Woodbine Mohawk Park: Lyons Sentinel stays hot in Breeders Crown elimination

Lyons Sentinel extended her winning streak to seven with a 1:50 3/5 win in the third and final C$32,500 Breeders Crown elimination for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Friday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Priceless and New Year captured the other two eliminations in impressive fashion.

Returning to the scene of her biggest win, the She's A Great Lady final on September 21, Lyons Sentinel tucked in third for Tim Tetrick to the 26 4/5 opening quarter, then came up to get the lead away from Marloe Hanover (Dexter Dunn) going to the 55 1/5 half. Lyons Sentinel continued on the engine around the far turn and to the 1:22 4/5 three-quarters, then closed in 27 4/5 to defeat Marloe Hanover by a length and three-quarters. Looksgoodinaromper (Chris Page) sat last in the first-half of the mile but finished well to get third and a spot in the final.

"She just keeps impressing me more and more every time I sit behind her. I put her on the lead, which I don't think is her best game, but she paced all the way to the wire to the wire today, and the plugs were still in," said Tetrick. "Every time I've driven her she's just been a professional. She likes her work, she's easy on herself, and she loves chasing down a target, but she shows she can do it either way."

Jim King Jr. trains Lyons Sentinel, a daughter of Captaintreacherous, for owner Threelyonsracing. Lyons Sentinel now sports a record of 8-3-0 from 12 starts, and she has earnings of C$607,380. Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms Inc., Lyons Sentinel was a $55,000 buy at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is out of the Western Ideal mare Tutu Hanover (1:52, 117,687. This makes Lyons Sentinel a three-quarter sister to Trillions Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere, 1:50, C$249,090). Lyons Sentinel was the 1-5 favorite and returned $2.50 to win.

"As it stands we're really looking forward to next week, but it's going to be a horse race. A couple new ones showed up, and I hope we're ready for them," remarked King Jr. "I think she's got a little in reserve, and I hope we don't have to use it all up yet."

Indiana invader Priceless, driven by trainer Brandon Bates, went all the way on the lead back in the first elimination, winning in 1:50 2/5. She led her six foes through panels of 26 3/5, 55, and 1:22 4/5, then delivered the knockout punch with a 27 3/5 final kicker to win by 4 3/4 lengths. Reflect With Me (Andrew McCarthy) was the runner-up, with Baby Your The Best (David Miller) third.

"It's just awesome. She did it pretty easy. She's got more in the tank. I've thought all year she belongs in the conversation," offered Bates. "She's a great shipper, settled right in, ate everything, laid down and took a nap, everything's great. She's just a professional. She really takes care of herself. She loves to eat. Nothing really bothers her. She'll get a little maybe cranked up a little early, but once you get to the gate, she's all business."

Priceless, a filly by Rockin Image who was bred by Mark, Mervin, and Jacob Graber and sold for $31,000 at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale, has seven wins and a second from ten attempts and has earned C$344,912. The 2-1 second choice, she paid $6.50 to win. Priceless is the fourth foal out of the Real Desire mare Btwnyurheartnmine (1:48 3/5, C$550,077).

Alicorn (Louis-Philippe Roy), fresh off a victory in the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final six nights ago, took the lead past the 27 second opening quarter in the second elimination, and would go on to the half in 56 1/5 and the three-quarters in 1:24 4/5. New Year (Corey Callahan) had gotten away in fourth and then come first-over approaching the half, getting to within a length and three-quarters of the pace-setter at three-quarters.

In the stretch Alicorn looked to sprint away, but New Year kept grinding away on the rim and put her away inside the last eighth on her way to a one and a quarter length decision in 1:52. Alicorn held off Lady Lou (McCarthy) for second, and Shouldabeenatd (D. Miller) was the fourth-place finisher from the three eliminations to make the final as she had the highest earnings among the trio of eligible horses.

"I was just telling Casie (Coleman) in the winner's circle that she's like the perfect combination of (dam) Drop The Ball and Somebeachsomewhere," relayed Callahan. "Drop The Ball was really quick, had like a really quick step. This filly just carries her speed a long ways. When she hits gears, you don't really feel her change gears, but she hits it, and it's a good feeling.

"She's really fresh. She's gone a couple big heats; that heat at Lexington was huge. Today, she didn't really have to work quite as hard as she did down there, so I think we have fresh legs going in to the final."

New Year is trained by Ross Croghan for co-owners/breeders Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Dana Parham. This was her fourth win from five trips behind the gate, and she has now banked C$99,930. The 2-1 second choice, she returned $6.40 to win. As Callahan mentioned, New Year is a Somebeachsomewhere filly and is the second foal out of the world champion Western Terror mare Drop The Ball (1:48 2/5, C$1,430,723).

This is how the fillies will line up for their C$600,000 final next Friday night. Elimination winners drew for posts one through five.

1-Lyons Sentinel
2-Alicorn
3-Priceless
4-New Year
5-Lady Lou
6-Looksgoodinaromper
7-Marloe Hanover
8-Reflect With Me
9-Baby Your The Best
10-Shouldabeenatd