By Debbie Little, for the Breeders Crown
CREAM RIDGE, NJ — Dr. Patty Hogan’s Hogan Equine, a state-of-the-art equine
medical facility, was the impressive backdrop for the post-position draws for
the Breeders Crown Finals for the $600,000 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings Pace
and the $650,000 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings Trot, which will be held this
Saturday (Oct. 30) at The Meadowlands (special early post time, noon).
By
virtue of his win in one of two eliminations for 3-year-old male pacers,
Perfect Sting was installed as the early 5-2 morning-line favorite from post
position five.
“It’s
a good thing we won, or we probably would have had 10,” said Perfect Sting’s
trainer, Joe Holloway. “Last week [when he won his elimination in 1:49.2] was
the first time, since he qualified the very first time [in 2021], that I knew
he had it. He’s had a lot of noses. Like I tell [driver] David [Miller], we’re
six feet from greatness.”
The
ultra-consistent son of 2016 Horse of the Year Always B Miki has had 25 career
starts and hit the board every time. In 2021, he has six wins from 15 outings
and has never been beaten by more than three-quarters-of-a-length. His seasonal
earnings of $973,847 are tops in the sport.
Charlie
May, who won the other elim in 1:49.1, drew post 2 and is the 3-1 second
choice.
Trained
by Steve Carter and driven by Brett Miller, Charlie May has nine wins in 18
tries this season, including a victory in the $300,000 Milstein at Northfield
Park. He also crossed the wire first in the $700,000 Meadowlands Pace before
being disqualified for interference.
In
the 3-year-old male trot, Jujubee is the 2-1 favorite from post six. The
Kentucky Futurity champion came into last week’s elimination seeking a seventh
straight win but was gunned down at the wire by a neck by Cuatro De Julio
1:52.2 in one of two eliminations.
Cuatro
De Julio will depart from post four and is listed at 9-2 for driver Lucas
Wallin and trainer Marie Ortolan Bar.
Ambassador
Hanover, trained and driven by Åke Svanstedt, won the other elim in 1:51.2 and
is the 4-1 second choice from post two. The son of 2012 Horse of the Year
Chapter Seven has hit the board 10 times in 14 starts this season, including 4
wins. During 2021, he finished third in the $1 million Hambletonian and second
in the $500,000 Yonkers Trot.
The complete fields,
with post positions, horse, nominated drivers, trainers and early odds, is as
follows:
$600,000
Breeders Crown — 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings
1. Southwind Gendry (Yannick Gingras,
Ron Burke), 5-1
2. Charlie May (Brett Miller, Steve Carter), 3-1
3. Heart Of Chewbacca (Dan Noble, Christi Noble), 15-1
4. Abuckabett Hanover (Andy McCarthy, Tony Alagna), 6-1
5. Perfect Sting (David Miller, Joe Holloway), 5-2
6. Chase H Hanover (Tim Tetrick, Scott Cox), 10-1
7. Rockyroad Hanover (Dexter Dunn, Tony Alagna), 8-1
8. I’ll Drink To That (Todd McCarthy, Chris Ryder), 15-1
9. Southwind Petyr (Jason Bartlett, Mark Harder), 15-1
10. Water Sports Teen (Joe Bongiorno, Jennifer Bongiorno), 15-1
AE1.
Lous Pearlman (Tim Tetrick, Ron Burke)
AE2. Summa Cum Laude (Brian Sears, Ron Burke)
$650,000
Breeders Crown — 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings
1. Inaminute Hanover (Bob McClure,
Luc Blais), 15-1
2.
Ambassador Hanover (Åke Svanstedt, Åke Svanstedt), 4-1
3. Ritson (David Miller, Mark Steacy), 15-1
4. Cuatro De Julio (Lucas Wallin, Marie Ortolan Bar), 9-2
5. Delayed Hanover (Åke Svanstedt, Åke Svanstedt), 10-1
6. Jujubee (Andy McCarthy, Greg Wright Jr.), 2-1
7. Fly Light (Dexter Dunn, Åke Svanstedt), 6-1
8. In Range (Tim
Tetrick, Marcus Melander), 12-1
9. Dancinginthedark M (Brian Sears, Marcus Melander), 10-1
10. Logan Park (James MacDonald, Rob Fellows), 15-1
AE1. Johan Palema (Yannick Gingras, Åke Svanstedt)
AE2. Locatelli (Yannick Gingras, Nancy Takter)
Morning-line
odds and driver changes will be finalized on Wednesday, Oct. 27 after scratch
time.
