Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association

Upsets Abound in Freshman Breeders Crown: Fields Now Set

November 22, 2008

Upset winners prevailed as fields for a quartet of $700,000 Breeders Crown Championships for two-year-old trotters and pacers were decided Friday night at the Meadowlands.

Eight championship finals for two and three-year-olds, worth a combined $4.9 million, will be contested Saturday, Nov. 29 at the Meadowlands.

Captain Sir rallied from last to take the first of two $25,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace eliminations for father-son duo Carl and Jody Jamieson. Captain Sir trailed the field into the stretch and sailed down the lane to catch Art Colony by a nose in 1:52.3. Sent off at 38-1, Captain Sire paid $78.20, $18.60 and $5.80 in the night's sixth race. Well Said, Dial Or Nodial and Magicmaker Hanover also advanced to the final. "He's been a real fast colt all along," said driver Jody Jamieson. "When he kicked for home, he kicked real hard. It's been a long year. These horses have been going a long time save for Art Colony, and he was second. It says something about the class of the two-year-old horses this year. These horses can last a long time and they've all got good money on their cards. We're just lucky tonight to have a fresh horse coming up."

Captain Sir has now won three of six lifetime starts. Trainer Carl Jamieson shares ownership of the Art Major-Yankee Luck colt with Thomas Kyron, Arthur Slack and George Harrison.

Major In Art [$4.20] fought off a wall of challengers to win the second elim for the Two-Year-Old Colt Pace. Brian Sears completed a Crown hat trick as he steered the son of Art Major-Miami Spice to a 1:53.4 victory. Trained by Justin Lebo, Major In Art swept the Woodrow Wilson and Metro earlier this season. Also heading to next week's final are Clear Vision, Artists Rally, If I Can Dream and Western Dakota.

Double-digit winners also dominated the elims for the Two-Year-Old Filly Trot. Musical Mystery [$66.60] nipped world-record holder Honorable Daughter in the final strides to win the last of the three elims in 1:56.3. Mike Lachance steered Musical Mystery to her sixth win in 11 starts. Her credits include the American-National on Sept. 16 at Balmoral Park. Ron Gurfein trains the daughter of Cantab Hall for owner/breeder Brittany Farms. The filly's dam, Musical Victory, won the 1998 Breeders Crown.

All Star Hanover [$29.20] and Yursa Hanover [$19.20] took the other two elims with respective 1:59 and 1:56.2 victories. The rest of the Two-Year-Old Filly Trot finalists are Celebrity Athena, Celebrity Juliet, I Wanted Wings, Michelle's Way, Timelesswinner Two and Southwind Wasabi.

Muscle Hill [$2.40] extended his streak to seven in the first of two elims for the Two-Year-Old Colt Trot. With Brian Sears in tow, Muscle Hill bucked the trend as one of the few front-end winners on a bitterly cold evening with a 1:57.2 mile. Trained by Greg Peck, Muscle Hill won the Peter Haughton and New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship at the Meadowlands. His lone loss was a second in his career debut. The son of Muscles Yankee-Yankee Blondie is owned by Jerry Silva and TLP Stable.

Explosive Matter [$3.40] remained undefeated as he picked up his fifth win in the second of the freshman trot elims for driver Ron Pierce, trainer Noel Daley and Adam Victor & Son Stable. One of three elim winners sired by Cantab Hall, Explosive Matter won the Matron Final at Dover in his start prior.

Cesar A Blue Chip, Citation Lindy, Federal Flex, Keystone Activator, Select Yankee, Triumphant Caviar, Tom Cango and Winning Mister.

White Birch Farm's Racing Star [$33.40] lived up to her name as she pounced off a ground-saving journey to win the first of two elims for the Two-Year-Old Filly Pace. Yannick Gingras steered the chestnut filly to a 1:54 victory for trainer Jeff Stafford. In the second elim, Hawaiian Drink [$3.20] held on for a 1:55.3 victory for Brian Sears and trainer Tracy Brainard.

Also advancing to the Two-Year-Old Filly Pace are Break The News, Fox Valley Topaz, Ginger And Fred, Notjustaprettyface, Special Sweetheart, Thou Shalt Not, Twist N Clout and Warrawee Kay.

Post positions for the Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Championships will be drawn early Saturday evening and announced prior to the start of the racing card. Elimination winners may select their post positions for the final.

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Upsets Abound in Freshman Breeders Crown: Fields Now Set