Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — Scott Zeron will drive three horses in the Kindergarten Classic Series finals Saturday (Nov. 7) at The Meadowlands whose morning-line odds are 10-1, 10-1, and 3-1.

That’s pretty much kid’s stuff for a guy who just won a Breeders Crown with 203-1 longshot Sandbetweenmytoes.

“That’s OK,” Zeron said with a laugh. “Give me all the 1-9 shots you want.”

Sent off at over 200-1, Sandbetweenmytoes emerged down the grandstand side to upset Tall Dark Stranger in the Breeders Crown for sophomore pacing colts and geldings. Dean Gillette Photography.

Zeron is coming off a truly remarkable victory, having guided Sandbetweenmytoes, an against-all-odds 3-year-old male pacer, to the biggest upset in Breeders Crown history. The horse defeated favorite Tall Dark Stranger, harness racing’s No. 1 ranked horse, by a neck.

Scott will try to stay hot at The Meadowlands when he drives in three of the four finals with High Minded (10-1), Royson’s Punch (10-1) and Simon Says Hanover (3-1).

“It’s going to be difficult to win all three,” Zeron said. “This is the final, they’re all competitive horses.

“For me it’s just about some of the horses that have been bravened up, winning heading into it. That’s a big thing, having the momentum with any of those races. Whether or not I can win with each one, I don’t know. I believe they have the potential to win, that’s what counts.”

Few people believed in the potential of Sandbetweenmytoes as witnessed by his astronomical odds and the fact he was in the same field as the sport’s top horse. Zeron took him from ninth with a late charge from fourth over to pull off a major shocker against Tall Dark Stranger.

“Being that far back wasn’t a problem,” Zeron said. “The fanning eight wide was the problem. That was a lot of consuming of excess racetrack that I didn’t need.”

Climbing into the sulky, Zeron felt he had a chance despite the odds.

“Jimmy Campbell and I talked about how well the horse raced in the eliminations, but it didn’t look like it on TV,” the veteran driver said. “As I was grabbing the lines he said, ‘Listen, the horse had a great week, all we can hope for is a hot pace.’ I said, ‘I can guarantee it will be fast, let’s hope it’s fast enough.’

“I figured Cattlewash would take a shot and if Cattlewash didn’t I thought Timmy (Tetrick) would want to stretch out Yannick (Gingras, on Tall Dark Stranger) because Timmy’s horse (Warrawee Vital) has been very competitive. So, I just thought no matter what, Yannick was going to have a hard-pressed way to get into the lead. As long as my horse was within striking distance I could get there. Obviously, the way it worked out was pretty nice.”

The $409.80 win payout on a $2 ticket on Sandbetweenmytoes was the highest in the Breeders Crown’s 37-year history. Asked if he had ever won with a bigger longshot, Zeron didn’t mince words.

“I’ve never seen a bigger longshot,” he said. “I think I might have gotten there once with something that paid $180, but this was extreme.”

Scott Zeron will drive three horses in the Kindergarten Classic Series finals Saturday at The Meadowlands. USTA/Mark Hall photo.

It’s back to “normal” this weekend, at least potentially where the odds are concerned. How it plays out, of course, is never a guarantee where normal is concerned.

High Minded goes into the Kindergarten final for 2-year-old filly pacers with two wins and a total of eight on-the-board finishes in 11 races. She has earned $81,367 for trainer Linda Toscano, who has three horses in the race. Zeron drove High Minded to a win and two seconds in her first three starts on the Pennsylvania circuit.

Breeders Crown champion Fire Start Hanover is the 8-5 morning-line favorite.

“High Minded has been in good form,” Zeron said. “I know she’s really nice to handle and she can position herself very well. I’ll just look to get in position and be there at the finish.

“It’s definitely a tough bunch, that’s for sure. Linda has a few horses in there, so it’ll be interesting.”

Toscano-trained Royson’s Punch enters the final for 2-year-old male trotters having finished in the money eight times in 11 starts with three firsts, two seconds and three thirds for $66,925 in earnings. Zeron drove the colt most of the season before missing the two most recent Kindergarten legs because of the Breeders Crown.

“I like Royson’s,” Zeron said. “He’s just had hard luck his last couple races, but for me he’s been ultra-consistent. He’s always finishing top three, always giving me an improved race every time I get behind him.

“Last week the race called for him to go to the front and he did, it was just a little too much for him. He’s a much better follower. Mind you, that can be from the two hole all the way from the six hole. He just likes a target. But he’s always competitive. If he’s not a favorite he’s definitely not far off the favorites.”

Lindysmusclemania is the morning-line favorite at 3-1.

The Tony Alagna-trained Simon Says Hanover has won four straight to go with a third place in eight starts, earning $34,520. Lisa photo.

Simon Says Hanover enters the final for 2-year-old male pacers at 3-1 odds and will be going against 2-1 favorite Summa Cum Laude, who enters off his dead-heat win with Perfect Sting in the Breeders Crown.

The Tony Alagna-trained Simon Says Hanover has won four straight to go with a third place in eight starts, earning $34,520. Zeron drove the colt to two wins at Lexington’s Red Mile.

“He’s been really good,” Zeron said. “Tony did the right thing when he went to Kentucky. He didn’t go after the top races, he went to the late closers. That just kept him really, really great. He won back-to-back there, he brought him back for the Kindergarten and he’s gone back-to-back for (driver George Napolitano Jr.) so he’s coming into the race as good as he can.

“I’ve always raced him off the pace; George Nap put him on the front both times. So, I guess he could do it any way.”

Racing begins at 7:15 p.m. (EST) at The Meadowlands. For Saturday’s complete entries, click here.