The biggest performances on the sport’s biggest weekend

by Bob Heyden

Big Breeders Crown nights were had by:

• Andrew McCarthy who won a pair each night for an amazing breakthrough Crown weekend. None of his four winners were favored. Caviart Ally ($7.00), Ramona Hill ($31.80), Reflect With Me ($56.20) and Dancin Lou ($12.10).

• Three for Brittany Farms, who surged past $10 million in the Breeders Crown Series and are only one back of Hanover Shoe Farms on Crown trophies 26-25.

• Manchego and Warrawee Ubeaut, who were the only two of 11 elimination winners to win finals.

• Brian Sears with a Crown double snapped a tie at 30 with Ron Pierce for the runnerup spot. Sears now has 32 wins for sole possession of second place all time behind John Campbell. The leading driver in the nation, Tim Tetrick, had the rare Crown shutout. He was second with favorites Lyons Sentinel and Shartin N. Somebeachsomewhere was also shutout. He had 14 in.

Smedshammer and Sears

Trainer Trond Smedshammer and driver Brian Sears were together again, in the winner’s circle, on Breeders Crown night when 3-year-old trotting filly Winndevie won her Crown.

The victory came nine years after the last time Smedshammer and Sears teamed up to win a Crown and marked the ninth time they have won Crowns together, all with trotters.

2003 — Stroke Play (3YOFT)
2004 — Housethatruthbuilt (3YOFT)
2004 — H P Paque (Open Trot)
2005 — Strong Yankee (3YOCT)
2005 — Blur (3YOFT)
2006 — Sand Vic (Open Trot)
2007 — Arch Madness (3YOCT)
2010 — Break The Bank K (3YOCT)
2019 — Winndevie (3YOFT)

Joining Foiled Again

McWicked has joined Foiled Again as the only two pacers to now have three separate million-dollar seasons. McWicked has done so at 3, 7 and 8; Foiled Again at 7, 8 and 9.

Repeat after me

Warrawee Ubeaut and Gimpanzee both won Crowns at Pocono last year in their 2YO divisions and came back to do it again. Yannick Gingras with Warrawee Ubeaut and Brian Sears and Dave Miller with Gimpanzee, respectively.

“Where’d THIS guy come from?”

Dexter Dunn was NOT in the top 50 in North American Driver earnings in 2018, but he’s #3 now and went past $10 million on Breeders Crown weekend. He won with both Manchego and Amigo Volo. At age 30, he’s five years younger than Ron Pierce, Brian Sears and David Miller, who all won their first Crown at age 35.

READY for this?

Ready Cash, through 2014, earned $5,774,624 before becoming the sire of Bold Eagle. After winning the Breeders Crown Open Trot, Bold Eagle has earnings of $5,692,680 making them $5 million father and son.

Post two blues

The only starting positions shut out in this year’s Breeders Crown were posts 2 and 9.

Still top studs

Crown-winning sires Bettors Delight (two wins) and Credit Winner are 21 and 22 years of age, respectively.

Second millionaire daughter

When Manchego won the Crown it gave sire Muscle Hill now two daughters past $2 million lifetime as she joined Ariana G ($2.4 million). When Kadabra daughter Emoticon Hanover at 27-1 got up for second, it inched her ever so close to $2 million herself, and she will join Kadabra daughter Bee A Magician ($4 million) on this exclusive list when she tips past.

Captain 1-2-3 in freshman filly pace

The only sire to go 1-2-3 in any of the Breeders Crown races was Captaintreacherous in the 2YOFP — Reflect With Me, Lyons Sentinel and Marloe Hanover.

Post Breeders Crown numbers

The richest 2-year-old in North America is Tall Dark Stanger $717,514 who sports a record of: 9 8-1-0.

The top two female earners are oh-so-close. Warrawee Ubeaut has $923,898 and Shartin N has earned $920,177.

Amigo Volo is the top earning 2-year-old trotter at $514,996. Real Cool Sam is close at $497,774.

McWicked has two fewer wins than Lather Up, but is over $1 million for the #3 spot in North America 6-for-16; Later Up is 8-for-12.

The two top earning 3-year-olds have the same 12-for-17 slate on the year — Bettors Wish and Warrawee Ubeaut.

Trainer Marcus Melander has three of the top six spots in the money standings through Oct. 29 among all trotters:

1. Greenshoe — $1,277,049
2. Gimpanzee — $997,163
6. Green Manalishi — $646,838