Harness racing’s No. 1-ranked horse, Twin B Joe Fresh, will start her pursuit of a Breeders Crown from post 10 when she competes in Saturday’s (Oct. 19) lone Mare Pace elimination at the Meadowlands. First-race post time Saturday is 6:20 p.m. (EDT).

Twin B Joe Fresh will be among the 98 horses ages 3 and up competing in elims Saturday. In addition to the single Mare Pace elimination, the Meadowlands will host two $25,000 elims each for 3-year-old male and female pacers, 3-year-old male and female trotters, and older male pacers. The Open Trot and Mare Trot went straight to finals.

All finals for horses ages 3 and up will be Oct. 26 at The Meadowlands, one night after the 2-year-olds take center stage. Elimination winners, in an order determined by lot, will draw for post positions one through six in their respective finals. All other finalists will be placed in an open draw for the remaining post positions.

The top eight finishers in the Breeders Crown Mare Pace elimination will join bye recipients Silver Label and Strong Poison in the final. In Saturday’s remaining elims, the top five finishers from each will advance to their respective finals.

Twin B Joe Fresh has won nine consecutive starts for trainer Chris Ryder since beginning her season with a second-place finish against male rivals in a conditioned race. Her victories include the Dayton Distaff Derby, Roses Are Red Stakes, Milton Stakes, Lady Liberty, Dorothy Haughton Memorial, and Perfect Sting Stakes. She has spent 14 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll.

Among the remaining mares in the elim is two-time Breeders Crown champion Sylvia Hanover from the stable of Mark and Shawn Steacy. She will leave from post four.

The eliminations for 3-year-old male pacers feature Little Brown Jug, Adios and Max C. Hempt Memorial winner Captain Albano, trained by Noel Daley and ranked No. 4 in the Top 10 poll, and North America Cup and Ontario Sires Stakes champion Nijinsky, trained by Anthony Beaton and ranked No. 6. The group also includes returning Breeders Crown champ Gem Quality, another Ryder trainee.

Captain Albano is in the first elimination; Nijinsky and Gem Quality are in the second.

Hambletonian champion Karl, also a returning Breeders Crown winner, leads a group of 17 horses in the elims for 3-year-old male trotters. The Nancy Takter trainee is ranked No. 5 in the Top 10.

Among other hopefuls are Daley-trained Kentucky Futurity and Earl Beal Jr. Memorial winner Sig Sauer, Åke Svanstedt-trained Canadian Trotting Classic winner Amazing Catch, and Mark Etsell-trained Goodtimes winner Highland Kismet. Sig Sauer is ranked No. 8 in the Top 10.

Karl and Highland Kismet are in the second elimination; Sig Sauer and Amazing Catch are in the first.

Returning Breeders Crown winner and Hambletonian Oaks champ Warrawee Michelle, trained by Svanstedt, is among the 20 horses in the elims for 3-year-old female trotters. The group features 12 Grand Circuit winners, including Svanstedt-trained Elegantimage winner French Champagne, John Butenschoen-trained Kentucky Filly Futurity champ R Melina, and Lucas Wallin-trained 2023 Dan Patch Award recipient Soiree Hanover.

Warrawee Michelle, Soiree Hanover and R Melina meet in the second elim. French Champagne is in the first.

Eighteen fillies were entered in the event for 3-year-old female pacers, including returning Breeders Crown winner My Girl EJ, trained by Ron Burke. The group also includes fellow multiple Grand Circuit winners Caviart Belle, trained by Takter; Its A Love Thing, trained by Dave Menary; and Rocket Deo, trained by Brett Pelling. Its A Love Thing’s victories include the Fan Hanover Stakes.

My Girl EJ is in the first elimination. Caviart Belle, Its A Love Thing and Rocket Deo meet in the second.

Returning Breeders Crown champ Bythemissal, another Burke trainee, is among 17 horses in the Open Pace. The group also includes Andrew Harris-trained multiple Grand Circuit winner Abuckabett Hanover, Linda Toscano-trained Canadian Pacing Derby winner It’s My Show, and Larry Stalbaum-trained Sam McKee Memorial winner Rocknroll Runa A.

Bythemissal and It’s My Show are in the first elim; Abuckabett Hanover and Rocknroll Runa A are in the second.

All 3-year-old finals plus the Open Pace and Open Trot finals will go for $600,000. The Mare Trot final will have a purse of $496,000 because of two supplements, and the Mare Pace final will go for $400,000.

For Saturday’s complete entries, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Meadowlands.

Metro Pace champion Fallout, ranked No. 10 in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, will lead the way Friday afternoon (Oct. 18) when the Meadowlands hosts nine $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations for 2-year-old pacers and trotters. First-race post time Friday is 12:30 p.m. (EDT).

Fallout will be among 72 freshmen competing in elims Friday. Two other 2-year-olds, male trotter Maryland and female trotter Champagne Problems, will advance directly to their event’s finals thanks to their wins in last month’s Peter Haughton Memorial and Jim Doherty Memorial, respectively. Maryland is ranked No. 7 in the sport’s Top 10 poll.

All 2-year-old Breeders Crown finals will be Oct. 25 at the Big M. Elimination winners as well as Maryland and Champagne Problems, in an order determined by lot, will draw for post positions one through six in their respective finals. All other finalists will be placed in an open draw for the remaining post positions.

Sixteen 2-year-old male pacers were entered in the Breeders Crown, requiring two eliminations. The top five finishers from each elim will advance to the final.

Fallout, the sport’s richest freshman male pacer with $486,750 in purses for trainer Tony Alagna, will leave from post six in the second elimination. The son of Captaintreacherous-Aria Hanover brings a three-race win streak to his elim and has won four of nine races overall.

Among the remaining male pacers competing in Friday’s elims are Ohio Sires Stakes champion Sippinonsearoc and Kentucky Sire Stakes champion Louprint, both trained by Ron Burke. They rank second and third, respectively, in earnings for 2-year-old male pacers. Sippinonsearoc is the fastest 2-year-old in history, with a mark of 1:48.2. They meet in the first elimination.

There also will be two elims for the 2-year-old male trotters, with 16 horses in action as they look to join Maryland in the final. The top- our finishers from each elim plus the fifth-place finisher with the highest earnings will advance to the final.

That group includes Grand Circuit and Kentucky Sire Stakes winner Super Chapter and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion Meshuggah, who, like Maryland, are trained by Marcus Melander. Also in the mix is Grand Circuit winner Memento Mori, an Eric Patalan trainee whose 1:51.4 mark is tied for the season’s best by a freshman trotter. Meshuggah and Memento Mori are in the first elim; Super Chapter is in the second.

There will be three eliminations for 2-year-old female trotters, with 23 fillies in action Friday as they attempt to join Nancy Takter-trained Champagne Problems in the final. The top three finishers from each elim will advance to the final.

Among the hopefuls are Grand Circuit winners Aperfect Annie, R Dutchess, Royal Mission, and Sound Judgement. Aperfect Annie, trained by Carter Pinske, also counts the Kentucky Sire Stakes championship among her wins while Melander-trained Royal Mission is the New York Sire Stakes champ.

Jim Oscarsson-trained Sound Judgement and John Butenschoen-trained R Dutchess are among the season’s fastest rookie female trotters, right behind 1:51.4 performer Luna Lovegood, another Melander trainee.

Seventeen 2-year-old female pacers were entered in the Breeders Crown, resulting in two eliminations. The top five finishers from each elim will advance to the final.

Jared Bako will send out two of this season’s highest money-winning freshman fillies, New York Sire Stakes champion and She’s A Great Lady runner-up The Last Martini and NYSS runner-up Cowgirl Hanover. The duo has combined for more than $700,000 in purses.

Burke has a trio of Grand Circuit winners in Rose, Looksgoodinloulou, and Rodeo Drive Deo. Looksgoodinloulou has a mark of 1:48.3, tied for the fastest in history by a 2-year-old female pacer while Rose also has the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes title to her credit. Chris Ryder-trained Miki And Minnie is a Grand Circuit winner and Kentucky Sire Stakes champion.

Cowgirl Hanover, Looksgoodinloulou, Rodeo Drive Deo, and Miki And Minnie are in the first elim. Rose and The Last Martini are in the second.

For Friday’s complete entries, click the following link: Friday Entries — Meadowlands

Princess Jackie will look to be queen for a day when she meets six rivals in the second of three $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations for 2-year-old female trotters Friday afternoon at The Meadowlands. First-race post time Friday is 12:30 p.m. (EDT).

FULL STORY CLICK HERE

The 2024 Breeders Crown Charity Challenge continues this weekend, October 18-19th, with the Challenge Influencer Handicapping Contest.

Jessica Otten, Dawnelle Mock, Jenna Otten, and Mary McDermott will battle it out in this mythical contest to earn needed points for their respective teams.

·         SBH Health System, Bronx, NY

·         Team Gingras: Jenna Otten, Tony Alagna, Burke Racing/Weaver Bruscemi

·        Friends of Union County

·          Team Dunn: Jessica Otten, Nancy Takter, Courant

·        enCourage Kids, NY

·          Team Tetrick: Mary McDermott, Ake Svanstedt, Bill Pollock

·        New Jersey YMCA State Alliance

·          Team David Miller: Dawnelle Mock, Marcus Melander, Brad Grant

Handicapping Contest Format

• Each race night, the influencers will be given $100 in “mythical battle money.”
• Their mythical wagers can be on any race/wager offered on the race card.
• The $100 must be wagered each night
• The combined earnings from each night will determine the order of finish, with 1st receiving 50 points, 2nd 25 points, 3rd 15 points, and 4th 10 points.

Remaining Ways Teams Earn Points:

• • Through October 19, Driver and Trainer team performance on the Grand Circuit. Every time they are in a primary stakes race, they earn points that are calculated.

  • Through October 24, Fan Voting:  fans, charity participants, and everyone in between can vote on each day of the challenge for their favorite team. Voting is live at https://playmeadowlands.com/breeders-crown-charity-challenge/

The teams have already earned points in the August double-seater jog cart race. SBH Health System from the Bronx, with CFO Mary Grochowiski, took home first place and 50 points. Julie Gallanty, CEO of the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance, grabbed 25 points by finishing second. Emma Wolk, the Director of Development at Kids’ Direct, scored 15 points with her third-place finish. John Roman, representing Friends of Union County, received 10 points.

Additional points were earned at the Charity Challenge Open House, where SBH took home 50 points, enCourage Kids and the NJ YMCA State Alliance earned 17 points, and Friends of Union County earned 16 points.

The check presentations will take place on Friday, October 25, following Race 2 on the night’s card, which features the Breeders Crown two-year-old Finals.

The Breeders Crown Charity Challenge was conceived to create positive relationships with the local community, raise awareness, and fund local charities. From 2019-2023 the Challenge raised over $1.5 Million for charity. This year’s Challenge has raised over $345,000.

Thank you to the 2024 Charity Challenge Sponsors:

• Diamond Sponsors: Meadowlands Racetrack & FanDuel

• Platinum Sponsors

  • Marvin & Lynn Katz

  • Diamond Creek

  • Brad Grant

  • Burke Racing & Weaver Bruscemi

  • Bill Pollock

  • Anders Strom – Courant, Inc.

  • Takter Stable

  • Melander Stable

  • Svanstedt Stable

  • Alagna Racing

  • Brittany Farms

  • Kentuckiana Farms

  • Hunterton Sales Agency

  • Cameo Hills Farm

  • Armitage Farm

  • M&L of Delaware

• Gold Sponsors

  • Dexter Dunn

  • Yannick Gingras

  • Dave Miller

  • Tim Tetrick

  • Julie Miller

  • Carter Pinske

  • Southwind Farms

  • Walnridge Farm

  • Lucas Wallin

  • Todd McCarthy

  • Scott Zeron

Everything Breeders Crown can be viewed at https://playmeadowlands.com/event/breeders-crown-championships/

Reminder to get dining reservations in for Breeders Crown Eliminations weekend, October 18-19, and Breeders Crown Finals weekend, October 25-26.

Friday, October 18, has a special post time of 12:30 p.m., while Saturday, October 19, Friday, October 25, and Saturday, October 26, have a post time of 6:20 p.m.

This Friday’s $49.95 (plus tax and gratuity) lunch buffet includes pulled pork sandwiches, sausage and peppers, cheesesteak eggrolls and chili with sweet jalapeno-honey butter cornbread.

Saturday’s $49.95 (plus tax and gratuity) dinner buffet features Swedish meatballs, hand-carved roast beef, lemon-herb Salmon and ginger soy chicken.

Pink Restaurant’s buffet on Finals night, Friday, October 25, features shrimp cocktail, Gouda-stuffed arancini, and grilled Caesar salad.  Guests can also dine on chili-rubbed NY strip, baked Mahi Mahi with a lemon dill sauce, and moist carrot cake. Friday’s menu is $74.95 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

Saturday’s buffet is $79.95 plus tax and gratuity and is highlighted by a seafood tower filled with shrimp, clams, oysters, and crab legs. Other menu features include lobster bisque, roasted ribeye, and sweet and sour chicken.

Reservations can be made by calling 201-The-BIGM (201-843-2446). All reservations must be prepaid.

Guests looking for ala carte dining can enjoy our 2nd floor Lounge, which is the place to be to watch and wager all the racing and the day’s sports action. Guests can dine on delicious Victory Sports Bar fare, including wings, burgers, lobster mac and cheese, salads, wraps, and more. The purchase price is a food credit that will be applied to the food and beverage bill. Tax and gratuity are not included in this credit and are additional.

Available Seating/Dining Options for purchase include:

Grandstand Bar Seat: $50 per seat

Grandstand Lounge Table:  $100 per two-person table/$200 for a four-person table.

Grandstand Lounge Couch: $200 per two-person section, complete with couch.  

Tables are now available for purchase at https://www.playmeadowlands.events/event-details/bc-dining-tickets.

A record 194 horses were entered Tuesday for the $7 million Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands, topping the previous high of 185 set last year at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Eliminations will be required for all but two events, the Open Trot and Mare Trot. Post-position draws will be available later this afternoon.

Eliminations for all 2-year-old events will be held Friday afternoon at The Meadowlands. First-race post time Friday is 12:30 p.m. (EDT). Eliminations for the remaining events, for horses ages 3 and up, will be held Saturday night at The Big M. First-race post time Saturday is 6:20 p.m. (EDT).

Eleven horses were entered in the Breeders Crown Open Trot and will advance directly to the Oct. 26 final: Ari Ferrari J, Asteroid, Bestfriend Volo, Hasty Bid, Hillexotic, It’s Academic, Logan Park, Oh Well, Periculum, Up Your Deo, and Winner’s Bet.

Nine horses were entered in the Breeders Crown Mare Trot and will advance directly to the final, also on Oct. 26: Baroness Hill, Call Me Goo, M-M’s Dream, Nelsonbriteagle NO, Pioneer As, Refined, Swans Eye, Tactical Mounds, and Warrawee Xenia. Call Me Goo and Nelsonbriteagle NO were supplemental entries.

According to a Facebook post from the Svanstedt Stable, Jiggy Jog S has been retired from racing due to a “small tear on her sesamoid ligament” after her last start in the Dayton Derby.

The decision and announcement came Monday (Oct. 14) and indicated “she is not lame or in any pain” and will continue her career as a broodmare.

Following is the Facebook post making the announcement.

“Today we made the decision to stop racing Jiggy Jog. After her last start in the Dayton Derby, we noticed something wasn’t right. We had her examined by two veterinarians and it was found she has a small tear on her sesamoid ligament, which is very uncommon in Standardbreds.

“Good news is, we caught it early and she is not lame or in any pain.

“She has given us so much joy and excitement for four years.

“Every time she went behind the gate, it was a pleasure to watch her amazing technique, speed and fighting instinct to win.

“She gave 110% every time!

“Now we look forward to her next chapter in life as a broodmare. We want to wish her and all her owners a successful breeding career.

“A big thank you to her best friend and caretaker Rene Lopez for your professional support and care for her throughout these years.

“Thank you to her driver Dexter Dunn.

“Thank you ~ JIGGY JOG.”

Trotting mares Call Me Goo and Nelsonbriteagle NO, both from the stable of trainer Ake Svanstedt, have been supplemented to the upcoming Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands. The deadline for supplemental entries was noon Monday. No other horses were supplemented.

The cost to supplement for each mare was $48,000. The one-time supplemental payment also makes the horses eligible to all future Breeders Crown events under the normal schedule of payments.

Any necessary eliminations for horses ages 3 and older, including the Breeders Crown Mare Trot, will be contested Saturday night (Oct. 19) at The Big M. First-race post time is 6:20 p.m. (EDT). Any necessary eliminations for 2-year-olds will be held Friday afternoon (Oct. 18) at The Meadowlands. First-race post time Friday is 12:30 p.m. (EDT).

The entry box for all horses eligible to the Breeders Crown closes at 9 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday (Oct. 15).

Call Me Goo, a 4-year-old daughter of Googoo Gaagaa-Callmemza, has hit the board in 31 of 35 career races, winning 22 and earning $688,518.

This season, she has six victories and three seconds in 12 starts. She enters the Breeders Crown off a 1:51.4 triumph in the Allerage Farms Mare Trot on Oct. 6 at Lexington’s Red Mile, where she defeated Nelsonbriteagle NO by a neck. She also captured the Armbro Flight Stakes in a career-best 1:51.2 in June at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Call Me Goo is owned by Graham Grace Stables and Ake Svanstedt Inc. She was bred by William “Bib” Roberts.

Nelsonbriteagle NO, a 6-year-old daughter of Bold Eagle-Lindy’s Holiday, is in her first season competing in North America.

She has hit the board in all seven of her starts here, winning two and earning $98,955. She won the Miss Versatility Series championship on Sept. 19 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in central Ohio and a conditioned race in a career-best 1:51.1 on Sept. 6 at The Meadowlands, where she beat Call Me Goo by a nose.

Nelsonbriteagle NO, who won 11 races and earned $81,674 overseas, is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc. and breeder Nils Johan Munkhaugen.