Breeders Crown driving accomplishments
by Bob Heyden
As Woodbine Mohawk Park prepares to play host to the finals for the 42nd edition of the Breeders Crown, let’s take a look back at some interesting Crown driver facts and stats.
1. John Campbell drove in the 2015 and 2016 editions before retiring June 30, 2017. Combined in just his last two seasons, he was 10 1-2-3 for $700G, not bad for a 60- and 61-year-old driver. He holds an overall 13-win advantage over Sears 48-35 all time and is a tick over $5 million to the good over Dave Miller at $22,483,677.
2. Jason Bartlett is ninth all-time in overall earnings but has had only 10 Breeders Crown assignments. Twice last year he was second at 31-1 and 86-1. He’s at $389,115 in the Crown starting 2025.
3. Eric Ledford won three Breeders Crowns in 34 tries. All three with Eternal Camnation: 1999, 2001, and 2003.
4. Brothers in the Crown leaders (Drivers). Tetricks (26): Tim (23), Trace (three); McCarthys (seven): Andy (six), Todd (one); MacDonalds (six): Mark (four), James (two); Takters (three): Jimmy (two), Johnny (one).
5. Fathers-and-sons in the Crown — Zerons (eight): Rick wasn’t able to grab a Crown win with two seconds and a third in 19 attempts, but his son Scott has eight scores, and in the event you bet him to win in all 100 Breeders Crown starts you have averaged $59.60 per win!
6. Nine drivers have won a Breeders Crown in their lone try.
7. The $100-, $200-, and $250-million thresholds/milestones were all eclipsed by John Campbell in the Breeders Crown, from Armbro Keepsake in 1991 to Snow White in 2007. Can Dave Miller set a new one this weekend? After all this is the 10th anniversary of him winning five Breeders Crowns, a record at the time, in Canada no less.
8. There’s nothing AVERAGE about Dexter Dunn. His mind-numbing average per start in the Breeders Crown of $119,405 dwarfs the field.
Here are the next five in order:
• 2 — Sears ($74,470)
• 3 — Gingras ($74,289)
• 4 — Miller ($72,566)
• 5 — Campbell ($70,289)
9. Andy McCarthy in 2019, also in Canada, had a Breeders Crown weekend for the ages with four wins in seven tries. That is the fewest starts for any Crown driver with at least a four-bagger. He also did so without a favorite, another Crown first.
10. Dave Palone was just inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. His most memorable Crown came in 2011 when he won twice, in Canada, and one of them went by the name of Sweet Lou. Palone led all drivers in 2011 with $916,250.
