Breeders Crown: Woodside Charm brilliant again in capturing 2-Year-Old Filly Trot final

Woodside Charm set all the fractions and kept right on going in the lane, improving her record to seven wins from seven starts and taking the $600,000 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trot on Saturday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Driven by her trainer and owner Verlin Yoder, Woodside Charm shot to the point from post two and led through opening-half fractions of 27 4/5 and 57 1/5. When Dovescry (Simon Allard), who won last week's other elimination and started from the pole position, settled into the pocket. Yoder and Woodside Charm got some separation on When Dovescry up the backstretch and to the 1:25 2/5 three-quarters, but then on the far turn When Dovescry caught back up and was angled to the outside to try to challenge.

Yoder drove his filly confidently, though, and she responded to When Dovescry's outside move by opening back up and hitting the wire about two lengths to the good. When Dovescry was the runner-up and Cloud Nine Fashion (Tim Tetrick) was third off a three-hole journey behind the top two finishers. Special Honor (Andy Miller) and Whispering Oaks (Brian Sears) completed the top five finishers.

"You can't put it into words. It probably won't sink in for a couple of weeks, but it's pretty awesome," Yoder remarked about his first Breeders Crown triumph. "The top turn is a little slippery tonight. I knew I had to get it when I got out of there, and she responded like a good horse is supposed to.

"We're going to Florida, unthaw, and see what next year brings."

A daughter of Chapter Seven, Woodside Charm has earned $521,658 to go with her perfect seven-for-seven mark. Woodside Charm, out of the Muscles Yankee mare Fireworks Hanover (1:55 2/5, $15,525) and bred by Av And Son Bloodstock LLC., is a half-sister to Explosive Matter (Cantab Hall, 1:52 3/5, $1,510,542). She returned $2.20 to win as the 1-9 favorite.

"I figured I’d move a little early and come to her bridle; maybe she never had someone coming to her bridle," said Simon Allard about his strategy with When Dovescry. "And, yeah, I had no shot. The only way we could beat that filly is if she was very sick or something. That filly is a world champion. Just following her is like following a Lamborghini. I had something maybe not as fast. But we’re proud of our filly. She is nice. But (Woodside Charm) is tough. Wow, she can fly.

"(Yoder) does a great job with her. It’s going to be a tough year even next year racing against her because it doesn’t look like she’s all the way out yet."