Washington, PA – Brady Brown never figured he would be in the spotlight of the Breeders Crown on Saturday night (Oct. 17) at Eldorado Scioto Downs in a $25,000 elimination of the 3-Year-Old Filly Trot.
Owner-trainer Roger Hammer supplemented Little Road, a daughter of Fordham Road-A Little Laid Back-Great George Two, into the race for $72,000.
Brown, one of the top drivers at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, is looking for his first landmark stakes victory. It’s his maiden start in the Breeders Crown.
“I’m still speechless,” Brown said. “I never thought I would get this opportunity, especially to get to drive a filly for one of the best trainers and drivers in this business. It’s very special to me.”
Little Road, who will leave from the post 1 in the second of three elims for the sophomore filly trotters, will face a field that includes Grade 1 Delmonica Hanover winner Victorianas Secret (Ronnie Wrenn Jr. driving for Vernon Beachy), Grade 3 Bluegrass division winner Emmas Mystery CCL (Andrew McCarthy – Noel Daley), and 2025 divisional Dan Patch Award-winner Setyoursightshigh (Dexter Dunn – Marcus Melander).
The top three finishers from each elim will advance to the $$664,500 Grade 1 final on Oct. 24 at Scioto Downs. Elimination winners will draw for post positions 1 through 6. All other finalists will be placed in an open draw for the remaining post positions.
Little Road, bred by Hammer, has won nine of 15 starts this season with three seconds and a third. She has earned $282,562 and has a best time of 1:52.
In two seasons, she has 15 wins in 24 starts with four seconds and two third-place finishes, with $360,650 in career earnings.
Little Road, who is 5-1 on the morning line, has won seven of her last eight starts with wins in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship last month and a victory in the Keystone Classic on Oct. 6.
“She’s been a good filly,” Brown said. “Towards the end of her 2-year-old year, we really knew we had a good horse – wasn’t sure how good, but she was good. When (Hammer) brought her back as a 3-year-old, he trained her down and started racing her. She was just phenomenal.
“She can race either way; she can go forward or she can race from behind.
“One thing about Hammer, he doesn’t put a horse in these kinds of races just to be in the race. He’s in the race to win and to make money.”
Hammer said his only instructions for Brown are to give the horse a shot at winning.
“When Brady first started racing at the fairs, I gave him drives,” Hammer said. “That’s how we got together. I told him to not sit back with Little Road. He gives her a shot all the time, and I don’t care if she finishes last if he gives her a shot to win.
“I thought too, being Brady has never driven in the big races, this would be good for him.”
Hammer admitted he has rarely supplemented horses into a big race, which says much about his confidence supplementing Little Road into the Breeders Crown.
Hammer, 80, won the Hambletonian in 2005 with Vivid Photo. He’s confident Little Road has the makeup and ability to be his next big winner.
“She doesn’t need a trip,” Hammer said. “The last four, five or six weeks, we just put her to the top and stayed out of trouble.
“She can leave fast – leave the gate good. She’s raced against a lot of these fillies and she beat them, and they beat her. She’s only had one bad race all year, and that was down in Kentucky when she tied up on me. Other than that, she’s been one, two, three the whole time.”
As for supplementing Little Road into the Breeders Crown, Hammer said his decision was easy.
“Nothing has come out of my pocket with this one,” Hammer explained. “She made the money. I’m going to give her a shot at this.”
Burke’s brigade
Hall of Fame trainer Ron Burke and the Burke Racing Stable have a bevy of Breeders Crown entries in Saturday’s eliminations.
That group includes defending Breeders Crown champion Loua Dipa (3-year-old filly pace), Al Papi and Melillo (3-year-old colt and gelding pace), Bythemissal (Open Pace), Rodeo Drive Deo (Mare Pace), and Lexus Kody (Open Trot).
Down the stretch
Scioto Downs previously hosted the Breeders Crown Open Pace (1988) and Mare Trot (1986). After major renovations, including a new race paddock, gaming floor and grandstand, Scioto Downs is hosting all 12 Breeders Crown finals this year, with 2-year-old championships on Oct. 23 and the remainder on Oct. 24. … Eight of last year’s Breeders Crown titlists will race in Saturday’s elims. … First-race post time is 6 p.m. at Scioto Downs.