Meadowlands: Best In Show brings down the curtain in Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace

Best In Show, a fashionably-bred son of Bettor's Delight, out of double millionaire Put On A Show, got a Hall of Fame drive from Brian Sears for newly-minted Hall of Fame trainer Linda Toscano to post a 27-1 upset in the $682,650 final of the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace for sophomore pacing males on Saturday night at The Big M. The final time for the mile was 1:48 flat.

Leaving from post seven, Best In Show was part of the early speed mix, getting the lead going to the 26 2/5 opening quarter before giving way to Workin Ona Mystery (Tim Tetrick). North America Cup champion, elimination winner, and favorite Captain Crunch (Scott Zeron) was also two-wide at that point, and he would secure the lead in the backstretch, leaving the other elimination winner Bettor's Wish (Dexter Dunn) first-over going to the half in a sharp 52 4/5.

Captain Crunch and Bettor's Wish continued to throw it down to the 1:19 3/5 three-quarters and into the lane, with Workin Ona Mystery tipping out three-wide and Sears sliding to an open space on the pylons. Inside the final sixteenth it looked like Bettor's Wish might overcome the impossible trip to win, but Best In Show poured through that gap and got up to score by a head. Bettor's Wish was a too-good-to-lose second, with Workin Ona Mystery third. Captain Crunch faded to fourth in the last eighth, and Escapetothebeach (Corey Callahan) finished well for fifth.

"He was really good in the elimination (a gaining second to Bettor's Wish). I was really happy with him, and I just want to say I'm really happy to win this race for Linda and Brad (McNinch). It's a great feeling, and I couldn't be happier for them," said Sears, who won his third Meadowlands Pace. "I knew they were racing pretty good, and it was all the horses to beat that were going at it. I was pretty content thinking I could get a good piece. I wanted to try and sneak him around there a little bit. I got a little opening, and he fired for me. It all worked out.

"He did a hell of a job tonight, and I'm really proud of him."

Richard Young, Joanne Young, and Craig Henderson bred Best In Show, with the Youngs retaining ownership. This was Best In Show's fourth career victory, and he has now earned $480,312. He returned $56.20 to win.

"We knew he was a nice colt last year, and he got a little colt sore on us. We shut him down, brought him back, and he's done everything right," remarked Toscano. "You give him every chance you can, that's for sure. A colt like him showed a lot of talent. I want to thank Bob McClure for doing a great job up in Canada bringing him along. Timmy qualified him here. It was really good, and then Brian just was the whipped cream on the cake tonight."

It's certainly been a last few days to remember for Toscano, with this win in the Meadowlands' signature event joining her Hall of Fame induction on July 7.

"This is another one I never dreamed. This is home for me," she beamed. "This is awesome."

While Toscano didn't announce what race Best In Show would be in next, the options are open.

"He's eligible to everything. We'll decide when we see how he comes out of it," she finished.