Breeders Crown: Favorites deliver in 3YO Colt Pace eliminations

Odds-on choices Captain Albano and Mirage Hanover captured the pair of $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Saturday night (Oct. 19) at the Meadowlands.

Captain Albano grabbed the lead before the half and remained on the pedal to the end of a 1:48 1/5 mile in the first elimination.

Driver Todd McCarthy floated Captain Albano into third out of post three and circled for the lead after a 27 second first quarter. Captain Albano planted onto the point heading to a 54 2/5 half and cruised through the final turn. Captain Luke rushed first-over out of fourth to challenge Captain Albano by three-quarters in 1:22 2/5 and kept the 1-5 chalk honest through a stretch sprint. Captain Albano staved the persistent push from Captain Luke by a half-length with pocket-chaser Timeisonmyside another three lengths behind in third. Howlenthehills finished fourth and McCrunch claimed the last berth into the final.

"He's been good all along," McCarthy said after the race. "We were a little unlucky early in the season with him. I think that bad luck just turned for us. It's good to see him finally show himself. He's gotten really strong later in the season, and I think he showed that in Delaware winning in the Jug; it's pretty impressive when you see him go two heats like that. We did it pretty comfortably. Timmy [Tetrick]'s horse surprised me, Captain Luke - he really sprinted with me good down the stretch. I just had to shake my guy up a little to make sure I held him off there in the end. I felt confident in the horse all the way down the stretch."

Noel Daley trains Captain Albano, a Captaintreacherous colt out of the American Ideal mare Angelou bred by Fred Hertrich III. He is owned by Patricia Stable, L A Express Stable, Sjoblom Racing Inc. and Michael Dolan and won his 16th race from 23 starts, good for $1,255,223 in earnings. He paid $2.60 to win.

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Mirage Hanover overpowered stubborn pace-setter Nijinsky in the final strides of a 1:48 4/5 mile to score as the 1-5 choice in the second elimination.

Driver Dexter Dunn placed Mirage Hanover on the lead to a 27 2/5 first quarter but yielded control to Nijinsky midway up the backstretch. Nijinsky took over and clicked a 54 4/5 half, though Mirage Hanover swelled from the pocket and started creeping off the cones circling the far turn. Mirage Hanover pressed Nijinsky to three-quarters in 1:22 4/5 and locked hoof and nail in dispute all through the stretch. Nijinsky held his ground, but failed to dissuade Mirage Hanover in the closing yards, and Dunn implored his charge to a head win at the beam. Gem Quality rallied from a second-over trip for third while Calicojack Hanover saved ground for fourth and Sweet Beach Life earned the last slot into the final in fifth.

"He's been a nice colt all year," trainer Jake Leamon said of Mirage Hanover, a now nine-time winner from 25 starts with $582,593 in the bank. "But when you’re racing against the best horses, it's tough."

Marvin Rounick owns Mirage Hanover, a colt by Bettor's Delight and out of Mayhem Seelster bred by Hanover Shoe Farms Inc. He paid $2.60 to win.

By winning their Breeders Crown eliminations, Captain Albano and Mirage Hanover earned draw protection between posts one through six for the final next Saturday (Oct. 26) at the Meadowlands. The post position draw will take place on Tuesday afternoon.