Breeders Crown: Melander exacta with Gimpanzee, Green Manalishi in final for rookie male trotters

Brian Sears piloted favored Gimpanzee to a 2 1/2 length victory in the $600,000 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot on Saturday (Oct. 27) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with an effortless 1:54 4/5 win. Stablemate Green Manalishi was second and longshot Hudson River finished third. Marcus Melander trains the top two finishers.

Melander was very pleased with Gimpanzee, saying, “It feels great, of course. He’s like an aged horse, you can do whatever you want with him in a race. He’s got a lot of stamina and a lot of speed and everything went well.

"I thought (Green Manalishi) raced great today. Maybe he's a little bit off form. He had a very long season - trips up to Canada and to Lexington. Both of these colts are done for the year now. I couldn't be more happy with the year."

“It’s not over until it’s over but the horse has showed up all year,” added Sears. “He just knows how to do his job and got it done again tonight, figured I’d take my shot on the front. I thought I had the best horse in the race.

""He's just so nonchalant out there. Nothing seems to both him. Last week the blanket fell off him by his feet walking back to the paddock and he didn't even care."

Gimpanzee got the early lead but yielded to Green Manalishi just before the 27 3/5 quarter-mile marker. Sears had the son of Chapter Seven-Steamy Windows out and moving at the three-eighths and the race was for all intents and purposes over. He cruised through a leisurely 57 3/5 half and 1:26 3/5 three-quarters before sprinting home in 28 1/5, fending off a mild challenge from Green Manalishi entering the stretch.

Hudson River (Matt Kakaley), Super Schissel (Yannick Gingras), and Chin Chin Hall (Peter Wrenn) rounded out the top five.

Gimpanzee finishes his 2-year-old campaign with a perfect nine-for-nine record, while banking nearly $600,000. Bred by Order By Stable, he is owned by Courant Inc. and S R F Stable.

"I want to say hello to my co-owner Lennart (Agren). It's late evening in Sweden now, but I trust he's up and watching this. I hope he's proud of the horse, as I am," said Anders Storm of Courant Inc.

In taking the Bill Weaver Memorial Trophy, Gimpanzee paid $3.00 to win. The Melander-trained exacta paid $12.40.