Meadowlands: Andy McCarthy with plenty of power in Breeders Crown elims

Driver Andy McCarthy enters this weekend's Breeders Crown eliminations with a powerful collection of horses as he looks to survive and advance to the rich finals at the Meadowlands in the following week. Just a few weeks ago, McCarthy captured two major stakes events at The Red Mile with Jujubee and Abuckabett Hanover, and those two highlight his assortment of talented trotters and pacers he'll guide on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.

Juveniles will be in action in multiple Breeders Crown eliminations on Friday, and McCarthy has the Mohawk Million third-place finisher Valentina Blu going from post four in one of two $25,000 eliminations for trotting fillies.

"She was terrific in the Mohawk Million," said McCarthy of the Chapter Seven-sired miss. "She got sick in Kentucky, but I'm sure Tony [Alagna] will have her ready."

Valentina Blu has finished on the board in seven of her eight career starts, primarily in the New York Sire Stakes where she finished second in the championship final on September 10 at Yonkers.

"I had to make a decision there whether to go outside and follow or duck inside. If I went to the outside, I didn't want to have to go three-deep," said McCarthy of the strategy that favored race-winner Joviality S.

Valentina Blu need only finish in the top five to qualify in the sixth race Crown elimination, with the aforementioned Joviality S (post three) starting directly to her inside, while the streaking Raised By Lindy (post six) could be the betting favorite.

McCarthy comes back with Slay in the $25,000 Crown elimination for colt and gelding trotters (race eight), and the full brother to Ahundreddollarbill needs to finish in the top three to advance to the final.

"I really like this colt," said McCarthy of Slay, one of three in the field he was named to drive, and his choice. "I probably overdrove him in his last race at The Red Mile."

A winner in 1:52 4/5 during the first week of Grand Circuit racing at The Red Mile, Slay finished third after cutting the pace in his last outing.

"I made two moves with him early, and it was just his fourth start," McCarthy said in hindsight, giving the Tony Alagna-trained colt a pass for the defeat.

Slay faces a field of eight that includes the Mohawk Million runner-up Duly Resolved (post three), who most recently was second in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Super Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park on October 16.

McCarthy has stuck with Atlas Hanover (post one), a 2-year-old pacing colt entered in the evening's 11th race, one of three $25,000 divisions of the Breeders Crown eliminations for this class. Though winless in 11 starts this season, the son of Captaintreacherous may be headed in the right direction.

"I thought his last start was better," McCarthy said.

Atlas Hanover needs a top-three finish to guarantee placement in the final and faces some solid prospects from around the country, including Kentucky Championship Series champion Pebble Beach (post three) and Ohio Sires Stakes champion Gulf Shores (post four), as well as the fleet Indiana Sires Stakes winner Fulfullnmydestiny (post seven).

Queen Of Success needs just a top-eight finish to advance to the Crown final for juvenile pacing fillies, and the Tony Alagna trainee has McCarthy in the bike in the final of 12 races on Friday night.

"She was no good in Canada," said McCarthy, "But she bounced back nicely with a good second at The Red Mile."

Queen Of Success drew post six in a stacked single elimination that includes two unbeaten freshmen in Sea Silk (post two), the Ohio Sires Stakes champion, and Niki Hill (post seven), the She's A Great Lady winner.

Saturday's Meadowlands card will focus on 3-year-olds, as well as Open divisions, with 10 eliminations for the Breeders Crown, and McCarthy is confident that Abuckabett Hanover is poised for a big effort.

"He's gotten his groove back," said McCarthy of the Betting Line-sired colt that most recently captured the $500,000 Tattersalls Pace at The Red Mile on October 10.

"He had so much bad luck early," said McCarthy. "I got to racing him from off-the-pace to get his confidence back, but you can do anything with him."

Abuckabett Hanover starts from post seven in a field that includes divisional earnings leader Perfect Sting (post one). A winner seven times in 15 tries this year, Abuckabett Hanover would be guaranteed a draw within the top five for the final should he win the $25,000 elimination (race six) on Saturday afternoon.

McCarthy is ecstatic about the prospects of the Kentucky Futurity champion Jujubee. The son of Creatine was supplemented to the 3-year-old colts and geldings Crown division and landed the pole position in one of two $25,000 elimination races (race seven).

"I haven't found the bottom to him yet," said McCarthy, who first drove the Greg Wright Jr. trainee to victory in the $253,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship on September 4 at Pocono.

Jujubee faces a solid field that includes Yonkers Trot winner Johan Palema (post two), as well as the one-two finishers in the Kentucky Championship Series final, Dancinginthedark M (post three) and Cuatro De Julio (post five).

As for drawing the pole position, McCarthy seemed fine with the draw.

"In an elimination it will be fine. I'm not sure I would want it for the final," said McCarthy.

Wright is also feeling good about Jujubee.

"He came out of the Kentucky Futurity good and trained even better [Tuesday]. We got in a tough division, but I'm pretty confident," said the trainer.

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Last year, Ramona Hill captured the Hambletonian. This year, the 4-year-old Muscle Hill-sired mare has raced just four times. Nevertheless, trainer Tony Alagna named her to race against Open Mares in a $25,000 single elimination on Saturday (race 8).

"She got a little rough on me on the final turn, and I kind of eased her off," said McCarthy of the seventh-place finish by Ramona Hill in the Allerage at The Red Mile on October 10. "She was a bit tired at the end, but she needed the race."

McCarthy remained confident that not only could Ramona Hill reach the final in this division but be set for a big effort in the final.

Ramona Hill drew post nine in a field that includes another Hambletonian champion in Atlanta (post one), as well as two Hambletonian Oaks winners in When Dovescry (post six) and Sorella (post 10).

Earlier this season, Ruthless Hanover seemed on a mission to be one of the top aged pacing performers in North America. The 4-year-old altered son of Somebeachsomewhere hit a speedbump in the Graduate final at the Meadowlands and has slowly worked his way back into form just in time for the Breeders Crown. Ruthless Hanover (post nine) needs a top seven finish to qualify for the Breeders Crown Open final.

"He raced great in Kentucky," said McCarthy. "I didn't give him the best of trips getting used in that 25-and-change first quarter and then coming first-up."

Regardless of the trip, Ruthless Hanover persevered in the stretch and was a solid fourth, pacing his mile in 1:47 3/5.

The strong field in Saturday's 12th race includes Nicholas Beach (post one), Cattlewash (post five), Warrawee Vital (post seven), and the iron-tough This Is The Plan (post eight).

The Breeders Crown eliminations on Friday at the Meadowlands have a 6:20 P.M. first post, and Saturday's Breeders Crown program commences at 12 noon.