Breeders Crown: Captaintreacherous shows his determination in Crown victory

Captaintreacherous once again proved why he is the best pacer in training. The 3-year-old showed that he has no quit in him by besting a very game Sunshine Beach in 1:49 2/5 to capture the $500,000 Breeders Crown for colts and geldings.

Driver Tim Tetrick wanted the lead and hustled Captaintreacherous away from post one.

“I didn’t want to take a chance that something happened like last week. I wanted to make sure I was controlling it and everyone knew it,” said Tetrick.

After yielding briefly to Sunfire Blue Chip by the quarter in 26 1/5, Captaintreacherous was back on the move to the front. He would get a relatively soft 55 2/5 half as Sunshine Blue Chip, who had been taking air on the rim from the start, began to turn up the heat. The pace picked up noticeably as the pair hooked up by three quarters in 1:22 1/5. Sunfire Blue Chip was still in the pocket and Lucan Hanover followed the live cover.

Tetrick pulled the earplugs on Captaintreacherous at the head of the lane as Sunshine Beach refused to back down. The crowd roared as two of the best sophomore pacers in the sport gave their all. Sunshine Beach was great in defeat by just a neck to the resilient ‘Captain’.

Lucan Hanover finished third in the mile.

“I knew it was going to be a sprint. Sunshine (Beach) is a great horse but my horse likes to win,” said Tetrick, who has driven some of the best horses in the sport, but holds Captaintreacherous in very high regard.

“I’ve never driven a horse that fights as hard as he does every week. He lets them get so close and he makes me so nervous, but when it is go time he fights and fights and holds everyone off,” said Tetrick.

Tony Alagna trains the son of Somebeachsomewhere for owner Captaintreacherous Racing.

With 12 wins in 13 starts this year, Captaintreacherous has now earned $1,874,273 on the season.

Staying with the boys and switching to the trot, Spider Blue Chip made two moves to the front to win the $500,000 Breeders Crown for second-year trotters.

Spider Blue Chip, Creatine and Smilin Eli all flashed strong early speed with Spider Blue Chip eventually securing the front after yielding and retaking past the opening quarter of 27 2/5. Once in front, driver Ron Pierce was able to back down the pace to a 56 3/5 half with Smilin Eli and Creatine following along the cones.

All Laid Out made a non-threatening first over move and Spider Blue Chip sailed by three quarters in 1:24 3/5. It was Spider Blue Chip’s race to lose and Creatine took his shot up the cones to no avail. ‘Spider’ would hang on by a neck in 1:53 3/5.

Smilin Eli rounded out the trifecta.

“He has been so consistent every week,” said trainer Chuck Sylvester.

Co-owned by David McDuffee and Melvin Hartman, Spider Blue Chip now has 10 wins in 18 starts this year. He went over the $1 million mark in earnings with the win.

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