Rosecroft: Bettor's Wish headlines strong field for Sunday's Potomac Pace

All good things come to an end, and for fans of Bettor's Wish, the 4-year-old will make his next-to-last start on Sunday (11/15), going to Rosecroft Raceway for the first and last time in his career to battle eight others in the $100,000 Potomac Pace.

Given the "Invitational" aspect of the Potomac, the six-figure contest was able to lure much of the top pacing talent across North America, as well as the top three finishers in the Breeders Crown, held at Harrah's Hoosier Park just two weeks ago. Race winner Century Farroh and third-place finisher Backstreet Shadow will hope to keep their form in the Potomac over the five-eighths mile course.

For Bettor's Wish (post six), who was denied a Breeders Crown victory for the second straight year, the Potomac offers the opportunity to go out on a winning note. The son of Bettor's Delight was an impressive winner in the Dayton Pacing Derby on October 3 over a five-eighths mile track and should love the course at Rosecroft. Trainer Chris Ryder was very happy with the way Bettor's Wish competed in the Breeders Crown.

"He had to overcome post nine, and I thought he raced well but just got beat by a horse with a trip," said Ryder.

It was Century Farroh (post five) that tripped out, if you will, in the Breeders Crown to take down the lion's share of the $500,000 purse. The 4-year-old has enjoyed another big year for trainer Dr. Ian Moore with 12 in-the-money finishes in 15 starts and earnings just this year at $607,449. The Breeders Crown victory leveled the score to some degree between Century Farroh and Bettor's Wish, with the latter having won the last three times the two faced off prior to the Crown.

Trainer Ron Burke always has a player or two or three to send out in races like these, and This Is The Plan and Backstreet Shadow, from posts one and two, respectively, give him a pair of chances. Backstreet Shadow was a pace-setting third in the Breeders Crown, while This Is The Plan made a sharp rally late for fourth, extending his solid late-season quality performance streak. Previously, This Is The Plan had won the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby as well as overcome post nine to finish second in the Allerage at The Red Mile on October 11.

The Potomac will also match some impressive "small track" performers, with a group of specialists from Ohio and New York adding to the proceedings. The imports Leonidas A (post seven) and Stars Align A (post eight) ship to Maryland from New York and Ohio, respectively, where they have both held incredible form. Leonidas A has won four of his last six starts, with two being at the top level at Yonkers Raceway. Trained by Sheena McElhiney, Leonidas A has won 12 of his 23 starts in 2020. Stars Align A has won nine of his 21 starts this year and enters the Potomac on a five-race win streak that includes a 1:49 2/5 score in an Invitational at Hoosier Park on Breeders Crown night. Trained by Christi Noble, Stars Align A has banked $152,105 in 2020.

Northfield Park regular World Of Secrets has a dozen wins this season and will get tested at this level for co-owner/driver Aaron Merriman from post four.

Rounding out the Potomac field are two that have enjoyed great success lately at the Meadowlands. Harambe Deo (post three) has been quite the acquisition for trainer Jeff Cullipher this year. The 5-year-old comes to Rosecroft following a pair of sub-1:49 victories over the Meadowlands mile oval. Highalator (post nine) has won four of his last five starts, all at the Meadowlands, and prepped for the Potomac with a 1:50 2/5 qualifying mile on November 7 at the Meadowlands.

The Potomac Pace is scheduled as the 11th of 14 races on the Rosecroft card that kicks off at 7:15 P.M.