by Moira Fanning for the Breeders Crown

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Defending Breeders Crown Mare Trot winner Peaceful Way on Saturday night drew post six for the July 29, $250,000 final at the Meadowlands Racetrack and was made the 2-5 favorite in the seven-horse field.

Easton Alliance N, who earlier in the evening won the Breeders Crown Mare Pace prep race, was made the 2-1 favorite for that $331,500 final after drawing post three.

Draws for the mare events were held following the seventh race at the Meadowlands. The draws for the $800,000 Breeders Crown Trot and the $500,000 Breeders Crown Pace will be held Tuesday during the Breeders Crown press conference at Gallagher’s in Manhattan.

Peaceful Way, trained by Dave Tingley and driven by Trevor Ritchie, has won three of four races this year – including the Armbro Flight and Matchmaker – and earned $228,513. She has won 31 of 39 lifetime starts, banking $2.2 million. She is coupled with Ticket To Glide, who was second in the Armbro Flight and Matchmaker, because of common ownership.

Easton Alliance N, supplemented to the Breeders Crown for $37,500, earlier this year won the Overbid final at the Meadowlands. She is trained by Ross Croghan, still seeking his first Crown title, and driven by John Campbell.

Roses Are Red and Lady Liberty champ Burning Point drew post two for the Mare Pace and was made 3-1 while Matriarch winner Glowing Report got post six and was made 9-2 in the morning line. Burning Point, with $2.3 million in career earnings, ranks fourth among all pacing mares in harness racing history. She won the Breeders Crown as a 3-year-old.

The $1.8 million Breeders Crown events will be raced on a special card with a 5 p.m. post-time, to launch the 2006 Hambletonian Festival, annually the greatest week in harness racing. Also scheduled for that morning is the fourth annual Hambletonian Parade through the town of Rutherford. The special twilight card will feature eliminations for the $1.5 million Hambletonian and $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks.

$331,500 Breeders Crown Mare Pace Final

$250,000 Breeders Crown Mare Trot Final