Meadowlands: Saturday Breeders Crown eliminations headlined by Twin B Joe Fresh

Harness racing’s No. 1-ranked horse, Twin B Joe Fresh, will start her pursuit of a Breeders Crown from post 10 when she competes in Saturday’s lone Mare Pace elimination at The Meadowlands. First-race post time Saturday is 6:20 p.m. (EDT).

Twin B Joe Fresh will be among the 98 horses ages 3 and up competing in elims Saturday. In addition to the single Mare Pace elimination, The Meadowlands will host two $25,000 elims each for 3-year-old male and female pacers, 3-year-old male and female trotters, and older male pacers. The Open Trot and Mare Trot went straight to finals.

All finals for horses ages 3 and up will be Oct. 26 at The Meadowlands, one night after the 2-year-olds take center stage. Elimination winners, in an order determined by lot, will draw for post positions one through six in their respective finals. All other finalists will be placed in an open draw for the remaining post positions.

The top-eight finishers in the Breeders Crown Mare Pace elimination will join bye recipients Silver Label and Strong Poison in the final. In Saturday’s remaining elims, the top-five finishers from each will advance to their respective finals.

Twin B Joe Fresh has won nine consecutive starts for trainer Chris Ryder since beginning her season with a second-place finish against male rivals in a conditioned race. Her victories include the Dayton Distaff Derby, Roses Are Red Stakes, Milton Stakes, Lady Liberty, Dorothy Haughton Memorial, and Perfect Sting Stakes. She has spent 14 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll.

Among the remaining mares in the elim is two-time Breeders Crown champion Sylvia Hanover from the stable of Mark and Shawn Steacy. She will leave from post four.

The eliminations for 3-year-old male pacers feature Little Brown Jug, Adios and Max C. Hempt Memorial winner Captain Albano, trained by Noel Daley and ranked No. 4 in the Top 10 poll, and North America Cup and Ontario Sire Stakes champion Nijinsky, trained by Anthony Beaton and ranked No. 6. The group also includes returning Breeders Crown champ Gem Quality, another Ryder trainee.

Captain Albano is in the first elimination, Nijinsky and Gem Quality in the second.

Hambletonian champion Karl, also a returning Breeders Crown winner, leads a group of 17 horses in the elims for 3-year-old male trotters. The Nancy Takter trainee is ranked No. 5 in the Top 10.

Among other hopefuls are Daley-trained Kentucky Futurity and Earl Beal Jr. Memorial winner Sig Sauer, Ake Svanstedt-trained Canadian Trotting Classic winner Amazing Catch, and Mark Etsell-trained Goodtimes winner Highland Kismet. Sig Sauer is ranked No. 8 in the Top 10.

Karl and Highland Kismet are in the second elimination, Sig Sauer and Amazing Catch in the first.

Returning Breeders Crown winner and Hambletonian Oaks champ Warrawee Michelle, trained by Svanstedt, is among the 20 horses in the elims for 3-year-old female trotters. The group features 12 Grand Circuit winners including Svanstedt-trained Elegantimage winner French Champagne, John Butenschoen-trained Kentucky Filly Futurity champ R Melina, and Lucas Wallin-trained 2023 Dan Patch Award recipient Soiree Hanover.

Warrawee Michelle, Soiree Hanover and R Melina meet in the second elim. French Champagne is in the first.

Eighteen fillies were entered in the event for 3-year-old female pacers, including returning Breeders Crown winner My Girl EJ, trained by Ron Burke. The group also includes fellow multiple Grand Circuit winners Caviart Belle, trained by Takter; Its A Love Thing, trained by Dave Menary; and Rocket Deo, trained by Brett Pelling. Its A Love Thing’s victories include the Fan Hanover Stakes.

My Girl EJ is in the first elimination. Caviart Belle, Its A Love Thing and Rocket Deo meet in the second.

Returning Breeders Crown champ Bythemissal, another Burke trainee, is among 17 horses in the Open Pace. The group also includes Andrew Harris-trained multiple Grand Circuit winner Abuckabett Hanover, Linda Toscano-trained Canadian Pacing Derby winner It’s My Show, and Larry Stalbaum-trained Sam McKee Memorial winner Rocknroll Runa A.

Bythemissal and It’s My Show are in the first elim, Abuckabett Hanover and Rocknroll Runa A are in the second.

All 3-year-old finals plus the Open Pace and Open Trot finals will go for $600,000. The Mare Trot final will have a purse of $496,000 because of two supplements and the Mare Pace final will go for $400,000.

Entries for Saturday’s Breeders Crown eliminations are below:

Breeders Crown 3YO Filly Pace Elimination #1 - Race 1
1-Hunting Hula (Andy McCarthy/Bruce Lauer)
2-Lou Lou (Scott Zeron/Ron Burke)
3-Direction (Todd McCarthy/Brett Pelling)
4-Collusion Hanover (Louis Roy/Luc Blais)
5-Sweet Gal (Andy McCarthy/Brett Pelling)
6-Sarasota Hanover (Scott Zeron/Linda Toscano)
7-Stonecoldtreachery (Corey Callahan/Juan Cano)
8-My Girl EJ (Dexter Dunn/Ron Burke)
9-Asweetbeachhere (Dexter Dunn/Andrew Harris)

Breeders Crown 3YO C&G Trot Elimination #1 - Race 2
1-Sig Sauer (Andy McCarthy/Noel Daley)
2-Security Protected (Scott Zeron/Marcus Melander)
3-Secret Agent Man (Andy Miller/Julie Miller)
4-Wild Ticket (Todd McCarthy/Marcus Melander)
5-Mr Bluebird (Ake Svanstedt drives/trains)
6-T C I (David Miller/Ron Burke)
7-Amazing Catch (Dexter Dunn/Ake Svanstedt)
8-Bella's Musclehill (David Miller/Nifty Norman)

Breeders Crown 3YO C&G Pace Elimination #1 - Race 3
1-McCrunch (Andy McCarthy/Nancy Takter)
2-Nuclear (Dexter Dunn/Joe Holloway)
3-Captain Albano (Todd McCarthy/Noel Daley)
4-A Class Yankee (Michael Whelan/Walter Whelan)
5-Timeisonmyside (Anthony MacDonald/Tim Twaddle)
6-Captain Luke (Tim Tetrick/Tony Alagna)
7-Huntingforchrome (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander)
8-Howlenthehills (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander)

Breeders Crown 3YO Filly Trot Elimination #1 - Race 4
1-Sugar Instead (Brett Miller/Virgil Morgan Jr.)
2-Chaparmbro (Yannick Gingras/Trond Smedshammer)
3-Elista Hanover (David Miller/Annie Stoebe)
4-Buy A Round (Andy McCarthy/Noel Daley)
5-Drawn Impression (Louis Roy/Luc Blais)
6-Willys Home Run (James MacDonald/Rob Fellows)
7-Date Night Hanover (Dexter Dunn/Marcus Melander)
8-French Champagne (Dexter Dunn/Ake Svanstedt)
9-Miss I La (Joe Bongiorno/Noel Daley)
10-Sambuca Hanover (David Miller/Nifty Norman)

Breeders Crown 3YO Filly Pace Elimination #2 - Race 5
1-Caviart Belle (Yannick Gingras/Nancy Takter)
2-Pass Line (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
3-Tarrific (Jason Bartlett/Chris Ryder)
4-Geocentric (Tim Tetrick/Brian Brown)
5-Canigetalouploup (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
6-Its A Love Thing (James MacDonald/Dave Menary)
7-Donegal Spirit (Todd McCarthy/Andrew Harris)
8-Rocket Deo (Andy McCarthy/Brett Pelling)
9-Disney (Todd McCarthy/Brett Pelling)

Breeders Crown 3YO C&G Pace Elimination #2 - Race 6
1-Nijinsky (Louis Roy/Tony Beaton)
2-Captain's Quarters (Yannick Gingras/Herb Holland)
3-Sweet Beach Life (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander)
4-Mirage Hanover (Dexter Dunn/Jake Leamon)
5-Gem Quality (Yannick Gingras/Chris Ryder)
6-Better Is Nice (Andy McCarthy/Tony Alagna)
7-Calicojack Hanover (Louis Roy/Luc Blais)
8-Number Cruncher (Scott Zeron/Noel Daley)

Breeders Crown 3YO Filly Trot Elimination #2 - Race 7
1-Southwind Banshee (Johnathan Ahle/Jacquie Ingrassia)
2-Emoji Hanover (Louis Roy/Luc Blais)
3-Warrawee Michelle (Ake Svanstedt drives/trains)
4-Paulina Hanover (Matt Kakaley/Noel Daley)
5-Sadbirdstillsing (Todd McCarthy/Tony Alagna)
6-Tandem Hanover (David Miller/Andrew Harris)
7-Soiree Hanover (Tim Tetrick/Lucas Wallin)
8-R Melina (Todd McCarthy/John Butenschoen)
9-Allegiant (Scott Zeron/Vernon Beachy)
10-Senorita Palema (Ake Svanstedt drives/trains)

Breeders Crown Open Pace Elimination #1 - Race 8
1-Seven Colors (Dexter Dunn/Andrew Harris)
2-Coach Stefanos (James MacDonald/Erv Miller)
3-Pleaseletmeknow (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander)
4-It's My Show (Scott Zeron/Linda Toscano)
5-Voukefalas (Jordan Stratton/Michael Russo)
6-Dunkin' (Tim Tetrick/Scott Di Domenico)
7-Charlie May (David Miller/Steve Carter)
8-Bythemissal (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)

Breeders Crown 3YO C&G Trot Elimination #2 - Race 9
1-Vic Zelenskyy (Dexter Dunn/Marcus Melander)
2-Greenspan (David Miller/Jim Campbell)
3-Private Access (Louis Roy/Luc Blais)
4-Tony Adams S (Dexter Dunn/Ake Svanstedt)
5-Karl (Yannick Gingras/Nancy Takter)
6-Benny J (Joe Bongiorno/Tony Alagna)
7-For July (Mattias Melander/Lucas Wallin)
8-Highland Kismet (Tim Tetrick/Mark Etsell)
9-Daiquiri Hanover (Ake Svanstedt drives/trains)

Breeders Crown Open Pace Elimination #2 - Race 10
1-Oakwood Ardan IR (Andy McCarthy/Robert Cleary)
2-Why Not Now (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander)
3-Rocknroll Runa A (Mark MacDonald/Larry Stalbaum)
4-Backstreet Shadow (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander)
5-Ruthless Hanover (Andy Miller/Tom Cancelliere)
6-El Rey (Todd McCarthy/Andrew Harris)
7-South Beach Star (David Miller/Mark Silva)
8-Abuckabett Hanover (Dexter Dunn/Andrew Harris)
9-Huntinthelastdolar (Andy McCarthy/Per Engblom)

Breeders Crown Open Mares Pace Elimination - Race 11
1-Beach Cowgirl (Todd McCarthy/Ron Burke)
2-Dabarndawgswatchin (Todd McCarthy/Dave Menary)
3-Always B Naughty (Yannick Gingras/Nancy Takter)
4-Sylvia Hanover (Bob McClure/Mark Steacy)
5-Grace Hill (Todd McCarthy/Virgil Morgan Jr.)
6-Valar Dohaeris (Mark MacDonald/Ake Svanstedt)
7-Prohibition Legal (Louis Roy/Nick Gallucci)
8-Kobe's Gigi (David Miller/Ron Burke)
9-Zanatta (Joe Bongiorno/Jenn Bongiorno)
10-Twin B Joe Fresh (Dexter Dunn/Chris Ryder)

-edited release (Ken Weingartner for Breeders Crown)