Breeders Crown: Captaintreacherous leads freshman elimination winners
Three divisions of freshman pacers and trotters competed in four Breeders Crown elimination races on Friday at Woodbine Racetrack and there was no doubt who stole the show.
Captaintreacherous took no prisoners in his Breeders Crown elimination for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings. The son of Somebeachsomewhere cruised to victory in 1:50 and earned the opportunity to pick his post in the $600,000 final on Saturday, October 27.
Watching the early action as Dress The Part assumed command over Rockin Amadeus in a swift 26 3/5 opening quarter, Captaintreacherous made his move passing the half in 55 3/5. Despite some token pressure from the first over Vegas Vacation, Captain cruised by the third call in 1:23 3/5 and was never asked while exploding home in 26 2/5.
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“Last week he wasn’t at the top of his game but he still got the job done,” said driver Tim Tetrick. “That is what champions do.”
Vegas Vacation held second in a good effort. Rockin Amadeus found late room to be a solid third. Dress The Part and Twilight Bonfire earned the last two spots in the final.
Captaintreacherous, who is owned by Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Joe Sbrocco and White Birch Farm, chose post 3 for the final. He is trained by Tony Alagna.
The second elimination provided an upset as the well-backed Apprentice Hanover fell to a late charge from Wake Up Peter despite setting reasonable fractions of 26 4/5, 56 and 1:24 2/5.
Wake Up Peter came off the cones at the five-eighths for driver Scott Zeron and hit high gear in the stretch to zoom past the field for the 1:51 1/5 victory.
“We’ve been high on this colt all winter,” said trainer Alagna, who took post 4 with the elimination winner. “He had a little breathing issue but we took care of it.”
Apprentice Hanover held for second. Captive Audience tucked early and grinded it out on the rim for third. Urbanite Hanover found himself in a tight spot between horses and Fool Me Once was locked in on the cones, but both made the final.
The undefeated Wheeling N Dealin did not disappoint in his Crown elimination for trotting colts and geldings. The son of Cantab Hall displayed guts while digging in through the stretch for a 1:55 1/5 score.
After Murmur Hanover forced Wheeling N Dealin to accept the pocket in a 28-second opening quarter, driver Sylvain Filion brushed to the front by the three-eighth marker to assume command. The pair rated a soft half in 58 and began to feel pressure from the first over Royalty For Life approaching three quarters in 1:27 3/5.
Wheeling N Dealin and Royalty For Life hooked up in a furious stretch battle but the former refused to give more than a few inches and kept his challenger at bay to up his string of perfection to 8 for 8.
“My heart was pounding pretty good coming down the stretch,” said winning trainer Dustin Jones, who said he avoided going to Lexington with his prized pupil to be cautious.
The top 8 finishers made the final and will be joined by Dontyouforgetit and Major Athens, who took byes.
A daughter of champion mare Rainbow Blue, Somwherovrarainbow, won going away in her Crown split for pacing fillies.
L Dees Lioness gained early command before the quarter in 26 3/5. Race favorite Power Pack Hanover then came to call with a furious burst of speed just past a backed down half of 56 1/5. Those two sat single-file with Somwherovrarainbow binding her time in third.
In the lane, Somwherovrarainbow exploded home in 27 seconds to win by 4-plus lengths over a similarly fast charging Love Canal in 1:51 2/5.
“She was just waiting for me to pull her and then she just dragged me to the wire on her own,” said winning driver Andy Miller.
Joining the top two and I Luv The Nitelife, Parlee Beach and UF Dragons Queen (who received byes) in the final are: L Dees Lioness, Art Ideal, Wherethegirlsare, Mattie Terror Girl and Hit The Curb.
Fields for the 2-year-old Breeders Crown finals on Saturday, October 27 with posts and DRF Harness morning line odds are below.
2-year-old Colt & Gelding Pace - Race 7
| POST | HORSE | LISTED DRIVER | DRF HARNESS M/L |
| 1 | DRESS THE PART | JO.CAMPBELL | 30-1 |
| 2 | ROCKIN AMADEUS | Y.GINGRAS | 10-1 |
| 3 | CAPTAINTREACHEROUS | TI.TETRICK | 7-5 |
| 4 | WAKE UP PETER | A.MILLER | 4-1 |
| 5 | TWILIGHT BONFIRE | R.PIERCE | 20-1 |
| 6 | VEGAS VACATION | S.ZERON | 10-1 |
| 7 | APPRENTICE HANOVER | J.JAMIESON | 5-1 |
| 8 | FOOL ME ONCE | R.PIERCE | 12-1 |
| 9 | URBANITE HANOVER | TI.TETRICK | 15-1 |
| 10 | CAPTIVE AUDIENCE | B.SEARS | 15-1 |
2-year-old Colt & Gelding Trot - Race 8
| POST | HORSE | ELIM DRIVER | DRF HARNESS M/L |
| 1 | PINE CREDIT | LE.MILLER | 12-1 |
| 2 | DONTYOUFORGETIT | BYE INTO FINAL | 9-2 |
| 3 | WHEELING N DEALIN | S.FILION | 2-1 |
| 4 | MAJOR ATHENS | BYE INTO FINAL | 4-1 |
| 5 | YOUR SO VAIN | JO.CAMPBELL | 10-1 |
| 6 | MAJESTIZED | J.MOISEYEV | 25-1 |
| 7 | CAVEAT EMPTOR | R.SCHNITTKER | 12-1 |
| 8 | ITS PAYDAY FRIDAY | C.CHRISTOFOROU | 15-1 |
| 9 | ROYALTY FOR LIFE | TI.TETRICK | 5-1 |
| 10 | SHOW TICKET | R.PIERCE | 30-1 |
2-year-old Filly Pace - Race 2
| POST | HORSE | ELIM DRIVER | DRF HARNESS M/L |
| 1 | L DEES LIONESS | S.ZERON | 6-1 |
| 2 | SOMWHEROVRARAINBOW | A.MILLER | 7-2 |
| 3 | PARLEE BEACH | BYE INTO FINAL | 4-1 |
| 4 | ART IDEAL | Y.GINGRAS | 12-1 |
| 5 | I LUV THE NITELIFE | BYE INTO FINAL | 3-1 |
| 6 | MATTIE TERROR GIRL | D.PALONE | 25-1 |
| 7 | LOVE CANAL | J.JAMIESON | 6-1 |
| 8 | HIT THE CURB | J.MORRILL,JR | 15-1 |
| 9 | WHERETHEGIRLSARE | R.PIERCE | 25-1 |
| 10 | UF DRAGONS QUEEN | BYE INTO FINAL | 8-1 |
2-year-old Filly Trot - Race 5
| POST | HORSE | LISTED DRIVER | DRF HARNESS M/L |
| 1 | HANDOVER BELLE | M.LACHANCE | 15-1 |
| 2 | ROYAL ASSETS | TI.TETRICK | 15-1 |
| 3 | MISTERY WOMAN | DV.MILLER | 10-1 |
| 4 | ANTSY DANCEY | S.FILION | 30-1 |
| 5 | FASHION ATHENA | B.SEARS | 6-1 |
| 6 | BEE A MAGICIAN | R.ZERON | 2-1 |
| 7 | TIME TO KILL | JO.CAMPBELL | 20-1 |
| 8 | TO DREAM ON | Y.GINGRAS | 9-5 |
| 9 | CUPCAKE | R.PIERCE | 30-1 |
| 10 | FRAU BLUCHER | D.PALONE | 10-1 |