Two megastars, same weekend, same city

Shoshei Otani and Dexter Dunn. TORONTO — 22 miles apart. SAME two nights. Each on the sports greatest championship stage. The World Series and the Breeders Crown. Baseball and harness racing once again united — this time with the sports two generational standouts front and center. WOW!

Parallel Paths of Greatness

Ohtani is 31 and 6,400 miles from his native Japan. Dex is 36 — 8,600 miles plus from New Zealand. Ohtani started in the majors in 2018 with the Los Angeles Angels before going to the Dodgers. Dex also made the North American commitment in 2018 at the urging of Chris Ryder before his 2019 explosion on the sports center stage.

Ohtani has been the NL MVP 3 of the last 4 years — about to be 4 out of 5. Dexter has been Driver Of The Year 5 of 6 years with another looming. Ohtani pitches too and comes off a game-for-the-ages in the playoffs with 6 shutout innings, 10 strikeouts and 3 home runs.

Dexter comes off a Breeders Crown mind-boggling 6 winner — 2024 effort — the highest single-year total in 41 editions.

Legends in Motion

Ohtani was 4th in the Cy Young voting the year (2022) he was runner-up in MVP. Dex was the part-OWNER of the 2024 Horse Of The Year Twin B Joe Fresh.

Ohtani has had 5 straight years of 46-35-44-54-55 home runs — Dex has won 21 Breeders Crowns in 67 tries — a 31.3% — the NEXT highest win percentage all-time (40 or more drives) is 18.6% (Brian Sears)!

Ohtani this year became the first EVER 50-50 player (Home runs and stolen bases). Dex is the first driver to 21 Breeders Crown wins in less than 70 drives (67).

September to Remember

Ohtani did not allow a run in his 3 September starts — Dex comes off a September to remember in 2024 as the ONLY driver to TWICE win a million-dollar race with Maryland in the Mohawk Million and Jiggy Jog S in the Yonkers Invitational.

Ohtani is the sport’s best two-way player since Babe Ruth — and that was a century ago. Dex is the best driver in the sport — not sure you say? Try this. Dex has a .419 UDRS in the Breeders Crown. NOBODY ELSE IS EVEN AT .300!! The next four are Svanstedt (.298), Mickey McNichol (.296), O’Donnell (.293) and Campbell at (.288). Heck, even the last .400 hitter in baseball — Ted Williams in 1941 at .406 — there were 21 OTHER hitters over .300.

Records That Defy Comparison

Ohtani is coming off a one-of-a-kind game AND season — Dex reset the bar in the most recent Breeders Crown with 6 wins and $2,052,000. The FIRST to win HALF THE CROWNS AND eclipse $2 million — EVER!!

Dex’s 21 Crown wins came at 35 years 56 days of age. TWENTY-ONE!! HALL OF FAMERS DAVE MILLER, RON PIERCE AND BRIAN SEARS were all older when they won their FIRST Breeders Crown!

Ohtani hasn’t allowed a run since August — Dex hasn’t allowed anyone to lead in Crown year-end earnings since 2019 (3rd).

Unique. Stand-Alone. Unmissable.

UNIQUE — as in Ohtani’s last game of 10 strikeouts and 3 homers — just two years ago Dex did what was not done in the Breeders Crown prior — in 2023 at Hoosier Park he won with the LOWEST PRICED WINNER ($2.20 Jiggy Jog S) and the HIGHEST PRICED winner (Gem Quality $47.20).

Ohtani is looking for consecutive World Series trophies — Dex set the all-time record in 2024 with EIGHT DIVISION WINNERS — THE HORSE OF THE YEAR — THE TROTTER OF THE YEAR AND PACER OF THE YEAR.

Many adjectives apply here. ONE OF A KIND — UNIQUE — STAND ALONE — CAN’T MISS TV — NOW SEE THIS — TAKEN THEIR SPORTS BY STORM.

Let’s sit back — one eye here, one eye there — and enjoy. Take it all in. Two sports — two mega-stars. ONE CITY — ONE WEEKEND.

Crowning moments or not — this is exactly what we were hoping for.

For complete race entries, click here.

Article compliments of Bob (Hollywood) Heyden