Monte Miki, Six Feet Apart, and Pebble Beach picked up hard-fought victories in the three $25,000 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace eliminations on Friday night at the Meadowlands. Metro Pace champion Monte Miki (Scott Zeron) brushed from third to first after the 27 second quarter in the opening elimination, and he continued to show the way to a 55 3/5 half. On the final bend, Hammering Hank (Dexter Dunn) sailed up to Monte Miki after going first-over from fourth, but Monte Miki countered at the inside and was able to fend him off to the 1:24 1/5 three-quarters. The sprint was on through the lane, and Monte Miki wouldn't let Hammering Hank go by, keeping him at bay for a half-length decision in 1:50 4/5. Gentle Giant (David Miller) came in third. "He's a gorgeous horse, beautiful stature. If anything, he's just a little immature. Mark [trainer Mark Evers] did a great job changing his bridle up today to a Kant See Back from the closed. That was the issue I had last week coming first-up. I cleared by the leader, and he just waited that little bit. Coming a 26 second quarter at Lexington, I couldn't have him stall like that," remarked Zeron. "Today, when I was on front with the Kant See Back, the second he saw somebody, he fought tough. "In the Metro, things worked out really well. He's on top of his game. To come and do this tonight, he really showed me he is a good horse." Evers trains Monte Miki, an Always B Miki colt, for owner-breeder Velocity Standardbreds. The first foal out of the Camluck mare Montenegro (1:50 2/5, $699,699), he has five wins and a third from six starts, has now earned $365,276, and returned $11.80 to win after being sent off at 9-2. Beach Glass (Paul MacDonell) was the talk of the toteboard in the second elimination, and the 1-5 favorite took command from Birthday (Dunn) coming to the 54 4/5 half. Beach Glass remained the boss at the 1:22 3/5 three-quarters and into the stretch, but Six Feet Apart (D. Miller), who went first-over from fourth beyond the half, had moved into second and was looming turning for home. In the stretch Beach Glass accelerated and looked like he might have the race won, but Six Feet Apart stayed game to the outside and came with one final push late that carried him by Beach Glass and on to an 11-1 upset in 1:50 2/5. Beach Glass had to settle for second, and I Did It Myway (Todd McCarthy) closed from seventh to third in the last quarter. True Blue Lindy (Tim Tetrick) also moved on to the final as he was the fourth-place finisher that had the highest earnings. "He's the type of horse that just goes what he has to. He can go a bit more, I believe. I was real happy with his effort. I thought maybe Timmy might come right there at the half, so now he's first-over," said Miller. "I didn't know how he would hold up, but halfway through the stretch, he kept coming. He's that type of horse." A Sweet Lou colt bred by S R F Stable and grabbed for $21,000 at the 2020 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Six Feet Apart is trained by Brian Brown for owners Michael Robinson, Robert Mondillo, David Meola, and Rich Lombardo Racing LLC. He has compiled a record of 5-1-1 from eight trips behind the gate, pushed his bankroll to $93,225, and paid $25.20 to win. Six Feet Apart is the second foal out of the unraced American Ideal mare Ideal Love, a half-sister to the Rocknroll Hanover mare Beautiful Lady (1:50 1/5, $328,390). ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter The last elimination saw Loukes Perry (Joe Bongiorno) lead early, but he would be overtaken by Gulf Shores (D. Miller) after the 27 2/5 quarter, and then Gulf Shores yielded to Early Action (Brian Sears). Early Action would go on to hit the half in 55 3/5 and the three-quarters in 1:24, easily handling a first-over try from Fulfullnmydestiny (James Yoder). Lurking second-over was Pebble Beach (T. McCarthy), and McCarthy went three-deep with him just past three-quarters. It was a thrilling stretch battle between Early Action, Gulf Shores, and Pebble Beach, and in the end it was Pebble Beach getting the nod by a nose over Gulf Shores in 1:51 3/5. Early Action was just a head back in third. "I think at this stage, that seems to be his go. I've had him on the front a couple of times, and he has won there, but he can be a bit cheeky late. When he's got a target, he loves chasing one down," offered McCarthy. "I got away a little further back than what I would have liked, but I trust his speed. I just thought as long as we didn't run into any bad luck, I knew he'd be getting home pretty good. "He was terrific. I might have cleared a little too early with him, and he started looking around. He was waiting for a battle. He dug deep on the wire, and he did what he had to do. Very pleased going into next week with him." Pebble Beach, a colt from the first crop of Downbytheseaside, is trained by Noel Daley for owners Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Country Club Acres Inc., and La Express & Jaf Racing. Pebble Beach, who was bred by Brittany Farms and sold for $85,000 at the 2020 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, is now a seven-time winner from ten efforts, has now pocketed $296,450, and returned $4.20 to win. He is the first foal out of the Western Ideal mare Santa Rosa, a full sister to Vintage Master (1:48 1/5, $2,160,953) and a three-quarter sister to Great Vintage (1:49 1/5, $1,510,226). Here is how the field will line up for next Friday night's $600,000 final: 1-Gentle Giant 2-Monte Miki 3-Pebble Beach 4-Six Feet Apart 5-I Did It Myway 6-Gulf Shores 7-Beach Glass 8-Hammering Hank 9-True Blue Lindy 10-Early Action