Nothing good lasts forever. The expression rings true so very often in the Standardbred sport and looking back on this year's Breeders Crown that was, and the one that wasn't, directly reflects on the greatness that shines so briefly and then no longer does. The appreciation of great horses is what keeps this sport alive, and it's always the Breeders Crown that puts a spotlight on the stars of today and tomorrow. This year's edition was a mixed bag, with some enjoying the spotlight deservedly for the first time and others moving off into the sunset. The announcements that have followed the Woodbine Mohawk Park 2025 spectacle have been quick and in someways painful to see. The sophomore sensation Louprint's retirement from racing could not have been something that appeared anywhere near possible following his brilliant performance in the Tattersalls at The Red Mile during its Grand Circuit meet. A Breeders Crown champion as a 2-year-old, Louprint's signature victory this year came in the North America Cup, and both displayed his incredible speed, as well as a will to win. It's that specific attribute that is so rare in this sport throughout history. There have been fast horses, there have been brave ones as well, but Louprint had the blueprint for being the unique blend of both and thus was a near-perfect racehorse. While injuries are a part of this sport, it's when they show up that really matters. During Louprint's sophomore season they managed to show up too often, and obviously not matching a significant part of the stakes season. As with so many of our equine athletes, even when they are not at their best physically, they tend to overcome much of that when put into competition, and that certainly is reflected by Louprint's gutty miles while not at his best in seeking a second Breeders Crown victory. To prognosticate what Louprint will accomplish as a stallion in Ohio starting in 2026 is near impossible. While his sire Sweet Lou continues to add to his imposing resume in the breeding shed, he was not in fact an instant success and took some time to gain his claim as the sport's leading pacing sire. Louprint brings an updated pedigree to that stallion line with the hope that the Buckeye State broadens its impact on North American racing in the not-to-distant future. The good news announced on Tuesday (November 4) had nothing to do with Election Day in the U.S. but from the camp that's responsible for last year's Horse of the Year Twin B Joe Fresh. Absent at the last minute for what appeared to be another Breeders Crown title, Twin B Joe Fresh was scratched, and her racing future appeared in doubt. Trainer Chris Ryder was concerned at the time but is now far more optimistic. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter "She had screws put in a cannon bone yesterday," Ryder said on Wednesday. "She's going to have three months out and then we'll bring her back in." The prognosis is excellent for a full recovery and Ryder, ever cautious, suggested that if she doesn't come back, it will be fine with him and the other owners of Twin B Joe Fresh. Twin B Joe Fresh's longevity in this day and age is more than rare, and it's refreshing that Ryder has confidence that this injury will not impact a future racing career, which is rather amazing to hear. Great athletes in all sports must deal with injuries, but racehorses must return to competition at the highest level and face rivals head-on and not in team competition. They are alone upon return to the track and must battle without the collective help of others. Champions tend to shake off injury and rally back. Here's hoping that Twin B Joe Fresh does return to her former self in 2026. Sylvia Hanover, Twin B Joe Fresh's archrival, won't be in the cast to face her foe next year as her retirement was announced this past week. The gritty daughter of Always B Miki had gone from dominant in her first two years of racing to more inconsistent in her third. A revival of sorts this year and some major victories hinted at a new battle of great mares. As has been the case all too often, those battles were limited, with each mare needing time to get back into top condition. A final battle this year in the Breeders Crown didn't take place and more than likely if it had would not have met the epic levels the two had been on during previous form cycles. Sylvia Hanover's career must be separated from Twin B Joe Fresh to be truly appreciated, and while she was very often difficult to handle within a race, her speed and determination more than made up for that. Hopefully Sylvia Hanover's foals will inherit her great qualities. As a closing note to this year's Breeders Crown, the surprise win by Meshuggah in the sophomore colt and gelding trot was something that may have been hard to predict (if you look at the odds board), while at the same time something that could have been expected. If there is one division in the sport that year-in-year-out plays this way, it is this one. The enormous pressure to prepare horses to be perfect for the first weekend in August must be factored in when asking sophomores to be just as good in late October. There are only so many big miles in these horses and inevitably there is a cost to pay. In this year's Breeders Crown, the heavy hitters had to pay the price for the vigorous efforts that came before. Emoticon Legacy was as brilliant as a horse could be in winning the Kentucky Futurity. He'd been battle-tested before and after this year's Hambletonian. That his form would not last through the Breeders Crown may have been inevitable. Super Chapter, as great as he'd been for a very long time this year, had the lead in the stretch after putting away Emoticon Legacy and perhaps would have won under those circumstances earlier in the year. The Woodbine Mohawk Park 2025 Breeders Crown edition was a monumental success, with all parts of the production coming together and the 12 races offering something for everyone. While a host of Breeders Crown speed records were set during the two-day extravaganza, here's hoping that the hard surface necessary to achieve those fast times, like at most tracks not named The Red Mile, don't come at a price for any of our sport's other stars.