were stinging him. It is a real bad way to lose any race, let alone the Breeders Crown.”

Rounding out the order of finish were Giant Diablo, Sand Vic, Muscles Marinara and Med Vac.