Breeders Crown: Svanstedt sweeps exacta with Bond, Special Way in 3YO Filly Trot

Ake Svanstedt trainees Special Way and Bond went at it tooth-and-nail through the lengthy Harrah's Hoosier Park stretch in the $600,000 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Trot final on Saturday night, and when the dust settled, it was Bond getting the better of her stablemate in a track record 1:51 2/5 performance.

Rose Run Yolanda (Yannick Gingras) and Baroness Hill (Doug McNair) showed the most early speed, with Gingras putting the pedal to the metal with his charge to get McNair to relent. That he did, settling in third behind Bond and Svanstedt as the opening quarter was registered in 26 3/5.

Svanstedt moved Bond from the pocket to the point in the backstretch, but Special Way (Tim Tetrick) was out and rolling from fourth as well, and Svanstedt released her to the front beyond the 56 4/5 half. Railee Something (Dexter Dunn) was left first-over when Special Way took charge, and she would stall on the rim en route to the 1:24 three-quarters.

After Railee Something faded out of the picture, just the Svanstedt duo was left to decide it in the lane, with Bond on the outside and Special Way on the inside. Special Way, a Breeders Crown champion last year, dug in determinedly and was game, but Bond was able to surge by in the closing strides and prevailed by half a length. It was a long ways back to Railee Something and Rose Run Yolanda in fourth and fifth, and Heaven Hanover (Brian Sears) checked in fifth.

"Today she showed up with a very good fighting instinct. I never felt it in her earlier like she did today," Svanstedt offered. "The only way to beat Special Way was to let her go and go behind her until the stretch, but she really fought today."

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A daughter of Southwind Frank bred by Diamond Creek Farm and owned by Svanstedt, Little E LLC. and L Berg Inc., Bond has a summary of 15-3-1 from 21 career starts and has now earned $1,390,585. She paid $2.60 to win as the 1-5 favorite.

"It took me thirty years to win the first one a couple of years ago," said Jeff Gural of Little E LLC. "Ake and Sarah do a great job. I give them all the credit. This is a Southwind Frank; nobody is beating down your door to buy Southwind Franks. Special Way is a good filly, as we all know. I think we got the better trip once Ake manuevered to sit behind Special Way somehow.

"If it's up to me she will (race at four), but I have partners."

--Gural quote by Derick Giwner--