Milton, ON — Post positions for all 12 of this weekend’s Breeders Crown finals at Woodbine Mohawk Park are set following a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
A strong turnout, including over a dozen drivers and trainers, attended the press conference to find out the starting spots for the 2-year-old colt pace, 3-year-old colt pace and Open Trot finals.
Foreign classic invitee Bold Eagle drew the rail for the $500,000 Open Trot. The legendary 8-year-old trotter will make his North American debut, teaming with reinsman Brian Sears. The Sébastien Guarato trainee has done it all in Europe, winning countless classic events and earning more than $5 million.
Superstar trotters Atlanta, Guardian Angel As, Marion Marauder and Six Pack are just four of the 10 trotters that will go up against Bold Eagle.
Marion Marauder, the 2016 Trotting Triple Crown champion, will start directly behind Bold Eagle from the second-tier post 11. The 6-year-old is winless in nine starts this season, but has recorded 20 wins and more than C$3.5 million in earnings through 60 career starts.
Four-year-old mare Atlanta has earned the confidence of her connections to take another crack at the boys. The 2018 Hambletonian champion and winner of nearly C$2 million will attempt to claim the Open Trot title for a 20th career victory. She starts from post six.
This season’s highest earner in the Open Trot is Anette Lorentzon trainee Guardian Angel As, who scored the biggest victory of his career earlier this season at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The 5-year-old stallion captured the Maple Leaf Trot on Aug. 31 and will start from post five.
World champion Six Pack did not have luck on his side during Tuesday’s post position draw. The Ake Svanstedt trained 4-year-old drew the far outside, post position 10.
The Open Trot field is completed by Will Take Charge (post two), Mission Accepted (post three), Fiftydallarbill (post four), Lindy The Great (post seven), Dunbar Hall (post eight) and Southwind Chrome (post nine).
Saturday evening’s Crown finals will also include the $600,000 3-year-old colt pace.
Elimination winners Bettor’s Wish and Dancin Lou were guaranteed of a starting spot from post one to five. Bettor’s Wish drew post five, while Dancin Lou drew post four.
The Chris Ryder trained Bettor’s Wish has been the model of consistency this season, winning 12 of 16 and never finished outside the top two. The son of Bettor’s Delight will look to add a Crown trophy to his collection that includes the Art Rooney, Carl Milstein, Kentucky Sires Stakes, Bluegrass and Tattersalls.
Tahnee Camilleri trainee Dancin Lou is red-hot entering the Crown final. The son of Sweet Lou broke through with an upset score in a division of the Tattersalls on Oct. 6 and proved it was no fluke by storming home in :25.4 to win his Crown elimination. The sophomore holds a record of 10 wins in 17 starts.
Little Brown Jug champion and supplemental entry Southwind Ozzi, who finished second to Bettor’s Wish in last Saturday’s elimination, will start from the rail. The Bill MacKenzie trained son of Somebeachsomewhere has won nine of 13 this season, which includes scores in the Adios and Pennsylvania Sires Stakes championship.
Pepsi North America Cup champion Captain Crunch drew post two for Saturday’s rich event. The Nancy Johansson trainee is two for eight since winning the Cup, but has finished top four in all of those starts.
Meadowlands Pace champion Best In Show was the fast-closer in last weekend’s eliminations, pacing a :25.3 kicker to finish second to Dancin Lou. The Linda Toscano trainee will start from post six, which has the highest winning percentage of any starting spot at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The 3-year-old colt pace field is completed by Covered Bridge (post three), Semi Tough (post seven), Fixed Idea (post eight), Bronx Seelster (post nine) and De Los Cielos Deo (post 10).
The $600,000 2-year-old colt pace will be the main event for Friday’s quartet of Breeders Crown events.
Elimination winner Papi Rob Hanover drew post three at Tuesday’s draw and rolls into the final off a major statement victory for trainer Brett Pelling. The son of Somebeachsomewhere handed previously unbeaten Tall Dark Stranger a 1:50.2 defeat, winning by a little over a length.
Papi Rob Hanover has hit the board in each of his nine starts this season, posting four victories. The Pelling trainee finished runner-up to Tall Dark Stranger in last month’s Metro Pace.
Tall Dark Stranger drew post seven at Tuesday’s draw, a post position he has won from before at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The Nancy Johansson trainee is seven for eight with more than C$542,000 earned.
Capt Midnight and Catch The Fire took byes into the $600,000 final. The Tony Alagna trained Capt Midnight drew post five, while John Ackley trainee Catch The Fire landed in post nine.
The field is completed by Mayhem Hanover (post one), Allywag Hanover (post two), Cattlewash (post four), Major Betts (post six), Freedom Warrior (post eight) and Put To Right (post 10).
The full cards for this weekend’s $6 million Breeders Crown, presented by Libfeld-Katz Breeding Partnership, will be released later today.
Post time for Friday and Saturday’s Breeders Crown cards is 7 p.m.
The results from the three post position draws appear below.
$500,000 Open Trot
Post–Horse
1–Bold Eagle
2–Will Take Charge
3–Mission Accepted
4–Fiftydallarbill
5–Guardian Angel AS
6–Atlanta
7–Lindy The Great
8–Dunbar Hall
9–Southwind Chrome
10–Six Pack
11–Marion Marauder
$600,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace
Post–Horse
1–Mayhem Hanover
2–Allywag Hanover
3–Papi Rob Hanover
4–Cattlewash
5–Capt Midnight
6–Major Betts
7–Tall Dark Stranger
8–Freedom Warrior
9–Catch The Fire
10–Put To Right
$600,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Pace
Post–Horse
1–Southwind Ozzi
2–Captain Crunch
3–Covered Bridge
4–Dancin Lou
5–Bettor’s Wish
6–Best In Show
7–Semi Tough
8–Fixed Idea
9–Bronx Seelster
10–De Los Cielos Deo