by Ken Weingartner, for the Breeders Crown

Campbellville, ON — She’s already won the Queens Trophy and now Birminghim is seeking a Crown to go with it in the $250,000 Breeders Crown Mare Trot on Saturday, September 1. Frankly, trainer Harald Lunde won’t be at all surprised to see her in the Mohawk Racetrack winner’s circle.

Ken Weingartner photo

Birminghim will look to win the Breeders Crown Mare Trot from the six hole.

Birminghim, who finished fourth in her elimination race, starts from post six in the race, with Jody Jamieson in the sulky. Elim winners Mystical Sunshine, the event’s defending champion, and Snazzy Millie will start from posts two and three, respectively.

In addition, the field includes Susie’s Magic, who won the 2006 Breeders Crown for 3-year-old filly trotters, and Passionate Glide, who won the race for 2-year-olds in 2005.

“I think she can move forward off that race,” Lunde said about Birminghim’s elim. “There are good horses in there, but every race is a different winner. If you can have an optimal race, she could be up there.”

Of the 10 Crown finalists, only Spare Time Rozie has won more than five races this year. Birminghim has three victories, including a triumph in the Queen’s Trophy in Sweden in May. She has won $234,478 this season and nearly $700,000 lifetime for Norwegian owner Torkil Pedersen. Her last win in Ontario came in May 2006 in an Ontario Sires Stakes event at Hiawatha Horse Park. She was a solid earner on the circuit, with four victories and 18 on-the-board finishes in 21 races.

“This is a really good year,” Lunde said. “We won a big race in Sweden and she’s raced against the best all year. She’s good. I bought her for $20,000. She was a nice looking filly and her pedigree was OK. She’s been more than we expected. When you pay $20,000 you cannot expect they will make a million, but she’s very close.”

Birminghim is a half-sister to the gelding You’re Next, who won a track record 13 consecutive starts at Pompano Park. Her mother, Buckinghim, is a half-sister to multiple-stakes winner and 2004 Hambletonian finalist Eilean Donon. Her father, Striking Sahbra, is the sport’s fifth-leading sire this year.

“Hopefully, she can get a good trip in the final, and we can grab a good chunk of the money,” driver Jody Jamieson said. “We’re going to give it the best shot we can. She’s pretty push-button and does everything on her own. She’s a very smart mare; Harald has done a great job with her. If she gets a good trip, she just might knock them all off.”