San Pail prepares for first Breeders Crown test
October 18, 2011,by Greg Gangle, WEG media
Toronto, ON — With no eliminations required for this year’s Breeders Crown for open trotters, all seven entries will automatically advance to the $600,000 final on Oct. 29 at Woodbine Racetrack.
San Pail, without question North America’s top older trotter, will once again be center stage as he contests his first Breeders Crown.
USTA/Mark Hall photo
San Pail has won 13 times in 15 starts this year, with earnings of $989,000.
Trained and co-owned by Rod Hughes along with Glenn Van Camp, San Pail couldn’t be more ready as the veteran trotter remains in top form after posting six straight victories.
“We are all systems go,” Hughes said. “He was terrific again the other night from the 10-hole and I couldn’t have him in better form. I decided to race him this past Saturday at Woodbine because I didn’t figure there would be eliminations and it proved to be right.”
A winner of $2,588,106 in his career, San Pail has captured 48 wins lifetime from 106 starts.
For the first time in his career, San Pail travelled to the United States to compete on American soil on a consecutive basis and the classy trotter didn’t disappoint with a victory in the Nat Ray at the Meadowlands, a win in the Credit Winner at Vernon Downs and a comfortable 1:52.1 score in the Allerage Trot at The Red Mile.
“He was terrific in Lexington,” Hughes said. “He was very relaxed, maybe it was the atmosphere that appealed to him down there, but he was very easy on himself.”
All but two entries in this year’s Crown have faced San Pail this season. Commander Crowe and Rapide Lebel are European invaders and that is something Hughes will not take lightly.
“When you’re racing at this level, you can’t overlook anyone,” he said. “I’m not that familiar with European racing, but I see what kind of miles they have both gone and the money that have earned. I won’t overlook that and I know Randy (driver Randy Waples) won’t either.”
Although the 7-year-old son of San Pellegrino-Village Beauty doesn’t appear to be slowing down after posting a record of 13-2-0 from 15 starts this season, Hughes credits the soundness of his horse.
“We are very thankful that ‘Pail’ doesn’t have any major issues to deal with. Of course, he has a few minor issues that we have to stay on top of, but that’s just general maintenance,” he said. “I think that’s one of the biggest reasons why he’s lasting year after year and Randy has said the same thing.”
When San Pail goes to post in the rich final, Rod Hughes will be standing alongside his wife, Emily; father, Jerry; and the entire San Pail fan club as they hope for their first Breeders Crown trophy.
The seven entries are listed alphabetically: Arch Madness, Commander Crowe, Define The World, Hot Shot Blue Chip, Lucky Jim, Rapide Lebel and San Pail.
- Breeders Crown draws 162 in Woodbine championships (Tuesday, October 18, 2011)
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.
- 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.