Oct.
2.....Though Grand Circuit action at Lexington continues through Sunday’s
Kentucky Futurity, Breeders Crown deadlines for the $5.6 fall championship
series on Saturday, Oct. 19 are imminent.
All entries and declarations must be made through Rick Kane at the
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs race office.
High
noon on Sat., Oct. 5 is the deadline for invited foreign horses to declare into
the $600,000 Breeders Crown Trot. French
trotter Ready Cash, the richest horse in harness racing history with nearly $6
million (U.S.) in earnings, was the only foreign classic winner invited to
compete in the 2013 Breeders Crown at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The
connections of Ready Cash have declined the invite to the Crown in order to
prepare for the 2014 racing season, which does tentatively include traveling to
the Meadowlands to compete in the John Cashman Memorial (formerly the Nat Ray.)
Monday,
Oct. 7, also at noon, is the deadline for ineligible horses to supplement to
the Crown. There are no supplements allowed in the two-year-old division, but
three-year-olds and older can supplement to their respective events on a
sliding fee scale.
The
box closes on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 9:00 a.m. [EDT] at Pocono for all 12
divisions of eligible horses. Three-year-olds also have the option of entering
the sophomore event to which they were nominated or an Open event.
If
eliminations are needed, two-year-old colt trotters and two-year-old filly
trotters and pacers will compete in eliminations on Friday, Oct. 11 with a
post-time of 6:30 p.m. Two-year-old colt pacers get an extra day and
eliminations, if necessary for that group and three-year-olds and older will be
on Saturday, Oct. 12, post-time 6:30 p.m. Eliminations winners will draw for
inside post positions 1-5.
Special
Post time for the 14-race extravaganza in Wilkes-Barre on Oct. 19 will be 5:00
p.m. [EDT] with two invitational races scheduled as lead-off. TVG will broadcast live from Mohegan Sun, as
will Sirius-XM Radio.
An
autograph signing by Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, former third baseman for the
Philadelphia Phillies, a convertible car give-away and much more ancillary
hoopla will accompany the richest day in Pennsylvania racing.
For more information on
racing conditions, eligible horses and elimination plans, go to
Hambletonian.org; all Breeders Crown news, stats and archives are there as
well.
Follow Breeders Crown on
Twitter @Breeders Crown13 and be sure to use #Breeders Crown13. On facebook go
to https://www.facebook.com/BreedersCrown.
