Woodbine Mohawk Park: Multiple eliminations needed as 161 enter Breeders Crown

Entries for the $6 million Breeders Crown events saw 161 elite trotters and pacers fill the entry box to qualify for the rich finals on Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26. All purses are US dollars.

There were 63 2-year-olds entered, forcing $25,000 eliminations in all divisions for Friday, Oct. 18. Those freshmen who chose to take byes and elimination fields will be available this afternoon. All 2-year-old finals have a purse of $600,000.

With 12 entered in the $600,000 2-Year-Old Colt Pace, two colts will be offered byes and a 10-horse elimination will race with the top eight advancing to the final. Post positions for that final will be determined on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at the post position draw at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Entries of 13 freshmen trotting colts necessitated three byes and a 10-horse elimination to advance seven to the $600,000 2-Year-Old Colt Trot Final.

The $600,000 2-Year-Old Filly Trot (17) and $600,000 2-Year-Old Filly Pace (21) will have full eliminations on Friday to arrive at a field of 10.

In the sophomore divisions, both the $500,000 3-Year-Old Colt Trot and the $550,000 (Est) 3-Year-Old Filly Pace drew an even dozen entries each, so two byes will be issued and 10-horse eliminations conducted for both divisions.

The $500,000 3-Year-Old Filly Trot will have two eight-horse eliminations on Saturday, Oct. 20 and the $600,000 (Est) 3-Year-Old Colt Pace with 15 entered will also have two splits to arrive at 10-horse final, which will be drawn Tuesday, Oct. 22 at the Press Conference.

The following races will go straight to Oct. 26 finals:

The $500,000 Breeders Crown Trot has 11 entrants including the foreign invitee Bold Eagle and 4-year-old mare Atlanta. This event will go straight to the final. Post positions will be drawn on Tues., Oct. 22 at the post position draw at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The $300,000 Mare Pace attracted seven entries and will go straight to the final.

The $500,000 Breeders Crown Pace, with 10 entrants, also goes directly to the final.

Two-year-old eliminations will be held Friday, Oct. 18 and the sophomore and open divisions requiring eliminations will race Saturday, Oct. 19. Elimination winners draw for inside post positions 1-5. Post positions will be drawn on Friday and Saturday after the elimination races, with the exception of the 2-year-old Colt Pace, Crown Pace and Crown Trot. Post time is 7:50 p.m. on Friday and 7:10 p.m. for Saturday.

Complete elimination and final fields will be available when byes and elimination draws are finalized.

-edited release (Breeders Crown)