Breeders Crown: Todd McCarthy with rookie standouts among his Scioto drives

Since his arrival in North America in 2020, driver Todd McCarthy has enjoyed tremendous success on the biggest stages, with the highlight likely being the dramatic upset victory by Cool Papa Bell in the 2022 Hambletonian. McCarthy hopes to repeat some of that magic this weekend in the Breeders Crown for similar connections with the promising 2-year-old trotting colt Wrong Sounds Right. Owner-breeder Runthetable Stables and trainer Jim Campbell were behind Cool Papa Bell, and they will be cheering on McCarthy on Friday night in the $700,000 Breeders Crown event at Scioto Downs.

Wrong Sounds Right enters the Breeders Crown as the logical favorite in the field of nine despite landing post six, a reward of such for capturing one of two elimination races this past Friday (October 16).

"I think post six will be fine for him," said McCarthy, quite confident that the homebred son of Tactical Landing can navigate the field.

With six wins in eight starts this year, including the Grade 1 Mohawk Million, Wrong Sounds Right has established himself as the division leader heading into Friday's contest.

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McCarthy guided Wrong Sounds Right to a 1:53 1/5 victory when setting his own pace and finishing strongly in the elimination race. It was the first start on a five-eighths-mile track, but McCarthy wasn't concerned whether his horse could handle the tighter turns.

"I was pretty confident going in," said McCarthy. "He got over the 'egg-shaped' turns at Mohawk, so I thought he would be fine and he was."

In Wrong Sounds Right, McCarthy felt from the first time he sat behind the colt that there was plenty of talent, but he took a cautious approach.

"Sure, I liked him a lot when I first sat behind him. You just hope that they continue to improve along the way and he definitely has," McCarthy said.

Friday's rich final (Race 10) puts Wrong Sounds Right outside of the last horse to defeat him in Lifetime Dreamer (post five), a gelded son of Ecurie D from the Ake Svanstedt stable. Lifetime Dreamer scored in a world record 1:51 1/5 mile in the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship at the Meadowlands on Hambletonian Day, getting the jump on Wrong Sounds Right from the pocket. Lifetime Dreamer was an easy winner, going in 1:52 4/5 in his elimination.

"It's a solid field," said McCarthy with respect for the competition. "From post six I'll have plenty of options."

Starting outside of Wrong Sounds Right will be Mohawk Million runner-up Access Now (post seven), a gelded son of Walner from the Luc Blais stable. Access Now made what looked like a costly break in his elimination race but rallied from far back to finish fifth and find the final spot in Friday's final.

McCarthy captured the Breeders Crown in 2022 behind the 3-year-old Pebble Beach for trainer Noel Daley, and the driver-trainer combo could have a horse even better in Friday's $700,000 2-year-old championship event in Starstruck Dreamer. The Captaintreacherous-sired colt evened the score with rival Shalom Hanover with a stunning first-over victory in one of two $25,000 trials a week ago. Raced from off-the-pace, Starstruck Dreamer rallied in the stretch for his sixth win in seven starts.

"He'd missed some time, and I wasn't looking to rush him out of there," said McCarthy, describing his racing strategy for the elimination. "They were going at good clip early, so I thought I was in good shape when I pulled him. Louie's (Roy) horse (Shalom Hanover) had also missed time, and he wasn't going that much in the third quarter."

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In the final quarter sprint, Starstruck Dreamer paced home in 26 3/5 for the victory.

Starstruck Dreamer drew post four in Friday's final, Race 11 and the last of four $700,000 events for 2-year-olds on the program. Shalom Hanover landed post five and the other elimination winner Blazin Lou drew post one. Eastie Boy (post six) finished second in his first start following a victory in the Grade 1 Metro Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park for trainer Ron Burke. Eastie Boy had previously finished third in the rich Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship event behind Shalom Hanover and Starstruck Dreamer.

"I spoke to Noel (Daley) and he was very happy with the way Starstruck Dreamer came out of the race, so I'm looking forward to the final," said McCarthy, who believes that his charge will be even that much better in the final.

As impressive as Starstruck Dreamer was in his return, Blazin Lou showed more sprinting power in the final quarter, rocketing home in 25 3/5 for driver Dexter Dunn in his elimination score. Eastie Boy and driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. appeared to have the pace to their liking, waltzing to three quarters in 1:24 4/5, but Dunn and Blazin Lou made a first-over challenge coming out of fourth on the backstretch and had more than enough pace to win in dominant fashion. A son of Sweet Lou, Blazin Lou has five wins in 11 starts this year for trainer Tony Dinges and enters Friday's final on a three-race stakes winning streak.

McCarthy's Saturday night card will put him front and center in a few of the eight Breeders Crown finals, with two of his better chances coming towards the end of the program. Diabolic Hill (post three, Race 8) looks to improve on his second-place finish in the 2025 Breeders Crown final for juveniles at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

"He's had some bumps in the road," said McCarthy, "But I think Annie (Stoebe) has done a great job bringing him into this race."

That was clearly in evidence in last week's elimination as Diabolic Hill roared past Apex, this year's Hambletonian winner, and on to a 1:51 3/5 score with a snappy 27 flat final quarter.

"He felt good the entire mile," said McCarthy of the Muscle Hill-sired colt that has hit the board in eight of his 10 trips as a sophomore and comes into the final on a two-race winning streak.

Diabolic Hill's upswing in form could be perfectly timed in a division that has seen highs and lows but many division leaders. Big Ranger (post two) bounced back nicely from a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Futurity with a dominating performance in his 1:51 1/5 elimination win on October 17. The Ohio-bred son of In Range has the inside track of the contenders for driver Tim Tetrick. Inexpressable, the Yonkers Trot winner, drew post four for trainer Lucas Wallin and looks to bounce back from a third-place finish in his elimination. Already adept over the five-eighths oval with his victory in the Grade 2 Beal at Pocono this summer, Inexpressable will be driven by Scott Zeron.

Nix Nacken chased Big Ranger in second through last week's trial, following a pair of Grade 1 victories for trainer Marcus Melander. The gelded son of Muscle Hill drew post five as one of three horses in the race from his stable. Apex (post six) has only won once in five tries since the Hambletonian and tries to right the ship with Dexter Dunn in the bike. The colt adds Lasix for the race. American Power (post one) has hit the board in 10 of his 13 starts this year.

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"He'll just do everything you ask of him," said McCarthy describing Prince Hal Hanover, his mount in the $662,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace, the last of the eight Crown races on the program (Race 10). "They're going to retire him at the end of the year to stud, and I'm looking forward in the future to drive some of his offspring."

The stallion barn is still in the future, with Prince Hal Hanover hoping to secure a Breeders Crown win first.

In last week's elimination race Prince Hal Hanover was used hard in the early stages and then had to come first-over against Ervin Hanover. In mid-stretch, Dandy Ideal was surging past him and Prince Hal Hanover just kept fighting right to the wire, losing by a neck. Multiple moves have been a major part of the 4-year-old son of Captaintreacherous' career, and that could help on Saturday where he'll need to deal with some fast rivals to his inside.

Elimination winners Women Layer (post one) and Dandy Ideal (post three) sandwich supplemental entry Best Chip (post two) in the field of nine. Ervin Hanover, the defending champion in this division, landed post nine following his third-place finish in an elimination.

McCarthy piloted last year's sophomore Breeders Crown trotting champion Yo Tillie to victory but finds himself in a longshot position from post 10 in Saturday's $400,000 Open Mares Trot (race four). He'll also be on the outside looking in behind Topville Lucky (post nine) in the $664,500 Breeders Crown sophomore filly pace (race five).

"I think with both of those we're going to hope for a hot pace to close off of," said McCarthy recognizing the challenges.

Both Scioto programs this weekend start at 6:00 P.M. (EDT) and offer 14 races.