Breeders Crown: Grace Hill knocks off Twin B Joe Fresh in Mare Pace elim

In an upset, Grace Hill ended the nine-race winning streak of favored Twin B Joe Fresh to capture the single $25,000 elimination for the Breeders Crown Mare Pace on Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

Todd McCarthy executed the upset, putting the former Crown champion in perfect position behind the heavily favored Twin B Joe Fresh and then out-sprinting her rival in a spirited 1:48 4/5 clocking.

Grace Hill, bred by White Birch Farm, is owned by Tom Hill and trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. The daughter of Always B Miki from the Western Terror-sired dam Western Silk won for the sixth time this year and quickly elevated her status to major contender for next week's final. She paid $22.60 to win.

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"She was real good in the last two starts, but she's supposed to be against those horses," Morgan Jr. said about a pair of overnight wins for Grace Hill at Hollywood Dayton and Yonkers prior to tonight's victory. "That worked to our benefit coming in here today, for sure."

Eight of the 10 mares in the elimination qualified with Beach Cowgirl, Always B Naughty, Sylvia Hanover, Valar Dohaeris, Kobe's Gigi and Dabarndawgswatchin joining the top pair. Silver Label and Strong Poison both received byes into the final. The post draw for the final will take place on Tuesday afternoon.