by Moira Fanning, publicity director, the Breeders Crown

TORONTO – Bob Anderson & David Wilmot’s Cabrini Hanover, unbeaten in three previous Woodbine appearances, lived up to her advance billing Thursday night in the third of three elimination races for the C$721,000 Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Filly Pace at Woodbine. The freshman filly division is one of eight Crown Finals that will be contested on Saturday, Oct. 23.

The first pacer ever trained by elite conditioner Jimmy Takter, Cabrini Hanover waltzed out to an eight-length lead at the head of the stretch and coasted home to a 1:52.4 victory over a late charging Restive Hanover. Secret Deal finished third and Panne Ala Vodka was fourth.

Cabrini Hanover, who set the world record for freshman fillies with her 1:51 win in the She’s A Great Lady final at Woodbine on Sept. 4, left like a rocket and grabbed the top for driver Mike Lachance and cruised to the lead in 27 seconds from post seven.

The two-year-old daughter of Western Ideal maintained the lead through a smooth 56.4 half-mile time and cruised to the three-quarters in 1:25.1. Lachance pushed the filly slightly in the final turn and paced away from all of her foes. Restive Hanover mounted a furious late charge but Cabrini Hanover was well in hand.

“This was a tremendous effort for her to come back like that after what happened in Lexington,” said Takter, who has conditioned six Breeders Crown winners, all trotters, including two-time Horse of the Year Moni Maker.

“She suffered a heart fibrillation at Lexington and could have been in very serious condition,” he continued. “But this is no ordinary filly and her effort tonight proved that. Most horses would have been on the shelf for a while but she is very special.”

Frederick Hertrich & Lewis Arno’s Fast Ruffles, the 2/5 post time favorite, was also impressive Thursday night.

Fast Ruffles got a cautious drive from newly elected Hall of Famer Ron Pierce and then brushed home smartly in the lane to score a 1:53.1 victory in the second of three elimination races.

Fast Ruffles, a daughter of Western Hanover is trained by Brett Pelling and driven to victory by Pierce, North America’s leading driver in 2004.

“She raced well enough to win tonight,” Pelling said after the race. “You are always concerned when they ship up here from Lexington because the weather’s quite a bit different. She might have been a little dull tonight. But she travels so easy and Ron took his time with her. Everything worked out well and she didn’t have to extend herself tonight.”

Catching live cover around the last turn, Fast Ruffles rode the wake as Crystal Slipper and Brian Sears tracked down the front-end tandem of Thereal Ideal and Odds On Laina, which had taken the field to the three-quarters in 1:25.3.

Turning for home, Fast Ruffles continued to follow Crystal Slipper until the final eighth of the mile before Pierce tipped her wide and paced home a winner by an easy length and a quarter. Crystal Slipper finished second while Allamerican Coed was third and Thereal Ideal finished fourth.

In the first elimination, Mathias Meinzinger’s Savannah Sky mounted a first-over charge in the final quarter mile and tracked down a tiring but game Arts Bid to score a 1:52.1 victory.

Trained by Chris Ryder and driven to victory by Paul MacDonell, Savannah Sky ranged up to take on Arts Bid prior to the three-quarter pole. The pair raced as a team down the long Woodbine stretch before Savannah Sky pushed ahead in the final strides to win by three-quarters of a length.

A freshman daughter of two-time Breeders Crown champion Artiscape, Savannah Sky scored her third win in eight lifetime starts.

Arts Bid, driven by Andy Miller, had to survive an early speed duel with Righteous Renee to grab the front in a blistering 25.4 seconds in the seven-horse field. It was the fastest first quarter by any filly or mare in a Breeders Crown race. Arts Bid continued to lead for the next half mile before Savannah Sky mounted her late bid.
“She’s a great big filly, great gaited and just floats out there,’ Macdonell said after the race. “With all the speed in the early fractions, I was able to get away easy and wait until later to make the move.”

Show Time, driven by Brian Sears, closed from off the pace to finish third while Western Cruise with Steve Condren came on to finish fourth. With nearly $200,000 on her card, Western Cruise qualified as the 10th horse in the field while Thereal Ideal will be first also eligible and Panne ALA Vodka the second also eligible.

The top three finishers in each of three elimination events plus the richest fourth place finisher qualify for next Saturday’s final. In a draw by lot, the connections of Cabrini Hanover got to select first, Savannah Sky second and Fast Ruffles will choose third. The connections of the three elimination winner’s may pick their post positions for the final in an order decided by lot.