from the Breeders Crown

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Favored Tactical Landing with Brian Sears in the sulky kicked off Saturday night’s (Oct. 20) Breeders Crown elimination action from The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, winning the first $25,000 Crown elimination for 3-year-old trotting colts in 1:52.2.

Curtis Salonick photo

Tactical Landing was a 1:52.2 winner in his Breeders Crown elimination.

Sears moved from well back at the three-eighths, battling leader Met’s Hall for most of the mile before pulling away at the top of the stretch to win by 4-3/4 lengths. Met’s Hall finished second, with Jula Downton third and Evaluate fourth. Those four all advance to the $500,000 Breeders Crown final next Saturday.

Lawmaker battled Met’s Hall for the early lead, taking the field to the quarter in :26.4, but Met’s Hall and Andy Miller were immediately on the move, taking control as the field headed to the half-mile mark, which was reached in :55. Met’s Hall continued to lead the field past three-quarters, but he was feeling pressure from Tactical Landing, who easily took his measure late. Tactical Landing paid $3.60 to win.

Tactical Landing, an $800,000 yearling purchase, is a son of Muscle Hill from the Varenne mare Southwind Serena, a Breeders Crown champion of 2007. He is trained by Jimmy Takter for the Tactical Landing Stable of Perrysburg, Ohio. The win is his seventh in 12 seasonal starts and pushes his 2018 bankroll to $392,800. Earlier this season he won a Bluegrass Stakes division and eliminations of the Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity.

Favored Six Pack won the second $25,000 Breeders Crown elimination for 3-year-old colt trotters, in line to trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt.

The 1-5 betting favorite took the lead two steps out of the gate and took one more step toward divisional honors. Six Pack posted fractions of :28, :57, 1:25.1 and 1:53.3 over the sloppy surface to post a tight, but comfortable victory over fast closing Fiftydallarbill and Run Director, who were the only horses to make headway in the cover flow. Second Choice Crystal Fashion finished fourth from far back to qualify for the $500,000 Breeders Crown final next week and fifth place finisher Wolfgang also advanced to the final by virtue of having higher 2018 earnings than the first elim’s fifth place finisher, Gemologist.

World champion Six Pack won for the 10th time in 13 seasonal starts. He has earned $970,573 this year and nearly $1.17 million in his career. A son of Muscle Mass from the Cantab Hall mare Pleasing Lady, Six Pack was bred by the Brittany Farms of Kentucky and is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC, Stall Kalmar FF and Lars Berg.

The $500,000 Breeeders Crown final for 3-year-old trotting colts will be one of 12 Crowns to be awarded on Saturday (Oct. 28) at Pocono. Special first race post time is 5:30 p.m. (EDT).

Here is the draw for the $500,000 Breeders Crown 3-year-old trotting colt and gelding final, to be held next Saturday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono (* – elimination winner), followed by trainer and the driver in the elimination:

1 – Run Director – Benoit Baillargeon – Sylvain Filion
2 – Evaluate – Marcus Melander – Tim Tetrick
3 – Fiftydallarbill – William Crone – Brett Miller
4 — *Tactical Landing – Jimmy Takter – Brian Sears
5 — *Six Pack – trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt
6 – Jula Downtown – Susanne Kerwood – Jody Jamieson
7 – Crystal Fashion – Jim Campbell – Tim Tetrick
8 – Met’s Hall – Julie Miller – Andy Miller
9 – Wolfgang – Jimmy Takter – Yannick Gingras