Wrong Sounds Right’s impressive world record kicks off Ohio’s Crown weekend in style

by Dave Briggs

It was a memorable night of firsts and stirring performances under clear and perfect Ohio autumn skies on Friday (Oct. 23) as Eldorado Scioto Downs kicked off Breeders Crown weekend with aplomb.

The 43rd edition of the series marked the first time in 38 years that a Breeders Crown event had been held at the Columbus, OH track and the first time the five-eighths mile oval will play host to all 12 Crown finals with eight 3-year-old and open events on the docket for tonight (Oct. 24).

But, on Friday, the four 2-year-old events were in the spotlight and each delivered something special – perhaps no more so than Scott Farber’s homebred rookie trotting colt Wrong Sounds Right posting a 1:51.3 world record that erased the 1:52.1 mark set by Father Patrick in 2013 while winning his Breeders Crown elimination at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

As for Wrong Sounds Right, Friday’s victory in the $700,000 Grade 1 event, was his fifth straight win. The Jim Campbell-trained son of Tactical Landing out of Broadway Jo Ell, won the Mohawk Million on Sept. 26 at Woodbine Mohawk Park and now has earnings on the cusp of $1 million – $948,750 to be exact – in only nine starts.

After Friday’s performance, clearly Wrong Sounds Right will be pegged as the early favorite for the 2027 Hambletonian.

It was the third Crown victory for driver Todd McCarthy and the seventh lifetime for Hall of Famer Jim Campbell, who holds the records for both the biggest Breeders Crown upset of all time (Sandbetweenmytoes, 203-1 in the 2020 Crown for 3-year-old pacing colts) and the biggest Hambletonian upset in the race’s 101 years (Cool Papa Bell at 52-1 for Farber in 2022).

Just don’t expect Wrong Sounds Right to be a longshot anytime soon.

On Friday, he was sent off as the 3-5 favorite and impressively rebuffed a strong challenge from Access Now despite stiff fractions on the front end for most of the mile.

In the first Crown event of the night, homebred 2-year-old trotting filly Birr Castle delivered a first Breeders Crown victory for owners Eddie Lohmeyer and his wife Dr. Patty Hogan, the team behind Pheasant Hill Farm of New Jersey. Though, Hogan, a renowned equine surgeon, joked she had worked on plenty of horses that have gone on to Crown glory.

It was also the first Breeders Crown victory for Birr Castle’s sire, Captain Corey.

As a trainer, Lohmeyer has previously had 12 Crown starters without a victory.

Sent off at 7-2 in the $700,000 Grade 1 final, the filly, named for a castle in Ireland, improved to 6-2-1 in nine career starts for trainer Marcus Melander, who won his eighth Crown, and driver Scott Zeron, who won his 10^th. Birr Castle, who is out of the Donato Hanover mare Melania, now sports earnings of $866,786.

The final Crown of the night – an ultra-competitive and entertaining $700,000 Grade 1 final for 2-year-old pacing colts – also produced a memorable first.

Blazin Lou (Sweet Lou—Beautiful Lady) gave trainer Tony Dinges of Carlisle, PA his first Crown victory in his first attempt.

As Starstruck Dreamer (McCarthy) and Shalom Hanover (Louis-Philippe Roy) battled up front through most of the mile, Dexter Dunn had to wind through traffic and open up in the lane to win with a 1:50.1 mile that tied the track record, improved Blazin Lou to 6-1-2 in 12 starts, and upped his earnings to $519,550 for owner Rick Berks of Paris, KY.

It was the second Crown of the night and 25^th lifetime for Dunn, who won two races earlier with 2-year-old pacing filly Seaside Ubeaut, who fittingly provided the home team with an Ohio-sired winner – out of post 8, no less. The daughter of Downbytheseaside out of Warrawee Ubeaut stopped the clock in 1:50.1 – the same time as the boys – to give the Punisher 11 Stable LLC, led by trainer Andrew Harris, their second Breeders Crown in as many years to go with the one Yo Tillie earned in the 2025 3-year-old trotting filly final.

Seaside Ubeaut has now earned $680,370 for the New Jersey-based ownership group that includes Bill Pollock, Bruce Areman and Harris – and that’s important because she was a $500,000 yearling at the 2025 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Friday’s Crown appetizers offered a little something for everyone and was a tasty setup for tonight’s main course.