Breeders Crown - The Master and Commander Prepared for Breeders Crown Battle

Commander Crowe

Calle Wihlborg’s European champion Commander Crowe was committed to the $600,000 Breeders Crown Trot by the noon deadline on Saturday, Oct. 13, but he had one small obstacle to complete before making travel plans for the Oct. 27 event.  Trainer Fabrice Souloy and driver Christophe Martens had to race the 9-year-old gelding in a “prep” for the Breeders Crown, the Grand Prix du Sud-Ouest, a mile and an eighth test, on Sunday, Oct. 14 and hope that all went well for Commander Crowe in his first race in a month.

The enforced vacation came after Commander Crowe finished second in the Aby Stora Pris in Sweden behind Sebastian K, a trotter he handled easily in the past.  Wihlborg and Souloy had to seek a balance between the right number of races for the chestnut sensation and getting enough foundation under him to fly to Toronto ready to go against the top trotter in North America, defending sophomore Crown champion Chapter Seven. Commander Crowe made the same trek in 2011 and finished third in the Crown Trot behind eventual Horse of the Year San Pail and the other foreign invitee last year, Rapide Lebel.