Pacing, Trotting Stars Shoot For Berths In Breeders Crown Eliminations At Hoosier Park

Breeders Crown elimination weekend, 2017, has arrived. It’s off to Indiana’s Hoosier Park, where 166 horses will negotiate two weeks of championship action on the seven-eighths mile track. Oct. 20 and Oct 21 (except for one division) decides which of the lot will get to the Oct. 27 and Oct. 28 finals. Elims are for females on Friday and males on Saturday.

Our Breeders Crown Countdown blog shares the stream of events for both stakes-jammed weekends. This weekend, it will analyze Friday events for mare pacers, soph-filly pacers and frosh-filly pacers and trotters.
 
The focus on the season’s champion events doesn’t edit our regular feature—the H2W (the horses-to-watch) list. It’s located at the bottom of this blog, as usual. Shoot for boosting the payoffs in any pari-mutuel pool with our contenders; they have proven to play important roles in all kinds of wagers. Do your own handicapping and then consider our H2W selections when creating all tickets. Of course, remember to be fully armed with a plentiful TwinSpires betting account. Follow our features’

BREEDERS CROWN THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE

This one goes on Friday night and is a single elim with nine going without two byes (Tequila Monday and Obvious Blue Chip). The first eight of the nine advance to the final. We were all over Caviart Ally when no one else liked her and she rewarded us, but here she is bound to offer little to win among eight she has faced before. Agent Q will get money; she has trailed off a bit, though, and Blazin Britches won here big time already beating her. Idyllic Beach finally came back strong in Kentucky. But our focus on Jaye’s A Lady has been persistent and she has paid off kindly when hitting the board. She would not be such a surprise to win the elim and going with her one more time is bound to offer worthy odds.

BREEDERS CROWN TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT PACERS

Nineteen frosh-colt pacers in three elims will decide this division’s final field. Six go in the first split, where we firmly endorse Nutcracker Sweet over the probable choice Lost In Time. He could be the third choice, a good price in this small field, as we predict the crowd makes This Is The Pan second choice.

Another sextet makes up split two and the Millers’ Hayden Hanover should top the betting. Look out for Stay Hungry, the other Somebeachsomewhere product. Tony Alagna’s colt has won four of six and may be able to steal this on the top.

The last test for this division has seven and we say the bet here could be I’m A Big Deal for Chris Ryder. Not an obvious selection, he may be as good as any of these and raring to get out of their shadows. 

BREEDERS CROWN OPEN TROT

Hannelore Hanover takes on the boys and this elim seems about as easy as any she has won against the opposite sex. Still, even her own division has beaten her, and she will not be offering much to win in this sextet. So, we go with Pinkman to get his first win in only five races since his late start.

The second elim has seven, including the supplemented Homicide Hunter. Resolve is here and who knows what to make of him after a few dull races and finishing off the board in the International Trot. People have caught on to Lookslikachpndale, so he will get some action. Perhaps Marion Marauder will not be the choice, giving in to Crazy Wow, and noting that his performance in the International Trot was superb, getting second.

BREEDERS CROWN OPEN PACE

The older males go at it in a pair of elims, six in each, and another supplement, Sintra, looks to earn back his fee and move to the final. Since Missile J has failed to get the job done twice lately but is still very competitive and may get overlooked by the crowd again, we’ll take him here, looking for a perfect trip or a steal off the top.

The other Open Pace elim is tightly wound and tough to call a favorite from the six involved. Hopefully, the crowd will shy from Mel Mara and hit Keystone Velocity, All Bets Off and Dealth A Winner hard. We look here for a suck-a-long trip from post 2 and a blast down that wide Hoosier stretch at a price.

BREEDERS CROWN THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT

There are 19 glamour-boy trotters split into three elims for chances to make the final field next week. A few loose ends from the division have shown up and International Moni has supplemented to be here.

In round one, International Angel will be all out to get into the final and that should be easy. Buying into the event could be worth it considering his main foes are absent. This could be a good shot for the lightly raced Rubio, from Takter’s barn. He certainly will be worth the price, as players load up on Long Tom, “Moni,” Dover Dan and Top Flight Angel to a fault.

The second sextet stars Kentucky Futurity upset-colt Snowstorm Hanover, giving the race a spark of interest, especially since the crowd will adore him. The top three posts hold the public choices, with Giveitgasandgo and Moonshiner Hanover bound to fall into the other two choice spots. Notice that Ake Svanstedt, who won the Hambletonian with Perfect Spirit due to a disqualification for What The Hill, brings his lightly raced eligible, New Jersey Viking, to the fray. He could be the upset, though his record makes him a legitimate contender in this group. A good price is guaranteed, even with only six on hand.

Leading the third elim is What The Hill, still the disputed best in the division and coming from a high-paying win in a “Futurity” elim heat. He lost the final to “Snowstorm” but is clearly the better all-around trotter and he could easily take this, though we cannot expect the 6-1 he delivered in Kentucky. It could still be a very fair price, as Yes Mickey, Devious Man and Enterprise seek the title.

BREEDERS CROWN TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT

Frosh-colt trotters are split into a pair of elims, with six in the first test. It’s a very even match except for Moosonee, but it may not be evenly bet. Takter’s Samo Different Day and local Fiftydallarbill could get the bulk of the win bets, leaving some chunky change for supporting Hat Trick Habit. This Frank Antonacci colt looks a lot like his sire, Donato Hanover, and may be as good in the long haul, which leads to the 2018 Hambletonian.

Then, seven are on the gate for the second elim. Takter will take more action with You Know You Do and Met’s Hall has been good enough to attract others. Jim Campbell’s Fashionwoodchopper, though, has been sharp in the late season and could go off a third choice, which could be a valuable price here.

BREEDERS CROWN THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT PACE

Two elims filled with the 17 expected stars (except Huntsville, forced to retire) make up exciting miles in the glamour-boy pacing division. The first division yearns for a wager, since it does not include Fear The Dragon (see short paragraph on the second division below). Downbytheseaside drew post 8 but it shouldn’t stop him from soaring out and trying a steal on the top. He may also still be the favorite. But the late-season wake-up call could go to Hurricane Beach. Luc Blais took this one home, if you recall, as our choice at 6-1 in June’s Somebeachsomewhere stakes. This could be that race all over again and possibly at the same price. There are too many knocks on the others to accept them; even Miso Fast has been a disappointment when it counted.

The second elim, though it features a supplement-charged Funknwaffles, belongs to Fear The Dragon. There is no need for further explanations. He is the best of the division and should keep that status through the elim and final.


H2W Legend

Review our choices and follow the wagering at the prescribed track. These are possible contenders we have judged from reviewing races. The horses’ names are listed beneath the name of the track after the date they will be racing. The race in which they are entered (R and race number) follows. If a + is in front of a horse’s name it means it is appearing on the list for the second (and last) time because it failed to win the first time it appeared. An “ae” signals the horse is entered on the also-eligible list. If a horse is listed twice, refer to the entries on the night of the race since a horse may enter in more than one race. Types of wagering on any of the H2W listed horses are based on your judgment. If you have any questions, email us at TwinSpires.

H2W LIST

Bangor
10/20/17, Roddy’s Nor’easter R6; Fiesty Baran R8

Batavia
10/20/17, +One Summers Chance R6; +Pleasing Form R11

Dayton
10/20/17, Chelsees A Winner R9
10/21/17, Supreme Z Tam R12

Freehold
10/19/17, HMS Firecracker R9
10/20/17, Mugshot Jess R6; Mydelight Bluechip R10

Harrington
10/19/17, +Cool Reward ae R1

Monticello
10/19/17, Whiskey Please R10

Northfield
10/22/17, Diva Dejarmbro R3; Bourbons Best R7

Northlands
10/19/17, Starface R7; Lissoy R8
10/20/17, Royal Renegade R4; Smilys Amira R7

Plainridge
10/20/17, +Shooby Saide, R5; +Bear King R6; Devils Embrace N R6

Rideau Carleton
10/19/17, +Dustyland Msvickie R9; +Danzig Moon R10

Rosecroft
10/21/17, +Real Passing Lady R10

Saratoga
10/19/17, +The Cuse Is Loose R10
10/20/17, Woodmere Lukypercy R3; My Spring Fling R9

Yonkers
10/19/17, Ashok Ace R8