Pocono: Gimpanzee, Smart As Hill take Breeders Crown elims for rookie male trotters

Gimpanzee stayed undefeated while Smart As Hill overcame a little bit over a month on the shelf in capturing the pair of $25,000 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot eliminations on Friday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

In the first elimination New York Sire Stakes champion Gimpanzee (Brian Sears) was making his first Grand Circuit appearance after rolling through the New York Sire Stakes program undefeated, starting from the outside post eight, and with only one qualifier since winning the sire stakes final on September 22, but he overcame those supposed obstacles with aplomb, scoring from first-up in 1:54 4/5.

Sears settled Gimpanzee into the fifth position to the 27 3/5 opening quarter that was put on the board by Union Forces (Scott Zeron), and had him out and moving first-over well before the 57 3/5 half. Union Forces managed to continue to hold the lead to the 1:26 1/5 three-quarters and around the final bend, but Gimpanzee took over turning for home, then scooted clear, winning by a length and a half over Chin Chin Hall (Peter Wrenn), who had followed his cover from second-over. Hudson River (Yannick Gingras) was third and Prospect Hill (Andy Miller) collected fourth.

"We knew it was going to be a little bit tougher from the eight-hole, of course, but I'm very confident in the horse," remarked winning trainer Marcus Melander. "He's done it so easy in the New York Circuit, but I felt all along that he's a very good horse that can be in against these Grand Circuit horses. Four weeks off, that was never any problem either. He's been three weeks between races before, and everything went perfect today."

A Chapter Seven colt, Gimpanzee is trained by Melander for owners Courant Inc. and S R F Stable. Gimpanzee, who was bred by Order By Stable and fetched $170,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale, has earned $291,358 to go with his unblemished record. He is out of the unraced Muscle Massive mare Steamy Windows, a three-quarter sister to Order By Commander (Muscles Yankee, 1:55 1/5, $164,215). Gimpanzee was the even-money favorite and paid $4.00 to win.

17-1 shot Smart As Hill (Bob McClure), the runner-up to Green Manalishi (Tim Tetrick) in last month's Wellwood Memorial at Woodbine Mohawk Park, turned the tables on that foe tonight, coming from off-the-pace to win the other elimination in 1:53 4/5, a life's-best clocking by almost four full seconds.

Unraced since that Wellwood final on September 15, Smart As Hill got away fourth from the pole position while a three-wide battle ensued between Green Manalishi, Kings County (Sears), and Cantab Fashion (David Miller). Cantab Fashion, who was the favorite, caught the worst of it being three-wide, and he couldn't stay on-stride.

With the public choice out of the way, Green Manalishi led the way through panels of 27 1/5, 56 1/5, and 1:24 2/5, turned for home first, and appeared to be on his way to the win, but McClure had plenty of room to angle out three-wide off the final turn, and Smart As Hill overhauled Green Manalishi late in the mile, getting the win by three-parts of a length. Super Schissel (Gingras) was third, Trix And Stones (Scott Zeron) took fourth, and Kings County was the fifth-place finisher with higher seasonal earnings (over fellow Domenico Cecere trainee Union Forces), meaning Kings County moved on to the final.

"The question was that he'd been off a month, but Mike Keeling and Paula Wellwood had him ready to go tonight," said McClure, who won a pair of eliminations in his Breeders Crown debut. "They took their time with him and taught him and put a good foundation in him for sure. The credit goes to Mike and Paula, they did a great job with him."

Wellwood trains Smart As Hill, a Muscle Hill colt, for owners Dreamville Stable and Harbor Racing Stable LLC. Smart As Hill is now a three-time winner from nine trips behind the gate, and he has pocketed $105,491. Smart As Hill, bred by Stan Klemencic, was purchased for $70,000 at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and is the first foal out of Smarty Pants (Kadabra, 1:54 2/5, $464,706). Smart As Hill returned $36.80 to win.

Here is how the field will line up for next Saturday night's final:

1-Hudson River
2-Chin Chin Hall
3-Prospect Hill
4-Smart As Hill
5-Gimpanzee
6-Super Schissel
7-Trix And Stones
8-Green Manalishi
9-Kings County
AE1-Union Forces
AE2-Brady Bunch