Breeders Crown: 13 eliminations drawn; 5 races straight to finals
After 156 horses dropped in the box for the Breeders Crown eliminations at the Meadowlands on Friday and Saturday (11/14 & 15), the stage is now set for 13 eliminations races over the weekend to weed the contenders from the pretenders.
Of the 12 finals to be contested on the November 21/22 cards at the Meadowlands, seven divisions will require eliminations. Those include two eliminations each for 2-year-old pacers and trotters of both sexes, two eliminations for 3-year-old colt and filly pacers, and one elim in the Open Trot.
Heading straight to the finals are:
$500,000 3-year-old filly trot (Fri., 11/21): 1-Market Rally; 2-Lifetime Pursuit; 3-Shake It Cerry; Struck By Lindy; 5-Cantabs Fortune; 6-Heaven’s Door; 7-Vanity Matters; 8-Riveting Rosie; 9-Cee Bee Yes
$500,000 3-year-old colt trot (Sat., 11/22): Datsyuk, Don Dorado, EL Titan, Father Patrick, Harper Blue Chip, Hillustrious, Il Sogno Dream, Nuncio, Odds On Amethyst, and Sumatra (Will be drawn Tues., 11/18)
$400,000 Open Pace (Sat., 11/22): 1-Bettor’s Edge; 2-Modern Legend; 3-State Treasurer; 4-Thinking Out Loud; 5-Foiled Again; 6-Clear Vision; 7-Sweet Lou
$281,250 Mare Pace (Sat., 11/22): 1-Camille; 2-Charisma Hanover; 3-Voelz Hanover; 4-Somwherovrarainbow; 5-Yagonnakissmeornot (S); 6-Shelliscape; 7-Krispy Apple; 8-Anndrovette; 9-Rocklamation; 10-Regil Elektra; 11-Venus Delight
$250,000 Mare Trot (Fri., 11/21): 1-Intense America; 2-Classic Martine; 3-Bee A Magician; 4-Handover Belle; 5-Ma Chere Hall; 6-Charmed Life; 7-D’Orsay; 8-Mistery Woman
(S)—Supplemented into the Breeders Crown
Rookie fillies on both gaits and second-year filly pacers will compete in Friday eliminations. The top ranked horse in the sport—JK She’salady—heads a group of 15 freshman pacing fillies. The Nancy Johansson trainee will start in the first elimination from post five with new driver Tim Tetrick in the bike. Former pilot Yannick Gingras will steer the highly-touted Sassa Hanover from post seven in the same split.
Friday, Nov. 14 - Race 3
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Heavenly Bride | B.Sears |
| 2 | Wicked Little Minx | A.Svanstedt |
| 3 | The Show Returns | S.Zeron |
| 4 | Bettor N Better | R.Pierce |
| 5 | JK She'salady | Ti.Tetrick |
| 6 | Bettor Be Steppin | C.Callahan |
| 7 | Sassa Hanover | Y.Gingras |
Race 6
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Well Hello There | M.Kakaley |
| 2 | Divine Caroline | C.Callahan |
| 3 | Southwind Roulette | Y.Gingras |
| 4 | Ideal Nuggets | T.Tetrick |
| 5 | Heart Major | R.Pierce |
| 6 | Sports Chic | J.Jamieson |
| 7 | Happy Becky | D.Miller |
| 8 | Happiness | M.Simons |
Another group of 15 will do battle in two 3-year-old filly pacing eliminations. Leading money-winner amongst her peers, Color’s A Virgin will try to lock up the division with a pair of wins in consecutive weeks. She starts from post two in race four. Trace Tetrick will drive for trainer Brian Brown.
Friday, Nov. 14 - Race 4
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Act Now | G.Brennan |
| 2 | Sayitall BB | Y.Gingras |
| 3 | Major Dancer | B.Sears |
| 4 | Beach Gal | D.Miller |
| 5 | Table Talk | A.Miller |
| 6 | Nat A Virgin | J.Jamieson |
| 7 | Gettingreadytoroll | C.Callahan |
| 8 | Gallie Bythe Beach | Ti.Tetrick |
Race 7
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Beach Story | D.Miller |
| 2 | Color's A Virgin | Tr.Tetrick |
| 3 | Uffizi Hanover | B.Miller |
| 4 | Allstar Rating | Y.Gingras |
| 5 | Precocious Beauty | D.McNair |
| 6 | Sandbetweenurtoes | B.Sears |
| 7 | Weeper | R.Pierce |
The filly trot for 2-year-olds lured 14 hopefuls that will be split into a pair of seven-horse fields. Mission Brief, Stubborn Belle, Wild Honey, and Smexi all appear poised for possible year-end honors with a win in next Friday’s final.
Friday, Nov. 14 - Race 2
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Hot Start | B.Sears |
| 2 | Scented Roses | A.Svanstedt |
| 3 | Mission Brief | Y.Gingras |
| 4 | Gold Cora | Ti.Tetrick |
| 5 | Smexi | C.Callahan |
| 6 | Lilu Hanover | S.Zeron |
| 7 | Danielle Hall | J.Jamieson |
Race 12
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Wild Honey | Y.Gingras |
| 2 | Bright Baby Blues | D.Miller |
| 3 | Sarcy | B.Miller |
| 4 | Wilcet Hanover | A.Svanstedt |
| 5 | Livininthefastlane | Ti.Tetrick |
| 6 | Love Me Madly | J.Campbell |
| 7 | Stubborn Belle | P.MacDonell |
Seven more eliminations are on tap Saturday and checking in with a high of 19 elimination entrants is the freshman colt pace. Late season sensation In The Arsenal leads the pack. The Kelvin Harrison-trained youngster will have his work cut out for him from post 10 in the second of two elims.
Saturday, Nov. 15 - Race 8
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Go Daddy Go | J.Campbell |
| 2 | Lost For Words | D.Miller |
| 3 | Franzo | S.Zeron |
| 4 | Sicily | C.Callahan |
| 5 | Rich Wisdom | M.Kakaley |
| 6 | Soto | B.Miller |
| 7 | Lyons Again | Y.Gingras |
| 8 | Kona Kid | Ti.Tetrick |
| 9 | Migrate Blue Chip | R.Zeron |
Race 11
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Traceur Hanover | A.Miller |
| 2 | Arque Hanover | Ti.Tetrick |
| 3 | Lyons Levi Lewis | R.Pierce |
| 4 | Bet You | B.Miller |
| 5 | Hall Of Terror | M.Miller |
| 6 | Cooperstown | M.Kakaley |
| 7 | Tomy Terror | C.Callahan |
| 8 | Raylan Givens | A.McCarthy |
| 9 | Cartoon Daddy | Y.Gingras |
| 10 | In The Arsenal | B.Sears |
Two fields of nine will be reduced to 10 finalists in the 2-year-old colt trot splits. Habitat, who leads the division with $491,907 in earnings, heads the group from post 6 in the first elimination. Yannick Gingras was listed to drive the Ron Burke-conditioned horse along with the Jimmy Takter-trained Pinkman, who has won four of six lifetime races and figures prominently.
Saturday, Nov. 15 - Race 2
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | On The Sly | B.Miller |
| 2 | Walter White | S.Zeron |
| 3 | The Bank | J.Takter |
| 4 | Guess Whos Back | G.Brennan |
| 5 | Pinkman | Y.Gingras |
| 6 | Habitat | B.Sears |
| 7 | Infiniti AS | C.Norris |
| 8 | Centurion ATM | A.Svanstedt |
| 9 | Sixteen Encores | Ti.Tetrick |
Race 4
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Stonebridge Force | A.Svanstedt |
| 2 | True Blue Stride | T.Tetrick |
| 3 | Suit And Tie | M.Simons |
| 4 | Muscle Diamond | J.Campbell |
| 5 | Whataworkout | S.Zeron |
| 6 | Piercewave Hanover | C.Callahan |
| 7 | French Laundry | B.Miller |
| 8 | Uncle Lasse | R.Pierce |
| 9 | Cruzado Dela Noche | D.Miller |
Three-year-old colt pacers will square off in two eight-horse eliminations with major implications for year-end honors. With the exceptions of McWicked, all of the leading players are stuffed into one race. “Now” horse Always B Miki starts from post four but will have no easy task defeating JK Endofanera (post 1), Somewhere In L A (post 3), Luck Be Withyou (post 5), and Meadowlands Pace champ He’s Watching (post 6).
Saturday, Nov. 15 - Race 5
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | JK Endofanera | R.Pierce |
| 2 | Parnu Hanover | A.McCarthy |
| 3 | Somewhere In L A | B.Miller |
| 4 | Always B Miki | D.Miller |
| 5 | Luck Be Withyou | B.Sears |
| 6 | He's Watching | Ti.Tetrick |
| 7 | Somesizesomestyle | M.Kakaley |
| 8 | Let's Drink On It | Ty.Smith |
Race 7
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Doo Wop Hanover | R.Pierce |
| 2 | Caviart Luca | A.McCarthy |
| 3 | McWicked | B.Sears |
| 4 | Lyonssomewhere | J.Campbell |
| 5 | Capital Account | B.Miller |
| 6 | Jet Airway | M.Miller |
| 7 | Somestarsomewhere | M.Kakaley |
| 8 | Limelight Beach | Y.Gingras |
Ten trotters will vie for six open spots in the Crown Trot. Maven, the recent $750,000 purchase at the Harrisburg Sale last week by Mel Hartman, will debut for the Jimmy Takter barn. The lone mare in the group will have to overcome post 10. The six-pack that advances will meet up with Commander Crowe, Market Share, Intimidate, and Creatine next Saturday.
Saturday, Nov. 15 - Race 10
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Wheeling N Dealin | R.Zeron |
| 2 | Your So Vain | A.Svanstedt |
| 3 | Flanagan Memory | B.Miller |
| 4 | Master Of Law | J.Takter |
| 5 | Quick Deal | C.Callahan |
| 6 | Sevruga | A.Miller |
| 7 | Wishing Stone | M.Kakaley |
| 8 | Arch Madness | G.Brennan |
| 9 | Archangel | B.Sears |
| 10 | Maven | Y.Gingras |
With the exception of the Crown Trot, the top five in the remaining 12 eliminations will make the finals next week. Post time for both the Friday and Saturday cards at the Meadowlands this weekend is 7:15 p.m.