Harness: Giwner's Breeders Crown notebook

The 2023 Breeders Crown is now in our rearview mirror, and it was really a top-notch event from top to bottom. The weather was good for 90% of the 30 races during the weekend, the dining room was packed, the apron was filled with people and it was near-impossible to find someone having a bad time.

At this point the results are part of public record and there is no need to rehash what happened. That said, I had a number of conversations with winning connections and others which seem worth sharing along with additional thoughts.

One of the hot topics at the end of the weekend was year-end honors for 2-year-old colt trotters between T C I and Karl. The former has the superior statistical record but the latter was oh so dominating winning the Breeders Crown by three lengths over his rival (who rumor has it bled during the mile).

When asked in the moment, Karl's trainer Nancy Takter had the following to say about the possibility of winning the Dan Patch award: "That is for the voters to decide, but I think my horse is the better horse."

There-in lies the problem. I too "think" Karl is the better horse, but that doesn't make up a $500,000-plus deficit in earnings, as well as owning just two Grand Circuit wins versus four for T C I. Perhaps that is why Karl is in-to-go Saturday at the Meadowlands in the Kindergarten final, and, according to Takter, there is a good chance he'll go in the Valley Victory at the Meadowlands on November 25.

Back to the Breeders Crown effort by Karl for a minute. You have to give credit to Takter for making changes to get him as good as can be for that race.

"My dad taught me you have to go with your gut feeling and if you aren't 100% happy you have to keep trying until you get there," said Takter.

T C I is trained by Ron Burke and despite the second-place finish, he had a spectacular weekend. The all-time earnings and wins leader among trainers finished first through third in the 2-year-old filly pace Breeders Crown, second in the Open Mares division, third in the 3-year-old filly trot, second in the Open Trot, first and second in the Open Pace, and won a few overnights along the way.

The Open Pace win got Burke to the 1,000 win mark for the fifth time in his career, and he's on pace to eclipse his record 1,093 victories set in 2014. If the 54-year-old conditioner continues at his current 100-wins-a-month tempo, he'll crush the record with nearly 1,200 wins in 2023.

"I knew I had a great barn and a bunch of great horses," said Burke, who added that breaking the record again in the future wasn't out of the question. "We just have to get more [horses]."

Despite the record-breaking season, Burke, who won Trainer of the Year honors in 2011, 2013 and 2018, understands the reality of 2023. "It has been a great year. The problem is God damn Ake," said Burke with a chuckle. "No matter how good I do he's doing as good or better."

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Svanstedt is winning at a 27% rate this year and just became one of only six trainers in history to see their barn eclipse the $9 million barrier in earnings. With a strong November to close out stakes season, Svanstedt could join the elite club of Burke, his dad Mickey and Jimmy Takter as earners of $10 million in one year.

Getting back to Bythemissal for a moment, Burke placed the newly-minted double millionaire in elite company when discussing the 4-year-old. "He's a gelding. He'll be back for the next six years. This is Foiled Again," said Burke, who will start Bythemissal next in the FanDuel championship at the Meadowlands on November 25. "He's a great horse. The Levy [Borgata] is probably in the cards someday. Maybe not yet but it is coming."

Speaking of the FanDuel finals, let the "will they or won't they?" discussions begin on 3-year-olds potentially tackling older horses. Right now there seems to be one definite invitation acceptor.

"I think we've talked about giving him a shot in the [FanDuel] against older horses to see what he can really do," said trainer Nancy Takter about Hambletonian and Breeders Crown winner Tactical Approach. When pressed whether there was a "big chance" it could happen she responded "yes."

Unfortunately that could be the last time we see Tactical Approach depending on the decisions made by his ownership group.

"I'm sure there will be deals on the table really quickly for him. It will be up to the ownership group to decide that." said Takter on whether Tactical Approach will return to race as a 4-year-old. "There is no reason why he couldn't race next year, but money talks."

One horse we certainly won't see in 2024 is Confederate, but the son of Sweet Lou isn't done racing yet. According to owner Adam Bowden supplementing to the Matron at Dover Downs on November 9 is a strong possibility and racing in the FanDuel against older horses is a possibility as well.

"You'll see him at least one more time and maybe twice," said Bowden, who addressed the decision not to simply retire the 3-year-old after his brilliant Breeders Crown victory. "It is more of a sportsman thing to attempt the [FanDuel]; showcase him a little bit. He's a cool horse that has done some special things, and I think showing him off a couple more times isn't a bad thing. I don't think it enhances his value but it is good for the sport.

"You can make the case that besides Somebeachsomewhere he is the best 3-year-old horse in the last 40 years," said an admittedly biased Bowden. "I know where I stand, but there will be lots of debate online - Facebook, Twitter, Horseplop or wherever."

There is no denying Confederate will be a popular commodity in the breeding shed starting in 2024, and it has been 15 years in the making for his Diamond Creek Farm to finally land a homebred stallion.

"It will be our first big-time home-bred stallion. He's going to stand in Pennsylvania and we'll make announcements soon on price. We'll syndicate him and sell shares to some of the best breeders in the sport hopefully," said Bowden, who discussed the colt's credentials. "He has no flaws. He is the right type of horse; great color; he looks the part; great conformation. Pedigree-wise he crosses with so many of the top lines right now; all the Somebeach lines cross with him. Basically he can't breed Sweet Lou mares."

Trainer Ake Svanstedt would have an embarrassment of riches in the older trotting mare division should Jiggy Jog, Bond and Special Way all return. Co-owner Jeff Gural, a proponent of racing horses past age 3, was obviously in favor of seeing his Bond return but admitted he is not the only one making the decisions. Special Way's co-owner Al Libfeld hinted that Special Way may be headed for the breeding shed but that a final decision was still pending.

A filly we hope and expect to see in 2024 is now two-time Breeders Crown winner Sylvia Hanover. The 3-year-old pacing filly teased her owners, trainer, driver and bettors as usual, coming up to the leader, backing off and finally getting her neck up on the line.

"She's one of a kind. Horses don't do what she does; go, stop and take that much air. She is just built of different stuff," said Shawn Steacy, who trains the horse with his dad Mark.

Whether the Breeders Crown is it for the year remains a mystery but Steacy was clearly leaning in a direction: "No decisions have been finalized but it is highly likely that will be it for the year. She has nothing left to prove. By stopping now it should only make her stronger for next year and we'd like to be a major player then too.

"A mare of her size and stature, there is no reason she can't play with the Open mares next year."

While it is always fun to look ahead to the future, there are still a few more weeks of stakes racing remaining on the calendar that will decide divisional honors. There is, of course, the aforementioned T C I vs. Karl battle, whether My Girl EJ can overtake Geocentric with a Three Diamonds win on Nov. 25 at the Meadowlands and the Bythemissal/Tattoo Artist saga has yet to completely unfold.

It is hard to believe we are just four weeks away from deciding the best horses of 2023 and a mere six months from anticipating next year's top stakes races. Horses are fast but time really flies!

Other Breeders Crown news

There was plenty of chatter about where the Breeders Crown may land in 2024 and beyond. Whether the Meadowlands takes those championship races in 2024 will depend on the yearly squabble over the fall racing dates at the track. The Thoroughbred folks from Monmouth have, as usual, put in for those dates, but as we've seen over the last 10 years, that happens often and they stick with turf-only racing over a more condensed schedule.

If for some reason the Meadowlands can't host, it will be interesting to see where the Breeders Crown lands next year. Mohawk would seem to be in line for its usual every-third-year slot in 2025 with possibly Ohio getting the championship event in 2026. Stay tuned!