Breeders Crown: Post positions drawn for the remainder of Saturday's finals

The final four post position draws for the Grade 1 Breeders Crown championships at Eldorado Scioto Downs took place Tuesday evening (Oct. 20) at a draw party held at Pinnacle Golf Club.

The post draws conducted were for the 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot, 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace, Open Pace and Open Trot. Elimination winners drew for posts one through six before the remaining finalists were put in an open draw. The draws for the other eight championships were completed this past weekend.

Super Chapter, the No. 1-ranked horse in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, will leave from post eight in Saturday's $600,000 Breeders Crown Open Trot after being one of two horses to receive a bye to the final. The 4-year-old son of Chapter Seven-Lifetime Pursuit has been no worse than second in nine races this season, with seven wins and $1.19 million in earnings. His victories include three Grade 1 events - the John Cashman Memorial, Maple Leaf Trot and MGM Yonkers International Trot - plus the Grade 2 Dayton Trotting Derby in his most recent start on Oct. 3.

Dexter Dunn will drive Super Chapter for trainer Marcus Melander as they look to extend a five-race win streak.

"I think you should always take a bye if you have the opportunity," Melander said over the weekend. "You never know what can happen in an elimination. You can be interfered with, you can take a bad stop. You lose the opportunity to win the elimination and draw (post) one through six, but sometimes you have to gamble a little bit. Also, three weeks between races has never been any problem for him."

Four-year-old Emoticon Legacy, who won the sole Open Trot elimination in 1:51 4/5, will start from post four with Bob McClure driving for trainer Luc Blais. On To Norway, a 4-year-old who was the other bye recipient, will leave from post seven with John De Long driving for Ron Burke while 2025 Open Trot winner French Wine will go from post one with Jason Bartlett at the lines for Nancy Takter.

"I was worried about the rail, but the four is perfect; I think Bob has options," Blais said, adding about Super Chapter and On To Norway drawing to the outside, "They're going to need to work hard. It's going to change the game a little bit."

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In the $662,000 Open Pace, elimination winners Dandy Ideal and Women Layer, who both won in 1:48 4/5, landed posts three and one, respectively. Tim Tetrick will be in the sulky behind Dandy Ideal for trainer Brett Pelling while Women Layer will have Yannick Gingras in the bike for Virgil Morgan Jr. Ervin Hanover, the 2025 Open Pace champ who was a half-length behind Dandy Ideal in his third-place elimination finish last week, will leave from post nine.

"We're just hoping to draw from the five in," Morgan Jr. said shortly before the draw. "Hopefully the five in and I'm pretty confident we'll let the chips fall where they may with him."

The elimination winners for the 3-year-old male trotters, Big Ranger and Diabolic Hill, will start the $664,500 final from posts, two and three, respectively. Big Ranger won his elim in 1:51 1/5 with Tim Tetrick in the sulky for Anette Lorentzon; Diabolic Hill was a 1:51 2/5 winner with Todd McCarthy driving for Annie Stoebe.

Hambletonian winner Apex, who was second to Diabolic Hill in their elimination, drew post six while Kentucky Futurity winner Nix Nacken, who was second to Big Ranger, got post five. Both are trained by Melander.

"I'm thrilled with it," Stoebe said about the draw. "I just didn't want the rail, so anywhere from three to six, I was going to be very happy. I can't wait (for the weekend) but I'm trying to keep everything the same, don't change anything."

In the $664,500 final for 3-year-old male pacers, elimination winners Gentleman's Club and Melillo will leave from posts, one and two, respectively. Gentleman's Club won his elimination in 1:48 3/5 for driver Andy McCarthy and trainer Aaron Lambert. Melillo captured his elim in 1:49 3/5 with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the sulky for trainer Burke. Brandon Blvd, the sport's No. 2-ranked horse behind Super Chapter, will start from post four with Dunn driving for Andrew Harris.

The Breeders Crown draw party was sponsored by Kountry Lane Standardbreds, Louprint, Right at Home and Standing Stallions.

Scioto Downs will host the four Breeders Crown championships for 2-year-olds on Friday (Oct. 23) with the remaining eight finals to follow on Saturday. First-race post time both nights is 6 p.m. (EDT). Friday night's action will be aired on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) from 8-11 p.m. (EDT) and Saturday's on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) 7-10:30 p.m.

For more information about the Breeders Crown, visit the Hambletonian Society and Eldorado Scioto Downs websites.

Following are the fields for the Breeders Crown Open Trot, Open Pace, 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot, and 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace in post-position order:

$600,000 Breeders Crown Open Trot

Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer

1. French Wine - Jason Bartlett - Nancy Takter

2. Gimpanzee Dancer - David Miller - Christopher Beaver

3. Lexus Kody - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke

4. Emoticon Legacy - Bob McClure - Luc Blais

5. Antognoni S - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke

6. Go Dog Go - Scott Zeron - Carter Pinske

7. On To Norway - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke

8. Super Chapter - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander

9. Up Your Deo - Åke Svanstedt - Åke Svanstedt

$662,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace

Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer

1. Women Layer - Yannick Gingras - Virgil Morgan Jr.

2. Best Chip - Jason Bartlett - Joe Bongiorno

3. Dandy Ideal - Tim Tetrick - Brett Pelling

4. Calicojack Hanover - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke

5. Prince Hal Hanover - Todd McCarthy - Ian Moore

6. Ken Hanover - David Miller - Roland Mallar

7. Admiral Hill - Andrew McCarthy - Petter Engblom

8. Surreal Ideal - Dexter Dunn - Vernon Beachy

9. Ervin Hanover - Dexter Dunn - David Menary

$664,500 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot

Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer

1. American Power - Yannick Gingras - Marcus Melander

2. Big Ranger - Tim Tetrick - Anette Lorentzon

3. Diabolic Hill - Todd McCarthy - Annie Stoebe

4. Inexpressable - Scott Zeron - Lucas Wallin

5. Nix Nacken - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander

6. Apex - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander

7. Strobe Lite - Louis Roy - Benoit Baillargeon

8. Read The Room - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt

9. Captain Jordan - Chris Page - Scott DiDomenico

$664,500 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace

Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer

1. Gentleman's Club - Andrew McCarthy - Aaron Lambert

2. Melillo - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke

3. Funky Buddha - Tim Tetrick - Tony Dinges

4. Brandon Blvd - Dexter Dunn - Andrew Harris

5. Al Papi - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke

6. Sweet Lovin Lou - Scott Zeron - Daniel Lagace

7. Odds On Mr Mamba - Peter Wrenn - Melanie Wrenn

8. Fragment - Jason Bartlett - Petter Engblom

9. Cooperstown Boy - Doug McNair - Jared Bako