Breeders Crown could help provide clarity in several divisions for year-end honors

by Brett Sturman

Heading into this weekend’s Breeders Crown eliminations, there’s may be just one or two divisions where year-end winners are solidly locked down, and likely won’t be changed by what happens over the next two weekends at Scioto Downs. But for the other divisions, including Horse of the Year, the Breeders Crown can reshape trajectory.

Here’s how I see some of the higher profile battles.

3-YEAR-OLD COLT AND GELDING TROT

You can feel the shift in this division changing over since September. Following one of the great all-time wins in the Hambletonian, Apex was not only easily clear of anyone else as far as his 3-year-old trotting peers but also was riding that momentum all the way to the top of the Horse of the Year discussion.

Whether that 1:49.2 Hambletonian duel with Big Ranger took something out of him or it’s purely coincidental, Apex hasn’t truly looked the same since. In his return to the track a month after that Hambletonian win, he was surprisingly short and finished fourth in a relatively non-descript New Jersey Classic elimination field. He rebounded a week later to win that NJ Classic final, albeit without some of the explosiveness he showed prior.

From there, no disgrace in the Canadian Trotting Classic when finishing second by a half-length, but again I’d make the argument that it was a race where Apex at his best form, wins. Most recently, out of nowhere, he broke stride right at the start of the Kentucky Futurity. And it was a race in which the public wasn’t fooled either — at least with regards to Apex — where he was stone cold off a 6-5 morning line and drifted up to off-odds of over 4-1.

All of that said, a win in the Breeders Crown would put almost all of that well behind and once again put him well on his way to the top of the division. It would also avenge his fourth-place finish in last year’s Breeders Crown at 2. With a Breeders Crown win to go with his Hambletonian win and other stakes wins, his record would speak for itself.

As the current trending alternative to Apex, Nix Nacken has been red-hot in this second half of the season and is making an ever-continuing solid case for himself.

After being second to Apex with a first-over trip in that NJ Classic final, he came back to win the Canadian Trotting Classic in impressive, uncovered fashion over Apex and then followed that up a week later with a late charge to win the Kentucky Futurity. He continues to be wildly overlooked, winning at odds of 12-1 and then 17-1 in those last two races, and neither of those were flukes. If Nix Nacken were to win next week’s Breeders Crown final, that would complete a string of three highly coveted races and surely would be good enough to vault him into the division’s top spot – something completely unforeseen a few weeks ago.

3-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE

This division has turned into a fascinating one. It seemed like in the first part of the season that this division was being dominated by two fillies — Loua Dipa and Be Perfect BG — who seemed to stand apart from everyone else, but similar to the division prior, things look much different now.

Following an ill-fated move to try the Adios which was then followed by throat surgery, Loua Dipa did re-establish herself last month when winning both Jugette heats. Looking at it closer, the only three times she finished off the board this year were twice against males in the Adios, and then most recently from post 8 at Northfield in the Courageous Lady. She once again didn’t draw well for her elimination landing the outside post 8, but with the goal this week to make the final and then next week to win it, she’d be well on her way for repeat honors.

One filly who has quietly shot up in the rankings is Miss Jum Jabber. She’s a supplement to the Breeders Crown, and the PASS final and KYSS final winner has run her record on the year up to 13 wins from 17 starts. Hope Hill, who Miss Jum Jabber beat three different times in August and September at Lexington, turned the tables on Miss Jum Jabber in the Bluegrass and Garnsey the first two weeks there in October. A Breeders Crown win from either would put them in the discussion.

Sangria Summer is another that has to be right there in the mix too. Technically she beat Loua Dipa last out in the Courageous Lady, but doing so with a massive post advantage at Northfield and then doing it again, potentially next week in the Breeders Crown final would really be making a statement. She also has repeatedly beat the likes of top fillies Be Perfect BG and Darlin’s Angel, and a win in the Breeders Crown to
go with stakes such as the Lynch and Shady Daisy is another that gets put in the conversation in an increasingly open division.

Another filly worth mentioning is Whoomp, who has been flying under the radar in Indiana. She brings into the Breeders Crown that 11 5-6-0 record, which includes a mark of 1:48.3 taken in an Indiana Sires Stakes from July. With that record and a potential Breeders Crown to go with it – that would be a tough resume to knock.

2-YEAR-OLD COLT AND GELDING PACE

This division very well could come down to the Breeders Crown, or at the very least the Breeders Crown would be a major influence on how these 2-year-old male pacers shake out the rest of the way.

In a ridiculously stacked elimination race, Shalom Hanover and Starstruck Dreamer are joined by Ohio standout Night Surfer. If either of these three were to go on and win the final in a week, I’d have no problem with whomever that horse is leading the way or potentially even nailing down the year-end honor.

For that matter, Eastie Boy in the first of the two eliminations could make a case too. Sure, you could say he did luck out with the late scratch of Shalom Hanover in the moments leading up to the Metro final but give him credit for taking care of business that night when defaulted to the heavy race favorite. If he were to beat the killers next week, having Metro and Breeders Crown wins back-to-back do make a very compelling case.

HORSE OF THE YEAR

Take nothing away from Brandon Blvd who at this rate should be a lock for glamour division honors for the 3-year-old colt pacers, but as of this moment it does seem 4-year-old trotter Super Chapter has a firm grasp on the sport’s top spot and is in the midst of a special season.

His only defeats coming earlier in the season to On To Norway in a pair of thrilling and world-record breaking races at The Meadowlands, and he hasn’t lost since. Wins throughout that time include three Grade 1’s, the Cashman, Maple Leaf Trot, and the $1 million Yonkers International. With a win most recently in the Dayton Derby, he’s not only won five major races in a row but did so over four different sized ovals. He’s made the transition to a 4-year-old beautifully.

He opted for a bye this week into next week’s final, and a win at that time would put an exclamation point on a season to remember.