Final four Breeders Crown fields drawn

Cream Ridge, NJ – Twin B Joe Fresh (Roll With Joe), the No. 1-ranked horse in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, will leave from post five in Saturday’s $400,000 Breeders Crown Mare Pace at The Meadowlands and was made the 4-5 morning-line favorite.

The post-position draws for the finals of the Breeders Crown Mare Pace, Open Trot, 3-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot, and 3-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace, were held Tuesday as part of a luncheon at Hogan Equine in Cream Ridge.

Elimination winners drew for posts one through six before the remaining finalists were placed in open draws in their respective events.

Twin B Joe Fresh, who finished second to Grace Hill in the single Mare Pace elimination last week, has nine wins and two seconds in 11 starts this season for trainer Chris Ryder and driver Dexter Dunn. She has won 28 of 38 lifetime races, missing the top three only twice and earning $2.06 million. She had a nine-race win streak snapped in her Crown elimination, when she started from post 10 at The Big M.

“She’s fine,” Ryder said. “She’ll be ready. I keep saying the same thing, I have to pinch myself. She’s been winning, and winning well. It’s a big joy. It’s very exciting.”

Grace Hill (Always B Miki) will leave from post three for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and driver Todd McCarthy and was established as the 4-1 second choice. Grace Hill captured the Mare Pace in 2022. She has won 35 of 77 races and $1.86 million during her career. She missed the board in four straight starts during the summer but has three consecutive victories, two in conditioned classes, since a month layoff.

“She just needed some time off and we regrouped,” Morgan said after Grace Hill’s elim triumph. “Obviously, it paid off. She was real good in the last two starts, but she’s supposed to be against those horses. That worked to our benefit coming in here.”

The field also includes two-time Breeders Crown champion Sylvia Hanover (Always B Miki), who will leave from post nine for trainer Mark Steacy and driver Bob McClure and is 6-1. Canada’s 2023 Horse of the Year has won 20 of 37 lifetime races and earned $1.75 million.

In the draw for the 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers, elimination winners Mirage Hanover (Bettors Delight) and Captain Albano (Captaintreacherous) got posts one and five, respectively. Elim winners Daiquiri Hanover (Bar Hopping) and T C I (Cantab Hall) drew posts two and six, respectively, in the 3-year-old colt and gelding trot final.

There were no eliminations for the Open Trot, which features a field of 11.

The draws for the remaining eight Breeders Crown events were conducted previously. The Breeders Crown finals for all 2-year-old events will be Friday at The Meadowlands. The other events will be Saturday at The Big M. First-race post time is 6:20 p.m. (EDT) both nights. FOX Sports will air coverage from 8-11 p.m. both nights; Friday on FS1, Saturday on FS2.

Following are the fields for the Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace, 3-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot, Open Trot, and Mare Pace with morning-line odds.

$600,000 3-YEAR-OLD COLT AND GELDING PACE

PP – Horse (Sire) – Driver – Trainer – Odds

1 – Mirage Hanover (Bettors Delight) – Dexter Dunn – Jake Leamon – 9-5

2 – Nijinsky (Bettors Delight) – Louis Roy – Anthony Beaton – 3-1

3 – Calicojack Hanover (Captaintreacherous) – Louis Roy – Luc Blais – 15-1

4 – McCrunch (Captain Crunch) – Andrew McCarthy – Nancy Takter – 15-1

5 – Captain Albano (Captaintreacherous) – Todd McCarthy – Noel Daley – 8-5

6 – Sweet Beach Life (Sweet Lou) – Matt Kakaley – Travis Alexander – 20-1

7 – Timeisonmyside (Captain Crunch) – Anthony MacDonald – Tim Twaddle – 20-1

8 – Gem Quality (Captain Crunch) – Tim Tetrick – Chris Ryder – 15-1

9 – Captain Luke (Captaintreacherous) – Tim Tetrick – Tony Alagna – 10-1

10 – Howlenthehills (American Ideal) – Matt Kakaley – Travis Alexander – 25-1

$600,000 3-YEAR-OLD COLT AND GELDING TROT

PP – Horse (Sire) – Driver – Trainer – Odds

1 – Private Access (Muscle Hill) – Louis Roy – Luc Blais – 15-1

2 – Daiquiri Hanover (Bar Hopping) – Ake Svanstedt – Ake Svanstedt – 6-1

3 – Amazing Catch (Walner) – Dexter Dunn – Ake Svanstedt – 10-1

4 – Highland Kismet (Father Patrick) – Tim Tetrick – Mark Etsell – 9-2

5 – Security Protected (Father Patrick) – Scott Zeron – Marcus Melander –15-1

6 – T C I (Cantab Hall) – David Miller – Ron Burke – 5-2

7 – Greenspan (Greenshoe) – Todd McCarthy – Jim Campbell – 20-1

8 – Sig Sauer (Muscle Hill) – Andrew McCarthy – Noel Daley – 3-1

9 – Secret Agent Man (Chapter Seven) – Andy Miller – Julie Miller – 20-1

10 – Tony Adams S (Muscle Hill) – Dexter Dunn – Ake Svanstedt – 5-1

$600,000 OPEN TROT

PP – Horse (Sire) – Driver – Trainer – Odds

1 – Ari Ferrari J (Walner) – Jason Bartlett – Tony Alagna – 12-1

2 – Up Your Deo (Walner) – Ake Svanstedt – Ake Svanstedt – 12-1

3 – Asteroid (Creatine) – Tim Tetrick – Jeff Cullipher – 20-1

4 – It’s Academic (Uncle Peter) – David Miller – Ron Burke – 8-1

5 – Winner’s Bet (Walner) – Dexter Dunn – Nancy Takter – 6-5

6 – Hillexotic (Muscle Hill) – Austin Hanners – Todd Luther – 15-1

7 – Periculum (Muscle Hill) – Scott Zeron – Marcus Melander – 9-2

8 – Hasty Bid (My Mvp) – James MacDonald – Nancy Takter – 20-1

9 – Bestfriend Volo (Walner) – Yannick Gingras – Nancy Takter – 20-1

10 – Logan Park (Archangel) – Dexter Dunn – Robert Fellows – 3-1

11 – Oh Well (Muscle Hill) – Todd McCarthy – Marcus Melander – 10-1

$400,000 MARE PACE

PP – Horse (Sire) – Driver – Trainer – Odds

1 – Always B Naughty (Always B Miki) – Yannick Gingras – Nancy Takter – 10-1

2 – Strong Poison (Always B Miki) – Yannick Gingras – Virgil Morgan Jr. – 12-1

3 – Grace Hill (Always B Miki) – Todd McCarthy – Virgil Morgan Jr. – 4-1

4 – Silver Label (Always B Miki) – Scott Zeron – Nick Gallucci – 8-1

5 – Twin B Joe Fresh (Roll With Joe) – Dexter Dunn – Chris Ryder – 4-5

6 – Kobe’s Gigi (Jk Endofanera) – David Miller – Ron Burke – 20-1

7 – Beach Cowgirl (Captaintreacherous) – Jason Bartlett – Ron Burke – 25-1

8 – Dabarndawgswatchin (Hes Watching) – Tim Tetrick – David Menary – 20-1

9 – Sylvia Hanover (Always B Miki) – Bob McClure – Mark Steacy – 6-1

10 – Valar Dohaeris (Huntsville) – Mark MacDonald – Ake Svanstedt – 25-1

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA