Walner and Sortie win Breeders Crown 2-year-old colt trot eliminations
October 22, 2016,by Ellen Harvey, for The Breeders Crown
East Rutherford, NJ — Walner and Tim Tetrick were the unchallenged winners by three lengths in 1:53.3 in the first $20,000 elimination for the $600,000 Breeders Crown 2-year-old colt and gelding trot on Saturday (Oct. 22) at The Meadowlands.
The Linda Toscano trainee, owned by Ken Jacobs, took the lead away from Giveitgasandgo (Corey Callahan) after the :28 first quarter and held that lead to the :56.3 half and the 1:25 three-quarters, holding off Devious Man (Andy Miller) who pulled on the outside to make an attempt for the lead, and drawing alongside Giveitgasandgo, who held for second throughout the first three-quarters of the race.
Walner (Chapter Seven-Random Destiny) trotted away from the rest of the field with What The Hill (David Miller) rallying for second along the rail, while Giveitgasandgo (Corey Callahan) was third. Dover Dan (Scott Zeron) was fourth and Sir John F (Matt Kakaley) was fifth and got the final spot for next week’s final.
“I’d like to be in the Hambletonian, that’s my goal,” said owner Ken Jacobs.
“He’s got tons of talent and he wants to do his job; he’s got a ton of speed to go with it. Everything’s there,” said winning driver Tim Tetrick.
Sortie (Andrew McCarthy) came fastest of all from mid pack in the final eighth of a mile to win the second $20,000 elimination in a time of 1:55 by 1-3/4 lengths. Sortie ($22.60) is trained by Noel Daley and owned by Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Mario Mazza and the Sortie Stable. He is a son of Explosive Matter-Win B and won for the second time in six career starts.
The early pace was set by Moonshiner Hanover (Scott Zeron) who reached the first quarter in :28.3, with Fly On (Andy Miller) in second. That pair led the way to the :57.4 half and by the 1:26.3 three-quarters Moonshiner Hanover was still on the lead, but Fly On and Miller were off the rail and trying to take the lead.
As the field straightened in the stretch, Andrew McCarthy had Sortie trotting out of the pack in fifth place and gobbling up ground, passing the leaders a few strides from the wire for the win. Moonshiner Hanover held for second and Fly On was third. The final two spots in the Breeders Crown final went to fourth place finisher Jake (Sylvain Filion) and fifth place finisher Snowstorm Hanover (Matt Kakaley).
“He kind of stepped on the gas there (at the five-eighths) and got to slipping a little bit, so I just had to watch him for a few steps and when he straightened up he was fine,” said McCarthy. “At the head of the stretch I thought I did (have a chance to win). You know it’s a long stretch. I knew I had plenty of trot, it’s just a matter of making sure I stayed flat and kept going.”
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After settling in the mid-division from his outside post, Huntsville ($2.40) sustained first-over gains to wear down pacesetter Odds On Delray and draw clear by 2-1/4 lengths in his $20,000 Breeders Crown elimination for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Saturday (Oct. 22) at The Meadowlands, carded as the evening’s second event.
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- Sutton is an upset winner; Bar Hopping is odds-on victor in Breeders Crown eliminations (Saturday, October 22, 2016)
Trained by Julie Miller, Sutton (Donato Hanover-I Wanted Wings) sat in the pocket before edging up the pylons to win at 6-1 in the first of two $25,000 eliminations for the Breeders Crown 3-year-old colt and gelding trot on Saturday (Oct. 22) at the Meadowlands in 1:54.2.
- VIP Stable syndication flourishing (Thursday, October 27, 2016)
Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion Giveitgasandgo is certainly creating his own VIP experience leading up to this weekend’s Breeders Crown. Trained by John Butenschoen, Giveitgasandgo had won seven straight races prior to finishing third in last week’s Breeders Crown eliminations, in which he qualified for the $600,000 2-year-old colt and gelding trot final this Saturday (Oct. 29) at the Meadowlands.