Breeders Crown Elims Complete
Harness racing’s top three-year-olds and older horses gathered at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday night to compete in the elimination round for the prestigious Breeders Crown championships and broke some long standing speed records in the process. Trot Insider has provided updates on all action below.
Kentucky Filly Futurity winner Cedar Dove put forth a 1:53.2 track record performance in the first of two $25,407 Breeders Crown eliminations for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Jezzy (Tim Tetrick) worked her way to the top from Post 8 during a :27.4 opening quarter panel with Oh Sweet Baby (Mario Baillargeon) in the pocket and the Ron Pierce-driven Cedar Dover sitting third, but ready to move.
Pierce sent Cedar Dove to command before the :57.3 half and the filly proceeded to three-quarters in 1:25.2 with Lady Andover (John Campbell) advancing first up from fourth and eventual breaker Seducedbychocolate (Paul MacDonell) and Crys Dream (Luc Ouellette) following her cover.
Cedar Dove turned for home with a four length lead on her foes and could not be caught as she sprinted under the wire in 1:53.2. Jezzy followed two and three-quarter lengths behind for second with Lady Andover finishing third. Crys Dream and Oh Sweet Baby rounded out the top five finishers and will also advance to the final.
The time of the mile shaved one-fifth of a second off the track record for sophomore trotting fillies, set by Housethatruthbuilt in 2004.
“It was very easy,” said Pierce in the winner's circle. “I just floated her out of there; she did it on her own. She was getting a little impatient in the three-hole so down the [backstretch] when we straightened out I tipped her out and she charged to the front. From there it was just a question of keeping her relaxed and getting around there safely.”
The daughter of Andover Hall-Pine For Her, a winner of five races in 14 starts this year, is trained by Noel Daley for owner John Fielding of Toronto and the Adam Victor & Son Stable of New York.
The favourite paid $4.20 to win.
Iron Lady converted a perfect pocket trip into a narrow victory over the popular Hey Mister giving driver Ron Pierce a sweep of the three-year-old trotting filly eliminations.
Magic Wheel (Joe Hudon Jr.) fired to the lead from the center of the track and landed the lead ahead of Iron Lady. She reached the opening quarter in :28-seconds, followed by the half in :58.2.
Meanwhile, Lady Rainbow (Scott Zeron) moved underway from fourth and moved up alongside the leader. As Hudon pulled the ear plugs on Magic Wheel, Lady Rainbow jumped it off.
Magic Wheel raced to three-quarters in 1:26.4 with a new first over attacker looming in Hey Mister (Brian Sears).
As the fillies headed down the stretch, Hey Mister took over command, but a pylon-skimming Iron Lady got up in time to score the 1:55.4 victory by a head. Hey Mister settled for second with Cleopatre Duharas (Yannick Gingras) closing well for third. Eagle Canada (Doug McNair) finished fourth after gapping her cover and Pantholops (Dave Miller) recovered from an early break off the gate to finish fifth.
"I was a little concerned there if we were going to get out and shake loose, but when that horse couldn't keep up with mine I saw that we were in good shape," said Pierce in the winner's circle.
"We put the UFO bike on her tonight," noted the reinsman, who was unhappy with the change.
"Very few horses don't take to it, but she's one of the ones that really felt much better in her regular bike that we used in Lexington there a couple of weeks ago, so I'm going to mention that they might to go back to the old bike."
Fredrik Persson trains the daughter of Taurus Dream-Ita Di Jesolo, a winner of seven races in 15 starts including the American National, for Reve Avec Moi Dreamwithme of Grand Valley, Ont. and New York's Jerry and Theresa Silva.