by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Anderson, IN — As co-owner Marvin Katz made his way to the winner’s circle for another celebration with Ariana G, the word he used to best describe the 3-year-old female trotter was “fantastic.” He could have chosen others, including dominant.
Ariana G won Friday’s (Oct. 27) $500,000 Breeders Crown for 3-year-old female trotters by 5-1/4 lengths over Ice Attraction in 1:54.3 over a sloppy track at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. Dream Together finished third. Ariana G joined Shake It Cerry as the only trotting fillies since 2002 to win the Breeders Crown at ages 2 and 3.
Shake It Cerry was trained by Jimmy Takter, as is Ariana G. Takter extended his record for Breeders Crown training wins to 32 with Ariana G’s victory.
Ariana G, driven by Yannick Gingras, has won 12 of 15 races this year and earned $1.12 million. For her career, she has won 21 of 26 races and earned $1.86 million.
Overdraft Volo led the field to the opening quarter in :27.1, but was still parked outside Checkmate Time when they hit the marker. Gingras moved three wide around the duo to take the lead in a :55.3 half and never slowed from there.
“They tried to beat her, they just can’t,” said Katz, who bred Ariana G with Al Libfeld and still owns the filly with Libfeld. “I know she’s great. I know she’s a fantastic, exceptional, one-of-a-kind type filly. I just wanted her to perform well. She’s great. She’s fantastic.
“(This year) is different. She was a 2-year-old last year, her career was ahead of her. Right now, she’s at the pinnacle of the sport. She gotten so many accolades, that she richly deserves. She’s been a star for the whole industry for the whole year. She’s really an exceptional, rare filly. She’s one of these fillies that comes along every five or 10 years.
“Jimmy Takter, Yannick Gingras, they deserve all the credit. They’ve managed her fabulously.”
Katz has 10 Breeders Crown wins and Libfeld nine. Gingras, who earlier on the card drove Takter-trained Manchego to victory, has 18 trophies.
“I thought she was by far the best trotting filly in the country and she proved it tonight,” Gingras said. “Donald (Dupont with Checkmate Time) definitely took it to Andy (Miller with Overdraft Volo) and I didn’t get in the hole because it looked like he was going to let him go very easy, but then he took him all the way to the half. That’s the way it goes, when you go for $500,000 they are racing.”
Ariana G paid $2.40 as the 1-5 favorite.
Hoosier Park, in conjunction with Roberts Communications, will offer live steaming and replays of the Breeders Crown races at www.hoosierpark.com/racing/2017breederscrown/.
- Emoticon Hanover wires the field in Breeders Crown Mare Trot (Friday, October 27, 2017)
Emoticon Hanover and driver Dan Dube went to the front and never looked back to win Friday’s (Oct. 27) $250,000 Breeders Crown Mare Trot by three-quarters of a length over Caprice Hill in 1:53.4 at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.
- Manchego remains unbeaten with Breeders Crown triumph (Friday, October 27, 2017)
Manchego became the first undefeated 2-year-old female trotter to win a Breeders Crown, capturing Friday’s (Oct. 27) $600,000 final by 4-1/4 lengths over Seviyorum in 1:54.4 over a sloppy track at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. Phaetosive finished third.
- Blazin Britches scores in 1:52.1 in Crown filly pace (Friday, October 27, 2017)
Blazin Britches, one of last week’s beaten elimination favorites, won the $500,000 Breeders Crown 3-year-old filly pace by a half-length at Hoosier Park Friday night (Oct. 27). The time for the mile was 1:52.1 over a sloppy track. Trace Tetrick was in the sulky.
- Youaremycandygirl captures Breeders Crown 2-year-old filly pace (Friday, October 27, 2017)
Youaremycandygirl, the heavy 2-5 public choice off a strong elimination score last week, won the $600,000 Breeders Crown 2-year-old filly pace by 4-1/2 lengths at Hoosier Park Friday night (Oct. 27). The time for the mile was 1:53.2 over a sloppy track. Yannick Gingras drove the filly for trainer Ron Burke.
- Pure Country wins wild finish in Breeders Crown Mare Pace (Friday, October 27, 2017)
Eight horses fanned across the track in a battle down the stretch, with Pure Country surging in the closing strides to capture Friday’s (Oct. 27) $250,000 Breeders Crown Mare Pace by 1-1/4 lengths over Bedroomconfessions in 1:52.1 over a sloppy track at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. Lady Shadow was third.
- Exciting night of racing featured during first evening of Breeders Crown at Hoosier (Friday, October 27, 2017)
Rain settled into the area and made racing conditions muddy, but the inclement weather didn’t come close to dampening the spirits of racing fans as they witnessed history in the making. The first of two nights of the Breeders Crown Championships at Hoosier Park brought in a full house ready to see the best horses in North America vie for divisional honors.