Eliminations loom boldly as deadlines approach to commit

The Breeders Crown eliminations are where the spotlight turns at the Meadowlands Racetrack, hosting the $5.4 million 12-race Breeders Crown series. It’s decision time for foreign invitees, supplements and entries for the “Crown” which holds finals on Friday (Nov. 21) and Saturday (Nov. 22). By Friday (Nov. 7), foreign horses invited to participate must declare by noon.

Supplements for the three-year-old and open events are due Monday (Nov. 10) by noon. All supplement amounts are listed in U.S. dollars below (there are no supplements for the two-year-old races).

Gtd. Purse-Event-Supplement
$500,000-Three-Year-Old Events-$62,500
$500,000-Open Trot-$62,500
$400,000-Open Pace-$50,000
$250,000-Mare Pace-$31,250
$250,000-Mare Trot-$31,250

Horses eligible to the Breeders Crown events must enter by 9 a.m. on Tuesday (Nov. 11). Eliminations, if needed, will occur on Friday (Nov. 14) and Saturday (Nov. 15), both nights starting at the regular post time of 7:15 p.m.

As of this writing, Always B Miki’s connections have confirmed that the colt will supplement to the soph-colt pacing Crown. Still pending is the status of Color A Virgin in the soph-filly pace edition.

Sebastian K won’t be supplementing for the older trotters and neither will Natural Herbie.

The official rules state that “elimination races, if necessary, will be raced for a minimum purse of $25,000 each on Friday (Nov. 14) and Saturday (Nov. 15). If an elimination is required because more than 11, but less than 14 horses are entered, there will be a single elimination to “qualify” only enough horses that can be accommodated by the number of positions in the front tier of the starting gate.

“If there are eliminations, post positions in the final will be determined by an open draw with the exception that elimination winners in an order determined by lot, will draw for post positions number 1 through 5 in the final. All other finalists, including foreign invitees, will be placed in an open draw for the remaining post positions. Those horse(s) that receive a bye into the final will be in the open draw for post positions in the final.”

Four Breeders Crown distaff events will be raced Friday (Nov. 21) and the remaining eight finals will be raced on Saturday (Nov. 22). Both nights have a regular Meadowlands post time of 7:15 p.m. (EST).

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Follow major BC hopefuls on their road to the November Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands at the Breeders Crown Countdown blog and the TwinSpires harness blog weekly, with archived reports on the results at the Hambletonian Society web site.

Fiery speed on The Red Mile in Bluegrass Stakes

The Red Mile hosts another powerful Grand Circuit meeting in Lexington, Kentucky for two weeks and the first Friday program features eight divisions of the lucrative Bluegrass Stakes.

The Walnut Hall, LTD Bluegrass for two-year-old colt trot offers five races handling the 41 entries and freshman filly pacers split three ways in the Crawford Farms Bluegrass (BG).

The first colt-trot BG, worth $78,400, marks the return of Centurion Atm, the Peter Haughton Memorial winner and 2015 winter-book favorite for the Hambletonian. The colt appears to have it all over this group, though two others have won as many races. Watch for improvement from Whataworkout, who is one for one and may be packing heat yet to be displayed.

In round two ($78,400), undefeated Billy Flynn looks for his eighth-straight win while facing the four-for-nine Ray Schnittker colt Gabe The Bear Dean. Perhaps those two should fear Muscle Diamond, who has a clear shot at an upset? We like the Muscle Hill colt who has yet to pull the plugs on his speed.

For $79,400, nine colts go in the next BG event on the program. It is difficult to look beyond Habitat, who we backed in the “Wellwood” and whose performace was breathtaking, to say the least. He may have what it takes to go all the way in the late-season stakes. The RC Royalty colt, Wings Of Royalty, should also be in the mix prominently.

Next for the colts at $78,400, a pick of the public’s (and ours) in a New York Sires Stakes Final, Crazy Wow, looks to take on colts from other states in this BG. Jimmy Takter’s Uncle Lassie returns to find a better gait and both of these colts, joined by Guess Whos Back, will get plenty of betting action. That leaves us with an outside chance of an upset with Iron. The Frank Antonacci-trained colt from the productive Cantab Hall, tries his third pari-mutuel race and could be a lot better than the first two. His price will not be negotiable, which is great.

The last colt-trot, also for $78,400 with eight at the gate, has the Ron Burke-conditioned Piercewave Hanover ready to suck in all the win-pool dough. But Ake Svanstedt’s Smart As A Whip may be a lot faster than his five-eighths mile mark, his maiden win, and with a Burke and a Jimmy Takter in the field (The Bank), Ake’s steed should offer some bucks.

Seven frosh-filly pacers go for $95,200 in the first of the BGs for the green gals. Burke’s filly may rule the win pool here, too, as Well Hello There appears superior to all of her opponents but one—Bettor Be Steppin. Joe Holloway’s student has been sharp winning and these two may not allow any large figures to light up the tote board.

For $96,200, the next filly BG pits eight against one another, with Burke’s Sassa Hanover sporting six wins in eight starts and a hefty bankroll. The “Rocknroll” blood flows through five of the eight (including Burke’s probable favorite). Takter’s Zip Code Envy leaves from the far outside but if she is getting better, she may get better than the best here.

The remaining filly BG ($96,200) may develop into a fine wagering race if three of the obvious choices don’t divide the win pool. Ross Croghan has a good one with Shakai Hanover and she may lose support to the Burke gals. If you are looking for a boost in exotics, try using Deli Beach, who may split rivals if they go too fast to the half—it’s a long stretch and there’s a lot of room to catch up.

Friday’s 12-race program gets underway at 7:00 p.m.

Photo of Lexington during Autumn by Tom Tanner

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Follow major BC hopefuls on their road to the November Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands at the Breeders Crown Countdown blog and the TwinSpires harness blog weekly, with archived reports on the results at the Hambletonian Society web site.

Milton Final tests pacing mares once more

These pacing femmes just keep rolling along and on Sept. 20 they roll for shares of $286,000 in the Milton Final at Mohawk.

After two eliminations settled the cast of this year’s field, 10 hearty side-steppers were eligible, including one also-eligible.

PP - Horse - Driver

1. Monkey On My Wheel - Chris Christoforou
2. Yagonnakissmeornot - Jody Jamieson
3. Krispy Apple - Tim Tetrick
4. Camille - Yannick Gingras
5. Shelliscape - Scott Zeron
6. Voelz Hanover - Randy Waples
7. Anndrovette - Tim Tetrick
8. Aunt Caroline - Ron Pierce
9. Summertime Lea - Sylvain Filion
10. Charisma Hanover - Doug McNair
AE: Ferrari Sena - Sylvain Filion

Last week we gave out one of the elim winners with Yagonnakissmeornot and she will be a threat in the final, as she is in top form at the dawn of Autumn. Her rush to the front over Rocklamation and Voelz Hanover eliminated the former from the final.

Anndrovette, always a danger to challenge, rushed to the top in her elim but had to stay wide a bit while getting the lead, a move that cost her a few precious steps at the wire.

Shelliscape came the farthest to get into contention and finished second. She was more than 12 lengths from the top when the race began and made them all up to lose by a neck to Yagonnakissmeornot.

Those three worked to get to the final but so did an elim favorite, Camille. She was the public choice in her elim and she wound up third, after Summertime Lea and the winner, Krispy Apple, neither which would have caught her had she not stressed to get the top early.

Camille may not be the favorite in the final and that is good for bettors looking for a bargain, because she is in the perfect spot to make amends for her rash speed move last week and win this year’s Milton at a decent price. As well as being a good win price, you might accept a key with Monkey On My Wheel second, which would pump up an exacta price, though putting Shelliscape and Yagonnakissmeornot in the second spot may also be a generous return.

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Follow major BC hopefuls on their road to the November Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands at the Breeders Crown Countdown blog and the TwinSpires harness blog weekly, with archived reports on the results at the Hambletonian Society web site.

Autumn’s amazing cast of ‘Crown’ characters in full battle regalia for a month

Once again we launch The Breeders Crown Countdown, the official Hambletonian Society and TwinSpires bettors’ blog for stakes leading to the sport’s biggest nights of racing, the Breeders Crown elims and finals. This year marks the return of the series to Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. 

 

All 12 event finals will be to be raced Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. Eliminations for three-year-old-and-up events, as well as the two-year-old colt pace, if necessary will be raced Saturday, Oct.12, 2013. Eliminations for all other two-year-old events, if necessary go on Friday, Oct. 11, 2013. 

 

The estimated purses this years are:

Open Trot: $600,000

Mare Trot: $250,000

Open Pace: $500,000

Mare Pace: $300,000

2-year-olds: $600,000

3-year-olds: $500,000

 

This blog will offer valuable suggestions for wagering on all Breeders Crown (BC) eligibles competing in major events around North America (and sometimes Europe) leading to the elimination weekend. Other races involving possible participants (supplements, etcetera) are covered in the weekly TwinSpires harness blog. 

 

Keep up with the top horses in the divisions racing to the big nights at the Breeders Crown Countdown and read archived result stories at Hambletonian Society and get an account at TwinSpires to keep up with all the great harness bets. 

 

Top dogs 

 

Every horse from this season that has a spot in the top-10 earning list so far is a BC eligible. However, only six of the 12 divisions are represented on that list. The stakes with top earners—even beyond the top-10 list—will be a focus of this blog and the total of events concerning eligibles will be shared with the TwinSpires harness blog. 

 

The top-10 list, in order of earnings as of this post: 

 

Captaintreacherous

Clearly one of the greatest pacers of all time, we have endorsed him to the benefit of bettors since the beginning of his super sophomore season. 

 

Bee A Magician

We found this great filly trotter at two, when she paid the most and began her domination of the frosh division. She has come on at three to beat everything that moves. 

 

Royalty For Life

The Hambletonian winner was one of our top picks in the April issue of Hoof Beats. Though he has not paid well enough to formally endorse at three, he is a major factor in his division. 

 

I Luv The Nitelife

We continually try to beat this beautiful soph filly and have been less than successful. Once we began to key her in exotics we saw profits. She is a wickedly fast filly that can already be called her division’s top choice in the big series.

 

Foiled Again

A stalwart older pacer who became the biggest earner of all time, he continues to challenge veterans and new-to-the-division four-year-olds with tenacity. He is always a threat. 

 

Corky

One of Jimmy Takter’s stream of trotters that shows enough talent to make this list without having won uber-major [sic] events. He has a lot to do to beat the likes of Royalty For Life and even Smilin Eli (who shows up as the 13^th highest earner this year) but he may improve greatly as the temperatures tighten. 

 

Pet Rock

We nabbed him at three, seeing a whole lot of talent and then he exploded at four and has been a patch of wildfire in every older pacing event. 

 

Vegas Vacation

He made a lot of money so far but on the tail of Captaintreacherous. He is fast but not fast enough, he is aggressive but does not seem to overcome adversity like his main foe. 

 

Anndrovette

We caught his older pacing gal every time the public backed off on her and cashed well. She still seeks the proper respect she should have for racing with force and ferocity.

 

Sunfire Blue Chip

Like the other glamour-boys pacers, this mid-season star has managed to do his best when Captaintreacherous is resting from one of his trounces of horses even better than this one. We don’t have a lot of confidence he will stay on this list for long.  

Other big earners, like Sevruga (older trotter), Feeling You (mare pacer) and some already deserving freshmen, will be covered weekly on the partnering blogs. 

Northern lights: best of all divisions aim for Woodbine

The time has come for the connections of horses in all divisions to decide about racing in the Breeders Crown series Woodbine Racetrack. This means, aside from horses already eligible, decisions need to be made on foreign invitees and supplemental entries. 

The race program for the finals is Saturday, Oct. 27 in Toronto, Canada.  

There are no supplements for two-year-olds, so only eligibles will race. Meanwhile, all sophomores wanting to take part will cost their connections $62,500. The same price is listed for the Open Pace, while the Open Trot additions will cost $75,000, the Mare Pace fee is $37,500 and the Mare Trot fee is $31,250.  

Horses eligible to the Breeders Crown events have to officially enter by 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 16.  

Eliminations for all two-year-olds, if needed, are on the Friday, Oct. 19program, while the three-year-old and open eliminations, if needed, are on the Saturday, Oct. 20 program, each with a post time of 7:30 p.m. 

The connections of elim winners get to choose their post position for the finals.

Post time for the Breeders Crown finals on Saturday, Oct. 27 will be a special early post of 6:30 p.m. [EDT]. The finals will be followed live on TwinSpires @FrankCotolo and @RayCotolo and @TwinSpires.

Who’s who?

It is still up in the air if Michael’s Power will supplement to the big event, the soph-colt pace. The decision must be made this weekend and the money, $62,500, must be delivered. 

Driver Scott Zeron has said, “Everyone wants to know what is next for Michael’s Power [after his Flamboro race on Oct. 13].”  

Perhaps other news in the division will inspire Michael’s Power’s connections? 

For instance, Bolt The Duer won’t be in the field. His connections have decided the colt isn’t up to it and are quoted as saying he “just wasn’t right.”  

As well, the fate of A Rocknroll Dance in the glamour-boy pacing “Crown” division is pending. A Rocknroll Dance will be going for throat surgery, according to sources, and may not be ready for the Crown cavalcade. Recently, A Rocknroll Dance has been disappointing, moreso than his post-position excuses can explain. The surgery indicates what many suspected, that something was off since he last made his usual charge in a stakes event.  

Put On A Show heads for Toronto off of an Oct. 9 race that broke the Pocono Downs track record for older pacing mares when she won in 1:49. The Chris Ryder-trained mare is wound tight for the Crown, having won 11 of 20 races this season with lifetime earnings of over $2.3 million.  

Keep up with the top horses in the divisions racing to the Crown at the Breeders Crown Countdown and read archived result stories at Hambletonian Society and get your account at TwinSpires to keep up with all the great harness bets.

Sophomore elims present looming longshots

On Saturday, Oct. 22, nine sophomore eliminations for the Breeders Crown finals are the features at Woodbine in Canada (there is also a single elim for the mare pacers). These battles for the berths in the finals’ fields on Oct. 29 have some great upset possibilities.  

In league with our TwinSpires blog this edition of “Countdown” offers selections that have the potential to win elims and boost exotics. Not being privy to closing odds at press time, we are assuming that our suggested contenders are outside the mainstream picks. We estimate 4-1 or up (unless otherwise specified) on all of them but, of course, guarantee nothing. You can judge as you watch and wager on TwimSpires and you can follow us on Twitter and the blog for late updates on both evenings.  

Saturday, Oct. 22

Race 1, 3yo filly trot

Jezzy has earned her way here and still remains one of the best in this division. However, she fell out of favor with the crowds after her winning streak ceased. This could be a wonderful occasion to wager on her because of that, since her odds will be nowhere near the measly amounts she offered when hot. She has the cleanest gait of ‘em all, actually, so you can count on her trotting her best. 

Race 2, 3yo colt trot

The two supplements, also bound to be the two favorites (Daylon Magician and Dejarmbro) are on the outside and although I am not a stickler for post positions as burdens, I think these two may have a bit of a problem working out a win. Chapter Seven, therefore, may go off higher than we may have estimated after his recent win. I would sat at 2-1 and up he is worth the win wager. Also, if you are going exactas, toss in Spectator K for the second spot; he could get place by default and ignite a big number.  

Race 3, 3yo colt trot

We are again faced with the gait problems of this division, so we are going to look at two scenarios. First, the dead-on favorite and best in this group—when on gait—is Manofmanymissions. He won last year at two and could romp in the elim and the final but not at a price. The backup, if he wins or not, is Whiskey Tax. In the Hambletonian, “Tax” took advantage of every other mishap in the field and got second. He is apt to do it again if “Man” stays straight. If Man breaks, you may be looking at a huge win price with Tax.  

Race 4, 3yo filly trot

We were all over Pantholops when she sizzled at the Meadows for a $30-plus-win price. She had a tough “Futurity” and then got stung with Bold And Fresh finally fired. We cannot let her go here because this is going to be a serious attack and she should be at her best on the track, which is enough to beat these, and her price should be promising. If “Bold” goes the way of all gallopers, beware of Magic Wheel, a local Kadabra product that may do well being tested against better. A big exacta looms with her second to “Pan.”  

Race 6, mare pace

This is not a field to search for an overlay but a qualified longshot chance belongs to Maureen Rocks. She hasn’t been able to shove any of the classier gals over but she is always getting attention from bettors because she is, ultimately, an aggressive mare. I would think the public will dismiss her (she is 8-1 on the morning line [ML]).  

Race 7, 3yo filly pace

Swinging Beauty has the perfect style to finally take advantage of some tired stretch-pacers and may do just that in the weaker of the two soph-filly elims. You cannot knock her in this field, where the ML favorites are all suspect. Her 6-1 ML may be a conservative estimate to her closing odds.  

Race 9, 3yo filly pace

Rocklamation is one of those exacta add-ons, never getting the edge to beat rivals but cashing a lot of check trying. Her 4-1 ML seems generous, as this field has to deal with the return of See You At Peelers, who’s bound to get a lot of attention in the wagering. Still, “Rock” could get her way in one scenario that may play out, so why not take a shot at a legitimate overlay.   

Race 10, 3yo colt pace

Custard The Dragon has not emptied his tank and may be up for a huge mile with the big money and fame on the line. He qualified well after being scratched, which could have been the reason he began to falter after some magnificent miles. He has a lot going for him in the field, a group he can beat on his best day under most circumstances. His ML is 7-1 and we had him both times he won big this season at those kind of odds.   

Race 11, 3yo colt pace

Fashion Delight had a rough sophomore season but has come around well late. He could be peaking now as he rolls into what looks like it could be a monstrous older-pacer campaign. This division has been fickle all year and you have to be crazy to wager on the favorite here to win. Go with Tetrick driving Jim Campbell’s under-rated colt for the upset.  

Freshmen outsiders hold keys to ‘Crown’ cash

On Friday, Oct. 21, five freshmen eliminations for the Breeders Crown finals are the features at Woodbine in Canada. On Oct. 22, sophomores are the highlights with nine elims. The battles for the berths in the finals’ fields on Oct. 29 are always fierce contests that can produce upsets and stuff bankrolls. 

In league with our TwinSpires blog this edition of “Countdown” offers selections that have the potential to win elims and boost exotics. Not being privy to closing odds at press time, we are assuming that our suggested contenders are outside the mainstream picks. We estimate 4-1 or up on all of them but, of course, guarantee nothing. You can judge as you watch and wager on TwinSpires and you can follow us on Twitter and the blog for late updates on both evenings. 

Friday, Oct. 21

Race 1, 2yo colt trot

Classic Conway, 15-1 on the morning line (ML), should offer anything near that for a wager. He has the style and the current form to topple the big-noise horse From Above. That one also brought us pre-elim pay with two great wins, just as “Conway” scored last time. These two wreak of exacta magic.

Race 2, 2yo colt trot

Appomattox is a Frank Antonacci-trained colt that is listed on the ML at 20-1 with Tetrick driving. This is not such a sterling group that long odds are necessary for Mr. Antonacci’s steed, who I am sure is poised to stay afloat and surprise. Definitely an exacta member as well as a win bet.

 
Race 3, 2yo filly trot

In the single elim for this division (two gals not here show up for final), Personal Style is a legitimate outsider and candidate to beat 4-5 ML choice Check Me Out. At 8-1 on the ML with Ron Pierce steering, I cannot see how Richard Norman’s filly will be out of the mix sans a misstep.  

Race 4, 2yo colt pace

Hurrikane Kingcole was a darling for bettors a few back. Once he got into trouble they dropped him like a dead dictator’s body. But the colt has been priming for this event since some minor problems. This elim is the time to support him. His ML of 10-1 may be a conservative estimate of his post-time odds, since everyone and his uncle will back A Rocknroll Dance.  

Race 6, 2yo colt pace

Our shortest ML price at 9-2 is Machapelo. He may not be as long a shot as most we recommend watching on Friday but we think he has much potential and can live up to the speedy style of his sire. In other words, he is blossoming and can perform a late-season primer to a productive sophomore season.

Check in for Saturday's picks soon.

Check out the season's news for eligibles at http://www.hambletonian.org/news.html

Hambo cast reunites for another classic

Field of dreams, indeed. This week in Canada, two- and three-year-old Breeders Crown eligibles collect in fields at Mohawk on Sept. 10 with grandeur in their gaits.  

Many Hambletonian participants meet again in the Canadian Trotting Classic eliminations, including the Hambo-winner Broad Bahn.  

The first elim has six eligibles in seven starters. “Bahn” meets Blue Porsche (who did not make the Hambo final) head on here and could produce a deadly duel. That would open up the path for Whatever It Takes to upset. This guy has upset in his division already this year, when we had him for a big price along the Hambletonian Trail. The best scenario for a price here, then, is to key “Whatever” and hope for the burn-out duel.  

In round two, six hopefuls repeat confrontations from a few frays this season, including the Hambo. Manofmanymissions has been very sharp since busting in the Hambo and Pastor Stephen is yet to lose a race at Mohawk. Chapter Seven has had a rest, Whiskey Tax just won for us at 6-1 and Highland Thunder is the fresh cast member.  

But Charlie De Vie (pictured), from post 1, is, on his best day, a powerhouse. With no running in this race, “Charlie” can muck up the works and deliver a better-than-fair price.  

Also on the program will be Simcoe events for soph colt pacers and Champlains for freshmen sidesteppers.  

Among the pacers, hopeful Westwardho Hanover is rightfully the morning-line favorite and he should take the first Simcoe, hopefully over eligible Line Officer. Outsider Rockabillie will be the price play in the second Simcoe, as we once again ignore Up The Credit as he burns win money. Mystician (also Crown-worthy) would be the second choice.  

In the first Champlain for frosh-colt pacers, we have to give eligible (e) Allstar Legend one more shot. He has been racing with better than these and even from post 8 could be an easy winner.  

D Terminata (e) should once again have a good shot at toppling Speed Again (Metro Pace failed favorite) and Hurricane Kingcote, who gets the 10 post. A big exactor would be “D” to Special Blend (e), who we still feel has some good pace in him.  

The filly Champlain should find Pirouette Hanover (e) making up for her stretch tank in the She’s A Great Lady Final. Right behind her, count on Rockaround Sue for the exacta with some meat to its payoff.

See them and wager on them at TwinSpires and read the results and see the archives at Hambletonian Society's website.

Exclusive coverage at hand again

With the cooperation of the Hambletonian Society and TwinSpires, we are excited to present our exclusive blog, dedicated to harness racing’s spectacular Breeders Crown series.  

The Breeders Crown is an annual series of standardbred races featuring each of the sport’s 12 traditional categories of age, gait and gender. The series was initiated by the Hambletonian Society in 1984, providing lucrative high-profile championship races in each category.  

Last year we covered the eliminations and finals from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, which included two programs of terrific wagering opportunities. A score of elimination races set the stage for the dozen finals covering each division. In 2010 the program for finals took place on a single evening for the first time in the series’ history.  

In 2011 a dozen finals will be held at Woodbine Racetrack on Oct. 29, with a yet-to-be-determined number of eliminations on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22.  

Of course, we will be covering both of the “Crown” programs again, as we have for six years on the Internet (the only team to cover the events live and in real time). As well, this blog material analyzes the major events featuring top contenders making their way to the Crown elims. Our inside, experienced and success-proven methods will be paying attention to and letting readers in on some valuable wagers as the clock ticks down to the elims. 

We are devoted to handicapping information featuring the eligibles of all divisions in events leading to October’s Breeders Crown festival at the legendary Canadian track. Race analyses and result stories will be covered exclusively on the pages of Hambletonian Society. Other coverage will be documented at the twice-weekly TwinSpires blog.  

Harness racing’s greatest night always gets peak attention and professional views directed at bettors. We hope to join with TwinSpires for a Bettors’ Pool on the historic night of finals and offer win and exotic wagering suggestions that can help TwinSpires account-holders the best information possible to make successful wagers.   

For other, late-breaking Crown news items, follow us at Twitter @FrankCotolo and @RayCotolo.