Mohawk Park hosts Breeders Crown finals
Since 1984 the most popular phrase in harness racing has been "It All Comes Down to the Breeders Crown" and this Saturday evening Mohawk Park in Toronto, Canada, will host eight Breeders Crown finals with division honors and potentially harness horse of the year on the line.
In fact, in the second race on the Mohawk card this Saturday, Shartin N (Tim Tetrick) will look to stake her claim to the 2019 harness horse of the year title when she leaves from the rail in the $300,000 Breeders Crown Open Mare Pace. Trained by Jim King, Jr., Shartin N has won 14 of 16 starts this year and earned nearly $900,000 and she would become the first aged mare to earn $1 million in three consecutive years with a win in this event. Shartin N is currently the top rated horse of either gait in the weekly Hambletonian Society Top 10 poll and will move one step closer to horse of the year honors with a win on Saturday night.
Looking to upend Shartin N is Caviart Ally (Andrew McCarthy), winner of the Milton Stakes in her most recent outing and clearly the second best distaff pacer in the land. Caviart Ally owns a 7-7-2 slate and $475,000 banked from 16 starts this year and looms the main threat to Shartin N in this spot. Youaremycandygirl, third behind male rivals in the $34,000 Preferred last weekend, and Kissin In The Sand, third in the Allerage at Lexington's Red Mile, merit mild upset chances.
One race later in the $325,000 Breeders Crown Mare Trot, Manchego (Dexter Dunn) will look to solidify division honors among distaff trotters off a 1:52.3 elim score while facing Plunge Blue Chip (Ake Svandstedt), Darling Mearas S (Tetrick) and Hannelore Hanover (Gingras), the former queen of this division. Manchego has won six of 14 starts, but she failed to hit the board in her other eight outings and remains a genuine hit-or-miss proposition in this event.
One race later in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Final for three-year-old filly trotters, When Dovescry (Simon Allard) and The Ice Dutchess (Gingras) will look to secure the favorite's role and perhaps division honors in a group where Millies Possession and Beautiful Sin will both miss the final for varying reasons. When Dovescry owns a 4-3-3 slate and $470,000 banked from 10 starts this year and The Ice Dutchess sports a 5-2-3 slate and $245,000 banked from 14 outings. Winndevie (Brian Sears) closed willingly in the lane to finish third last weekend in her elim and merits a serious upset chance.
Then one race later in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Final for three-year-old filly pacers, Warraweek Ubeaut (Gingras) will look to continue her recent dominance of a division that was wide open this summer when goes in quest of her seventh straight score for trainer Ron Burke. Warrawee Ubeaut owns 11 wins and $680,000 banked from 16 starts this year and looms the odds-on choice in a group that also includes Beautyonthebeach, Sunny Dee, Treacherous Reign, Tall Drink Hanover and Stonebridge Soul.
One race later in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace final, Mcwicked (Sears), the reigning harness horse of the year, will look to join the discussion this year when he goes postward as the 8-5 favorite off a narrow in the $250,000 Dan Rooney Invitational Final at Yonkers Raceway. This Casie Coleman trainee owns a 6-3-3 slate from 15 starts this year and a commendable 40-26-16 slate and over $5 million banked in a stellar career that could eventually earn him a spot in the harness racing Hall of Fame.
Looking to topple McWicked in the Breeders Crown on Saturday night include Jimmy Freight (Scott Zeron), hero of the Dayton Derby, American History (Joe Bongiorno), winner of the $150,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway, the Burke-trained trio of Dorsoduro Hanover, Filibuster Hanover and This Is The Plan and Maryland-bred pacers Geez Joe and Courtly Choice. McWicked and five others in the group are expected for the $100,000 Potomac Pace at Rosecroft Raceway on Sunday, November 10.
One race later in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Final for three-year-old colt trotters, Greenshoe (Sears) will look to remain in the discussion for harness horse of the year when he goes postward as the odds-on choice while seeking his sixth straight score since finishing second to Forbidden Trade in the Hambletonian. Greenshoe has won 10 of 12 starts and over $1 million this year and 12 of 16 career outings and is the clear-cut division champ and trotter of the year, but his connections are likely hoping for horse of the year honors as well.
Looking to upend Greenshoe are two members of his own barn, Green Manalishi S (Tetrick) and Gimpanzee, Dont Letem and Hambo hero, Forbidden Trade, winner of two straight Ontario Sire Stakes events over the strip. Victories by either of them will not enhance their chances of division honors, but could spell doom for Greenshoe's bid to become harness horse of the year in 2019.
Then one race later in the $600,000 Breeders Crown Final for three-year-old colt pacers, Bettors Wish (Dunn) will seek his fifth straight score and division honors for trainer Chris Ryder, while early season star Captain Crunch (Gingras) will seek to regain his winning ways. In the spring, Bettors Wish was the bridesmaid in major stakes, but since then the Bettor's Delight colt has captured several major stakes and is the division leader while Captain Crunch, Southwind Ozzi (Sears), Dancin Lou (McCarthy) and Best In Show, upset winner of the Meadowlands Pace, will look to play spoiler roles in this spot.
One race later in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Open Trot, easily the most wide open event on the card, Bold Eagle, Mission Accepted, Will Take Charge, Guardian Angel As, Atlanta, Lindy The Great, Six Pack and Marion Marauder all have reasonable chances for success. Mission Accepted won the $250,000 Harry Harvey Invitational in a faster time that Zacon Gio posted in the $1 million International. No one in the group stands out and backers should not accpet anything less than 8-1 on any trotter here.
In fact, in the second race on the Mohawk card this Saturday, Shartin N (Tim Tetrick) will look to stake her claim to the 2019 harness horse of the year title when she leaves from the rail in the $300,000 Breeders Crown Open Mare Pace. Trained by Jim King, Jr., Shartin N has won 14 of 16 starts this year and earned nearly $900,000 and she would become the first aged mare to earn $1 million in three consecutive years with a win in this event. Shartin N is currently the top rated horse of either gait in the weekly Hambletonian Society Top 10 poll and will move one step closer to horse of the year honors with a win on Saturday night.
Looking to upend Shartin N is Caviart Ally (Andrew McCarthy), winner of the Milton Stakes in her most recent outing and clearly the second best distaff pacer in the land. Caviart Ally owns a 7-7-2 slate and $475,000 banked from 16 starts this year and looms the main threat to Shartin N in this spot. Youaremycandygirl, third behind male rivals in the $34,000 Preferred last weekend, and Kissin In The Sand, third in the Allerage at Lexington's Red Mile, merit mild upset chances.
One race later in the $325,000 Breeders Crown Mare Trot, Manchego (Dexter Dunn) will look to solidify division honors among distaff trotters off a 1:52.3 elim score while facing Plunge Blue Chip (Ake Svandstedt), Darling Mearas S (Tetrick) and Hannelore Hanover (Gingras), the former queen of this division. Manchego has won six of 14 starts, but she failed to hit the board in her other eight outings and remains a genuine hit-or-miss proposition in this event.
One race later in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Final for three-year-old filly trotters, When Dovescry (Simon Allard) and The Ice Dutchess (Gingras) will look to secure the favorite's role and perhaps division honors in a group where Millies Possession and Beautiful Sin will both miss the final for varying reasons. When Dovescry owns a 4-3-3 slate and $470,000 banked from 10 starts this year and The Ice Dutchess sports a 5-2-3 slate and $245,000 banked from 14 outings. Winndevie (Brian Sears) closed willingly in the lane to finish third last weekend in her elim and merits a serious upset chance.
Then one race later in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Final for three-year-old filly pacers, Warraweek Ubeaut (Gingras) will look to continue her recent dominance of a division that was wide open this summer when goes in quest of her seventh straight score for trainer Ron Burke. Warrawee Ubeaut owns 11 wins and $680,000 banked from 16 starts this year and looms the odds-on choice in a group that also includes Beautyonthebeach, Sunny Dee, Treacherous Reign, Tall Drink Hanover and Stonebridge Soul.
One race later in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace final, Mcwicked (Sears), the reigning harness horse of the year, will look to join the discussion this year when he goes postward as the 8-5 favorite off a narrow in the $250,000 Dan Rooney Invitational Final at Yonkers Raceway. This Casie Coleman trainee owns a 6-3-3 slate from 15 starts this year and a commendable 40-26-16 slate and over $5 million banked in a stellar career that could eventually earn him a spot in the harness racing Hall of Fame.
Looking to topple McWicked in the Breeders Crown on Saturday night include Jimmy Freight (Scott Zeron), hero of the Dayton Derby, American History (Joe Bongiorno), winner of the $150,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway, the Burke-trained trio of Dorsoduro Hanover, Filibuster Hanover and This Is The Plan and Maryland-bred pacers Geez Joe and Courtly Choice. McWicked and five others in the group are expected for the $100,000 Potomac Pace at Rosecroft Raceway on Sunday, November 10.
One race later in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Final for three-year-old colt trotters, Greenshoe (Sears) will look to remain in the discussion for harness horse of the year when he goes postward as the odds-on choice while seeking his sixth straight score since finishing second to Forbidden Trade in the Hambletonian. Greenshoe has won 10 of 12 starts and over $1 million this year and 12 of 16 career outings and is the clear-cut division champ and trotter of the year, but his connections are likely hoping for horse of the year honors as well.
Looking to upend Greenshoe are two members of his own barn, Green Manalishi S (Tetrick) and Gimpanzee, Dont Letem and Hambo hero, Forbidden Trade, winner of two straight Ontario Sire Stakes events over the strip. Victories by either of them will not enhance their chances of division honors, but could spell doom for Greenshoe's bid to become harness horse of the year in 2019.
Then one race later in the $600,000 Breeders Crown Final for three-year-old colt pacers, Bettors Wish (Dunn) will seek his fifth straight score and division honors for trainer Chris Ryder, while early season star Captain Crunch (Gingras) will seek to regain his winning ways. In the spring, Bettors Wish was the bridesmaid in major stakes, but since then the Bettor's Delight colt has captured several major stakes and is the division leader while Captain Crunch, Southwind Ozzi (Sears), Dancin Lou (McCarthy) and Best In Show, upset winner of the Meadowlands Pace, will look to play spoiler roles in this spot.
One race later in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Open Trot, easily the most wide open event on the card, Bold Eagle, Mission Accepted, Will Take Charge, Guardian Angel As, Atlanta, Lindy The Great, Six Pack and Marion Marauder all have reasonable chances for success. Mission Accepted won the $250,000 Harry Harvey Invitational in a faster time that Zacon Gio posted in the $1 million International. No one in the group stands out and backers should not accpet anything less than 8-1 on any trotter here.
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