Grand Circuit spotlight shines on Breeders Crown finals
October 16, 2013,by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, The Grand Circuit
This Week: Breeders Crown finals, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and Kindergarten Series, Vernon Downs, Vernon, N.Y.
Schedule of events: The 12 Breeders Crown championship events on Saturday night (Oct. 19) at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs will be front and center in the Grand Circuit spotlight this week. Breeders Crown championship races will be held for 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds and older Standardbreds of both sexes and gaits. For all the current Breeders Crown information, click on this link.
Vernon Downs will host the fifth leg of the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-old colt and filly trotters on Friday (Oct. 18). There will be two $10,000 divisions for the colts and two $10,000 divisions for the fillies.
Complete entries for the races are available at this link.
Last time: Breeders Crown eliminations were held this past weekend at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs as 18 contests were raced at the speedy five-eighths-mile oval.
Bee A Magican and Captaintreacherous, who are the top two ranked horses in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, were among the winners this past weekend.
USTA/Ken Weingartner photo
Bee A Magician ran her 2013 winning streak to 14 with a 1:52.4 score in her Breeders Crown elimination.
Bee A Magician, with Brian Sears in the bike, continued to dominate her division with an easy win in the second 3-year-old filly trot Breeders Crown elimination in 1:52.4 this past Saturday night. Bee A Magician needed no urging to dismiss a closing Ma Chere Hall, who could do no better than follow the top filly home. Time To Kill got third and Handover Belle took the fourth spot.
Melvin Hartman, Herb Liverman and David McDuffee own the daughter of Kadabra-Beehive, trained by Nifty Norman. She is undefeated this season in 14 starts.
Captaintreacherous (Tim Tetrick) was challenged and challenged again throughout the mile, but was strong enough to win the second Breeders Crown 3-year-old colt pace elimination at Pocono Downs on Saturday in 1:49.2. Captaintreacherous refused to surrender, regardless of the stressful trip, which got to pacesetter Vegas Vacation as he faded eventually to fourth, though Sunfire Blue Chip kept going to get second and Beach Memories passed tired ones to take third.
The Tony Alagna-trained son of Somebeachsomewhere-Worldly Treasure, bred by White Birch Farms and owned by Captaintreacherous Racing, won his 11th of 12 sophomore races.
Several world records were set in the Crown eliminations, including one by freshman trotting colt Father Patrick, who ranks fourth in the latest poll. Father Patrick (Yannick Gingras) wore down Nuncio after a stretch duel to win the single Breeders Crown elimination for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings in a world record clocking of 1:52.1 on Friday night.
The streaking Father Patrick improved his record to 9-1-0 in 10 starts while surpassing the $500,000 earnings mark. The son of 2003 Breeders Crown champion Cantab Hall out of Gala Dream is owned by the Father Patrick Stable of East Windsor, N.J.
Complete recaps of all the races are available at the Grand Circuit website.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2013, the Grand Circuit leaders in three categories (driver, trainer and owner) will be tracked on a points system (20-10-5 for the top three finishers in divisions/finals and 10-5-2 for the top three finishers in eliminations/legs). Hanover Shoe Farms is the sponsor for the 2013 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders following the past weekend:
Drivers: 1. Yannick Gingras – 1,488; 2. Tim Tetrick – 1,321; 3. David Miller – 898; 4. Brian Sears – 617.5; and 5. Andy Miller – 577.
Trainers: 1. Ron Burke – 1,409.5; 2. Jimmy Takter – 972.5; 3. Linda Toscano – 443.5; 4. Jonas Czernyson – 382.5; and 5. Tony Alagna – 371.
Owners: 1. Burke Racing – 313; 2. Weaver Bruscemi – 293.55; 3. Brittany Farms – 230.1; 4. Frank Bellino – 218.5; and 5. WJ Donovan – 197.75.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next weekend at Vernon Downs, Yonkers Raceway and Hoosier Park. Vernon will host the Kindergaten finals and consolations for the 2-year-old trotters, Yonkers will have eliminations for the Messenger and Lady Maud for 3-year-old pacers and Hoosier Park will contest divisions of the Circle City for 3-year-old colt pacers and trotters and 2-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.