$600,000 Breeders Crown Colt Pace May Be Best Race of the Night

$600,000 Breeders Crown Colt Pace May Be Best Race of the Night

The $600,000 Breeders Crown two-year-old pacing colt final is shaping up as the race of the year.

Friday’s eliminations yielded some surprises that are certain to add balance to this year’s final. Fashion Delight selected post two after his courageous front-end victory. The Woodrow Wilson champion, owned by Fashion Farms of New Hope, Pa., has earned more than $310,000 in his first year on the racetrack. Trainer Jim Campbell was delighted after the race. "We tried to get him an overnite here last week, but that race didn’t fill. I’m happy with his performance.

R. Peter Heffering’s Foreclosure N has found his best stride lately and again showed his power on Friday with a pocket-rocket style trip to victory in a Crown elimination. Driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer Mark Steacy Steacy’s son Shawn commented on the performance, "He’s a really smart colt. He can go from zero to 100 which really helps him on any sized track." Foreclosure N took a personal best 1:52.1 mile in winning for the third straight time and fifth in eight tries this year.

The biggest surprise of the Crown trials occurred when race favorites Big Jim and Wink N Atcha tested the early pace with sizzling hot fractions of :25.4, ::54.1 and 1:21.3. Big Jim had the lead into the stretch but Jim Morrill guided Shadyshark Hanover with an explosive move on the far outside to collar the leaders and set the track mark of 1:51 in the process. Owned by J. Fielding, R. Strachan, R. Michelon and Erv Miller Stable, the son Cams Card Shark won for the third time in nine starts this year. Miller said "Jim (Morrill) just did a masterful job of getting him around there."

The complete field for the $600,000 Breeders Crown two-year-old colt pace final on October 9 reads in post order with listed drivers: Westwardho Hanover (Brett Miller), Fashion Delight (Dave Miller), Foreclosure N (Tim Tetrick), Shadyshark Hanover (Jim Morrill Jr.), Hugadragon (Dave Palone), Line Officer (George Brennan), Big Jim (Phil Hudon), Great Vintage (John Campbell), Big Bad John (Dave Palone). AE 1 is Lookinforadventure and AE2 Rollwithitharry