Will there be a home-field advantage in Saturday's lucrative Breeders Crown finals at Woodbine Racetrack? Canadian-connected horses, owners, breeders, trainers and drivers look to figure prominently in harness racing's $6 million championship night.
In Race 1, the $300,000 Open Mare Trot, Kandor Hanover drew Post 1 for driver Randy Waples of Milton, trainer/owner John Burns of Mississauga and co-owner Online Stables of Mississauga, Ont. Emmylou Who has Post 3 for trainer/driver Lyle MacArthur of St. George and owners Linda Wellwood of St. George, Tammy Aspden of Caistor Centre, Anne Shunock of Ingersoll, and Diane Shunock of Mount Pleasant, Ont. Luc Ouellette of Milton, Ont. drives Lavec Dream from Post 4.
Also competing in the Open Mare Trot is Guelph's father and son team of Gregg and Doug McNair, who send out Pembroke Heat Wave from Post 5. Cambridge, Ont.'s Mark MacDonald pilots morning line co-favourite Action Broadway from Post 6. Friendly Amigo will start from Post 7 for driver Anthony MacDonald of Guelph, Ont., trainer Blair Burgess of Milton, Ont. and owners Robert Burgess of Campbellville and Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton, Ont. Frenchfrysnvinegar (Angus Hall) has drawn Post 10 for driver Jody Jamieson of Moffat, trainer Jeff Gillis of Hillsburgh and David Smith of Rockwood, Ont. Miss Dangles will start from the second tier in Post 11 for Oakville’s father and son duo of trainer Rick Zeron and driver Scott Zeron.
The $602,340 Breeders Crown for Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies, which foes as Race 2 on the card, includes #1 Talbotcreek Jewely and driver Paul MacDonell of Guelph, trainer Mike Keeling of Cambridge and the partnership of P C Wellwood Enterprises Inc of Cambridge and Karen Carroll of Shedden, Ont. Circles will line up next door to that filly from Post 2 for driver Jacques Hebert of Saint-Laurent, QC and trainer John Smith, whose John Smith Racing Stb Inc of Woodlawn, Ont., owns the trotting lass. Miss Paris will leave from Post 7 for Scott Zeron, who will drive the rookie for co-owner Mel Hartman of Ottawa, Ont.
The $602,340 Breeders Crown for Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies goes as Race 3, and Scott Zeron will team up with the Ontario-sired star, Apogee Hanover, from Post 4. Shelliscape, who is co-owned by Robert McIntosh Stables Inc of Windsor, will start from Post 6 for driver Randy Waples and trainer Bob McIntosh. (daughter of Artiscape) Jody Jamieson will pilot Big Mcdeal from Post 7 for trainer Jack Darling, whose Jack Darling Stables Ltd of Cambridge, Ont. owns the youngster. Angel Scent has drawn Post 8 for trainer Ben Wallace of Milton and owner Doug Millard of Woodstock, Ont.
The $652,535 Breeders Crown for Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts is carded as Race 4, and among the starters will be Hurrikane King Cole from Post 5. He races for driver Luc Ouellette of Campbellville, trainer Des Tackoor of Ajax and is co-owned by John Levy Racing Stable of Hamilton, Ont. Hillbilly Hanover starts from Post 6 for co-owners John Fielding and Clay Horner of Toronto, Ont. Sing For Me George has Post 7 for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Tony O’Sullivan. Jeff Gillis co-owns and trains Speed Again (Winbak graduate), who will start from Post 8 with driver Jody Jamieson in tow. The gelding is co-owned by Ken Henwood of Mississauga and Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont.
The $602,340 Breeders Crown for Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt and Geldings, which is carded as Race 5. includes Little Brown Fox, who is co-owned by the Fielding brothers – John and Jim – from Toronto, Ont. The colt will start from Post 2. The Fieldings also share ownership in Uncle Peter from Post 3. John Fielding also shares ownership on Appomattox from Post 6. Prestidigitator from Post 7 races for driver Sylvain Filion of Milton and Dustin Jones of Campbellville, Ont. The colt is owned by Ecurie Synergie of Montreal, QC.
The $301,170 Breeders Crown for Open Mares is a field dominated by horses trained by Tony O’Sullivan. He’ll send out the five-headed juggernaut of Maureen Rocks (Post 1), Ont. The Glass (Post 6), Ticket To Rock (Post 7), Blissful Smile (Blissfull Hall ) (Post 9) and Laughandbehappy (Badlands Hanover) (Post 10). Western Silk leaves from Post 4 for trainer Casie Coleman of Cambridge, Ont. The West Wins Stables Inc of Cambridge (a stable consisting of Coleman, Zoltan Kovacs of Burlington and Ross Warriner of Burlington, Ont.). Driver Jack Moiseyev of Moffat, Ont. will be paired up with Blissful Smile while Jody Jamieson is scheduled to sit behind Laughandbehappy.
Seven of the world’s best will square off in the $602,340 Breeders Crown Open Trot, which goes as Race 7, including Define The World, who starts from Post 1 for driver Paul MacDonell, trainer John Bax of Peterborough and owner/breeder Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont. San Pail leaves from Post 2 for reinsman Randy Waples and conditioner Rod Hughes of Dunsford, Ont. Hughes shares ownership on the 48-time winner with the gelding’s breeder, Glenn Van Camp of Port Perry, Ont.
The $501,950 Breeders Crown for Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies will line up as Race 8, and headlining the rich event is the Tony O’Sullivan-trained Drop The Ball from Post 2. He’ll also send out Honky Tonk Woman from Post 6. Ontario-bred star Monkey On My Wheel is scheduled to depart from Post 6 for driver Jody Jamieson, co-owner Mac Nichol and co-owner/trainer Travis Umphrey of Guelph, Ont. The father and son duo of trainer Gregg McNair and driver Doug McNair will send out Swinging Beauty from Post 7. Trainer Bob McIntosh harnesses Strike An Attitude from Post 8. She is owned by the Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. Trainer Dave Menary of Cheltenham, Ont. sends out Tea Party Princess from Post 9 for owner Brad Gray of Dundas, Ont. Casie Coleman trains Idyllic, who will leave from Post 10 for co-owner the West Wins Stable – a partnership consisting of Casie Coleman, Zoltan Kovacs and Ross Warriner.
The $612,379 Breeders Crown for Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trotters goes as Race 9, and trainer Tony O’Sullivan will send out Luckycharm Hanover from Post 2. The tandem of driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Blair Burgess will join forces with Can Anyone Explain from Post 3. Burgess will also harness For You Almostfree from Post 6, with Anthony MacDonald named to do the driving. The Burgess Stable (Robert Burgess and Karin Olson Burgess) of Campbellville, Ont. co-owns the colt. Daylon Magician departs from Post 8 for Jack Moiseyev, who drives the colt for trainer/breeder David Lemon of Komoka, Ont. The colt is races for David and Mary Lemon’s Daylon Farms Ltd. Mr Web Page has Post 9 for trainer Ben Baillargeon of Rockwood and driver Mario Baillargeon of Milton, Ont.
The $501,950 Breeders Crown for Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies, which goes as Race 10, features a pair of lasses sent out by trainer Fredrik Persson of East Garafraxa, Ont. – Iron Lady from Post 2 and Crys Dream from Post 8. Both fillies are homebreds owned in partnership by Reve Avec Moi Dreamwithme of Grand Valley, Ont. Randy Waples will sit behind Iron Lady while Luc Ouellette will be partnered with Crys Dream. Trainer Gregg McNair and driver Doug McNair will join forces with Eagle Canada from Post 3. John Fielding is a part owner of the track record-holding Cedar Dove, who starts from Post 4. Mario Baillargeon drives, Ben Baillargeon trains and Richar