Derick Giwner

While the early story on Breeders Crown night at Woodbine Racetrack was the absence of drivers Tim Tetrick, David Miller, Yannick Gingras, George Brennan, Jim Takter, and Trond Smedshammer due to a winter storm which detained them at an airport in New Jersey, the action quickly shifted to the equine stars. The ballots for Horse of the Year may not have reached the voters yet, but San Pail clearly locked up that honor with his win in the $600,000 Open Trot. San Pail settled in briefly at the start but regular driver Randy Waples was on the move before the first turn.

Using my theory that if you sign up for a new DRF Bets account you get $100 after you wager $100, here is what I would do with $200 on Breeders Crown night at Woodbine. I’m not an overly aggressive player, but I do enjoy action. That is why you will see me taking a shot in every race. I’ll keep most of my wagers small ($8 to $12 per race) and step out to $16 on key horses I like. My biggest wager amounts will come in the Pick Four, where I hope to hit a David Freese-like home run.

In the Saturday edition of Harness Eye I penned a four page in-depth look at almost every horse racing on Saturday’s Breeders Crown card at Woodbine. For those of you on the go, 5,000 words might be a bit much for you. So, here is the slightly abridged rundown of each Crown event from my prospective.

Nine eliminations for the Breeders Crown were contested on Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack. Let’s examine the key performances from each division. 3-year-old Filly Trot CEDAR DOVE never had an anxious moment while posting a track record 1:53.2 clocking. CRYS DREAM got caught behind a tired foe which eventually broke in front of her. From there she had no shot at the top spot and easily made the final.

Racing needs me. And by ‘me’ I mean the bettors who show up at the track or wager from simulcast land at OTBs and on the web. If we are unhappy then we will simply stop wagering and the sport will cease to exist. This message needs to be heard by the officials in New Jersey.