The final four post position draws for the Grade 1 Breeders Crown championships at Eldorado Scioto Downs took place Tuesday evening (Oct. 20) at a draw party held at Pinnacle Golf Club. The post draws conducted were for the 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot, 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace, Open Pace and Open Trot. Elimination winners drew for posts 1 through 6 before the remaining finalists were put in an open draw. The draws for the other eight championships were completed this past weekend.
Author: by Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager
Visit past Crown contenders at Scioto’s Millionaires Row
Four past Breeders Crown contenders — Foiled Again, Golden Receiver, Mission Accepted and Pinkman — will be on hand to greet fans at Eldorado Scioto Downs on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 23-24).
Favorites upended in Tuesday Pocono stakes
The favorites had a rough time of it in each of the two $47,550 divisions of the Davidia Hanover, the John Simpson Sr. Stakes for 2-year-old trotting fillies, on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 20) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with photo finishes going to a 11-1 shot (the second choice) over a 21-1 proposition in one cut and a horse sent off at 7-1 just ahead of a 12-1 shot in the other section.
Lethal Legacy outlasts Dayton feature field
Lethal Legacy and driver/trainer Hugh Beatty survived an early five-wide battle and held off a late charge from Castro (Brett Miller) to capture the featured $16,500 conditioned trot on Tuesday (Oct. 20) at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway.
Beca Mitchell wins Harrington distaff
Andrew Glassmeyer’s Beca Mitchell ($6.20, Montrell Teague) was a 1:53.4 winner in Tuesday’s (Oct. 20) $22,500 Mares Open Pace at Harrington Raceway.
Bickmore bags 2,000th training win
When Leave It To Luther (1:53.1, $4.20) won the fourth race at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (Oct. 20), it vaulted longtime New England horseman Randy Bickmore to the 2,000th training win of his career.
Record-breaking Geologic tops Gingras grand slam
The Massachusetts Breeders Stakes 3-year-old eligibles faced off for $324,000 in purses at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (Oct. 20), in single divisions except for the pacing fillies. The day was highlighted by four horses sweeping their divisions and three career-best efforts, but trotting gelding Geologic and driver Yannick Gingras made the biggest news of all. Gingras won a total of four stakes during the afternoon for the second time this year, including teaming Geologic to a record-breaking performance in his third straight stakes victory.
Maine sophomore finals provide thrills and chills
On a brisk but sunny autumn afternoon at Hollywood Casino Hotel and Raceway, in Bangor, Maine, four $100,000-plus Maine Sire Stakes finals on Saturday (Oct. 17) delivered some chalk and an upset in the culmination of the annual series for Pine Tree State-bred 3-year-old trotters and pacers.
Massive Speed wins Fred Nichols final at Bangor
The first real cold snap of autumn could do nothing to lessen the enthusiasm felt at Bangor Raceway on Saturday (Oct. 17) as the Queen City oval played host to the $400,000-plus championship round of the Maine Sire Stakes sophomore set, a card co-headlined by the $20,000 final of the Fred Nichols Pacing Series.
Six Simpson sections head Saturday Pocono card
Stakes youngsters were gathered at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun on Saturday afternoon, as $211,700 was up for grab in two John Simpson Sr. Stakes, two divisions of the Razzle Hanover, for freshman pacing females, and two sections of the Ayres, for sophomore trotting males. In both groups, the only favorite to win in the divisions turned in the group’s fastest mile.