Celebrity Bambino, Up Your Deo, Helpfirstedition win BC elims

ANDERSON, Ind.— A trio of $25,000 eliminations for the Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt and Gelding harness racing trotters went to post on Saturday night (Oct. 21) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with top honors claimed by Celebrity Bambino, Up Your Deo and Helpfirstedition.

Celebrity Bambino (Muscle Hill) unfurled a front-stepping effort as the 8-5 second choice to dominate the first elimination in 1:53.1.

Yannick Gingras pushed Celebrity Bambino for the front through a :27.1 first quarter and coasted up the backside to a :57.1 half. Celebrity Bambino remained strong on the helm through the final turn and clocked by three-quarters in 1:25.4 before kicking dust to the field in the lane and posting a 1-1/2-length victory over 3-2 favorite French Wine, who pushed first over through the final turn to take second. Osceola completed the finalists.

“Yeah, I wanted to play it by ear and see how the gate would unfold,” Yannick Gingras said. “I thought Dougie [McNair with Osceola] would move, but he didn’t, and I was looking to follow somebody, but I had to pull. It just worked out that way and he went on to the wire.”

CELEBRITY BAMBINO REPLAY

Celebrity Bambino has now won 10 times from 26 starts and earned $859,945 for owners Burke Racing Stable, J&T Silva Stables, Knox Services and Phil Collura. White Birch Farm bred the Ron Burke trainee who paid $5.40 to win.

Up Your Deo (Walner) mounted a furious charge up the open stretch to snag a 1:53.1 victory in the second elimination.

Trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt sent Up Your Deo for the top but yielded command to Kilmister through a :27 first quarter with Winner’s Bet on the wings. Winner’s Bet then brushed to the front up the backstretch and took the field by the half in :56.4. He snagged a breather through the final turn to clock three-quarters in 1:26 but folded when under siege in the lane.

A four-pronged battalion swarmed into action in the last eighth with Up Your Deo cutting through the inside to grab the lead which he held to the beam by three-quarters of a length. Tactical Approach ground first over to take second with Kilmister swooping into third and Air Power, on seasonal earnings, securing the last berth into the final.

“It’s actually been a little up and down [for him this year] but now he is finding himself again,” Sarah Svanstedt said. “He did great today. I am very thankful for our horses and the team behind us. It’s a whole team so I want to thank everyone out there. They work very hard.” 

UP YOUR DEO REPLAY

Winning his sixth race from 20 starts, Up Your Deo has now banked $612,702 for owners Ake Svanstedt, Suleyman Yuksel Stables, Deo Volente Farms and Van Camp Trotting Corp. Deo Volente Farms bred the colt by Walner who paid $11 to win.

The final elimination went emphatically to the lone supplement of the 2023 Breeders Crown when Helpfirstedition (Helpisontheway) and driver John De Long rolled to the lead and knocked out his rivals with a 1:53.1 mile.

Getting away fifth, Helpfirstedition followed the outer flow through a :26.2 first quarter set by Dire Straits before Point Of Perfect took the lead. Point Of Perfect then reigned back for the pocket up the backside when 4-5 favorite Ari Ferrari J swooped to take the lead.

Helpfirstedition soon found himself uncovered on the rim and pressed forward to complete the shuffle for the lead and clock a :56 half. From there Helpfirstedition peeled away from his peers. He clocked by three-quarters in 1:25.2 and sailed away to a 3-1/2 length victory over Ari Ferrari J with Dire Straits holding third.

“I had a sense of relief when he hit the stretch,” said Lester Schmucker of Running Wild Stable. “I kind of thought he was home free. It was the first time he has ever been on the front, and I just want to give thanks to the team.” 

HELPFIRSTEDITION REPLAY

Helpfirstedition paid a $72,000 supplemental fee to compete in the Breeders Crown after his 1:53.3 victory in the $250,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final on Oct. 13. Unraced as a 2-year-old, the gelding has won eight times from 19 starts and accrued $394,875 for owners Erv Wickey, John Graber, Running Wild Stable and John Schmucker. Martin Wickey bred the Melissa Essig trainee. John De Long piloted him to a victory where he returned $8.20.

The draw for the Open Pace, Open Trot, and sophomore colt trot and pace events will be conducted live on Monday, Oct. 23 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park and streamed live on their Facebook page.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Ray Cotolo, for The Breeders Crown