For Hall of Fame trainer Chris Ryder it's all about family. Yes, his son Patrick will get to drive for the first time in a Breeders Crown final this Friday, but more importantly on the equine side, Ryder's commitment to family has brought three of the four starters he'll have to the dance. "I just love the family," said Ryder when asked about the three that he bought at auction, and all have maternal links to one specific mare. Three Diamonds, a champion on the racetrack before Ryder got to know her, is a solid link to the defending Horse of the Year Twin B Joe Fresh, along with a pair of 2-year-old Crown finalists in Show Me Your Ace and the Patrick-driven Bettor Be A Star. For Ryder the family has produced with regularity, more so than perhaps any other trainer in the sport. "Other people know about the maternal line," Ryder said, wondering aloud how he's been fortunate to come away with so many stars - including champion Bettor's Wish - from this root while other trainers have either passed or perhaps been underbidders. "I look at all of the yearlings with a connection to Three Diamonds," said Ryder. "There's no type of individual, just one that's correct." GET FREE HARNESS EYE PP’S & FULL-CARD ANALYSIS FOR THE BREEDERS CROWN CARDS Home run horses like Bettor's Wish and Twin B Joe Fresh have helped define Ryder's resurgence in the last few years, with the mare continuing an epic run that may not be ending soon. While her 2024 campaign was virtually flawless, Twin B Joe Fresh had a blip during her season where Ryder had to call an audible. "She just wasn't finishing the way she always did," said Ryder about Twin B Joe Fresh's second straight loss to Sylvia Hanover in the Lady Liberty at the Meadowlands. "I decided to turn her out for 10 days in the field," Ryder said, suggesting the mare needed to be 'Fresh-ened' up, if you will. Since the time away, Twin B Joe Fresh has regained her edge and enters Saturday's Breeders Crown in top form. "I expect her to be on her game," said Ryder. "She's always good coming off a qualifier, and I was glad Patrick gave her a two-hole trip. It's something she doesn't get very often in races." Twin B Joe Fresh responded to the journey at the Meadowlands last Saturday, pacing home in 25 2/5 in the qualifying victory. Just six mares showed up to take on Twin B Joe Fresh for the $400,000 Breeders Crown Open Mare Pace on Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park (race three), with Sylvia Hanover trying to reverse the latest trend between the two titanic mares. Sylvia Hanover has now lost the last three times she's faced Twin B Joe Fresh, but that's certainly no reason to count her out given a brilliant career that saw her dominate as a 2 and 3-year-old but lack the consistency over the past two years. Sylvia Hanover may have finished sixth in her prep race last week, but she was used rather hard to gain control in the first-half and then was put to immediate pressure by race-winner Always B Naughty in a 1:48 2/5 mile. Ryder suggested that Twin B Joe Fresh would be returning to the races next year. She's been a virtual cash cow for ownership. "The money has been great for us and great for the sales companies too," said Ryder, who expects to have 25-30 yearlings in training by the end of the year. "I'll pick up a few more at Harrisburg, but we've made most of our purchases already." It's hard to compare Miki And Minnie to Twin B Joe Fresh as they have both been winning machines from the start, but Ryder compares the two at least in terms of size. "Actually, Miki is a little taller than Joe Fresh but not as broad," Ryder said. The two did have something in common this year, and that was slight adjustments that were necessary to regain form. For Miki And Minnie it came after a rare defeat in the Kentucky Championship Series final at The Red Mile. "She bled in that race," said Ryder of the second-place finish behind Looksgoodinloulou as the prohibitive favorite. Miki And Minnie had been racing with Lasix but due to Kentucky rules could not in that race at The Red Mile. Following a strong qualifier, Miki And Minnie was back on her game in last week's single elimination for the Breeders Crown and responded as she has all year with her 11th win in but 13 starts. "I'm happy with the way she's coming into the race, and we drew a good spot," said Ryder about his charge, who races in the fifth event on Saturday. "I am concerned about Marcus' filly. She's racing well right now." Ryder was referring to Unreasonable, a 1:47 4/5 winner in the Glen Garnsey Memorial, then followed Miki And Minnie home while pacing a 25 1/5 final quarter last week. Chantilly, the 2024 Horse of the Year in Canada, didn't show the same firepower in the elimination as she has in the past, but there is no reason to dismiss the Big Jim-sired filly despite post 10. Chantilly tried to race from off-the-pace and could not possibly make up ground in a 52 3/5 final-half. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter While Ryder had been pointing both Twin B Joe Fresh and Miki And Minnie for the Breeders Crown, he was very much on the fence as to sending any of his 2-year-olds to the big dance at Woodbine Mohawk Park. "I had sent Show Me Your Ace to Corbin to race in the Kentucky Sire Stakes," Ryder said. "When he won down there in 1:50 4/5 I thought he deserved a shot." Show Me Your Ace is a son of American Ideal that finished a solid second behind the unbeaten Beau Jangles in his elimination. "He's been getting better with each start," Ryder noted. "He's steering better now than he did earlier." Show Me Your Ace (race nine on Friday) has followed a similar path to the Breeders Crown as a few others from the Ryder stable in that he started out at the mid-level Kentucky Sires program known as the Commonwealth and eventually advanced to compete in the Bluegrass and now the Breeders Crown. Miki And Minnie was another that started out in Kentucky at a lower level and eventually improved to divisional champion. "I think it can help with their confidence while they are learning how to race," said Ryder of his strategy that has paid off nicely already. In Bettor Be A Star, a solid third-place finisher behind Loua Dipa in the lone elimination for 2-year-old pacing fillies, Ryder has a finalist that has the Three Diamonds connection on the stallion line from Bettor's Wish. A $10,000 yearling buy at Harrisburg last fall, Bettor Be A Star finished fourth in the Commonwealth final at The Red Mile and then followed that up with two third-place finishes in Grand Circuit stakes. "When I saw Handsome Stranger win a division of the Tattersalls, I thought 'why not give her a chance too,'" said Ryder, referring to the 86-1 upsetter that found his footing at the right time for trainer Per Engblom. Ryder's sense proved correct as his son steered the filly through traffic, and she proved she belonged, passing horses in the final eighth. Bettor Be A Star is owned by Ryder and family, and gave Chris' son his first-ever Breeders Crown drive. "You have to get experience to get ahead in this sport and be in races like these," said Ryder, referring to the Crown, as well as his son. "I thought he drove her very well." As for Bettor Be A Star's chances in Friday's rich final (race seven), having drawn the pole position, Ryder said, "I think Loua Dipa is a lock. I'm hoping we can get a piece." Post time for the Breeders Crown finals on both Friday and Saturday is 6:35 P.M. (EDT).