Watching/Following/Wagering On The Breeders Crown? Read This
By Bob “Hollywood” Heyden
DRIVERS
45 Drivers have won at least $1 Million in the Breeders Crown
21 were born in Canada, 17 in the USA, 4 in Sweden, 2 in Australia and 1 in New Zealand
29 drivers are past $2 Million
9 drivers are past $5 Million
10 drivers have double digit wins
TRAINERS
52 Trainers have won at least $1 Million
6 trainers have won double digit Crowns-Joe Holloway joined in last years with 52-1 AMMO
12/52 born in Canada
51 trainers are past $1 Million in Breeders Crown earnings
Ron Burke last year surpassed Campbell with the most starters all time in finals 195
Burke has had double digit starters each of the past 12 years-only 23 times in HISTORY has a trainer had ten or more
Brett Pelling is 43G from becoming the 4th all-time leading trainer in $$ with Chucky Sylvester currently is #4.
MAGNIFICENT SEVEN-$100 HORSES IN BREEDERS CROWN HISTORY
$409.80 2020 Sandbetweenmytoes Scott Zeron Jim Campbell
$152.00 Kadealia Tim Tetrick George Teague, Jr. 2007
$140.60 Bays Fella Paul Macdonnell 1990
$132.00 Twelve Speed Ron Waples 1991
$108.20 Shore By Five Dan Dube Bob McIntosh 1999
$106.00 Percy Blue Chip Matt Kakaley Ron Burke 2018
$102.80 Southwind Serena Yannick Gingras Per Henriksen 2007
BILLION DOLLAR BOYS CLUB
They're all here!!
1) John Campbell $299,892,141
2) Dave Miller $280,050,728
3) Tim Tetrick $266,424,341
4) Yannick Gingras $227,211,484
(Brian Sears #6 and George Brennan #7 ALSO here-only Pierce #5 retired outside of Campbell)
DEXTER DUNN BREEDERS CROWN SCORECARD
4X DRIVER OF THE YEAR HERE-7X IN NEW ZEALAND
12 wins in 43 tries-IN ONLY FOUR YEARS of action!
43 12-7-5 $4,764,015. #10 all time in earnings and he jumped from #16 to #10 JUST LAST YEAR
8/12 wins were favored
Won Back To Back Crowns with Amigo Volo (2 & 3-2019-2020)
8/12 wins were with trotters
$8.20 is the HIGHEST WIN PRICE he has paid (Fire Start Hanover Hoosier 2020)
He won FOUR Crowns in his lone Hoosier Park Crown (2020).
NINE times a driver has won 4 or more Crowns in a single season-5 times they have done it twice. Can Dexter become the first driver to do so THREE TIMES? (Sears/Yannick also can do so for the THIRD TIME!)
TWICE-JC-DEX-YANNICK-PIERCE-SEARS......ONCE MILLER-TETRICK-ANDY MCCARTHY-LACHANCE
2022 Dexter joined elite company with BOTH the "TROTTER" and "PACER" Of The Year
2022 Dex Bulldog Hanover and Bella Bellini
2014 Ron Pierce Sweet Lou and Shake It Cerry
2012 Tim Tetrick Captaintreacherous and Chapter Seven
1994 John Campbell Cams Card Shark and Pine Chip
BILLION $ BOYS CLUB-THE ORIGINATORS
Who were the first four drivers to combine for $100 MILLION LIFETIME?
(PRE-Breeders Crown)
1979
Herve Filion $29 MILLION
Billy Haughton $28 MILLION
Carmine Abbatiello $22 MILLION
Del Insko $21 MILLION
REVISITING THE $409.80 WINNER AT HOOSIER PARKS BREEDERS CROWN
2020
Sandbetweenmytoes-3YOG by Somebeachsomewhere
30-1 Morning Line
Scott Zeron-Jim Campbell
Neck OVER Horse Of The Year Tall Dark Stranger
Record going INTO that night: 15 6-1-1 $237,155 after going 1-9 as a freshman
7/5 FAVORITE in the Bluegrass
23-1 and 34-1 odds in most recent two starts.
Last to qualify (5th) in his Crown Elim.
THAT win price is $257.80 MORE than Kadealia in 2007 #2 all time
AKE AND THE TRAINER-DRIVERS IN THE CROWN
Ake's THREE driving AND training wins the past couple of Breeders Crown seasons have put him alone on the list of those who have done BOTH:
Jimmy Takter 27 2-3-2
Richard Stillings 17 2-2-1
Jan Nordin 19 2-0-2
Ray Remmen 11 2-0-1
Roger Mayotte 6 2-1-1
Clint Galbraith 3-2-0-0
Stig Johansson 4 2-0-0
Ole Goop 3 2-0-0
SCOTTY IN THE BREEDERS CROWN
9 Triple Crowns
6 Breeders Crowns
15 "CROWNS"-11/15 for the LADIES
(8-9 Triple Crowns & 3/6 Breeders Crowns)
$409.80 the all time high water mark
2016 Call Me Queen Be for Ross Croghan
2018 Captain Crunch for Nancy Takter
2020 Sandbetweenmytoes for Jim Campbell
2021 Monte Miki for Mark Evers...
2021 Rocknificent for Linda Toscano
2022 Treacherous Dragon for Nancy Takter
..
SIRING UPDATES
NO SBSW for the first time since 2011-LAST year SBSW took over as #1 in earnings in the Crowns 39 YEAR HISTORY
There have been TWO FRESHMAN named "TROTTER" and "PACER" of the year-and BOTH are prominent on the 2023 Breeders Crown card
Cantab Hall 2003 AT 2-He was 10-10 concluding with a romp in the Breeders Crown to seal the deal "TROTTER OF THE YEAR"
He will be heard from especially with his son TCI who is a strong possibility to follow in his footsteps as both a Breeders Crown winner AND Trotter of the Year.
Captaintreacherous was the 2012 "PACER OF THE YEARS" despite being upended by Rockin Amadeus in the Breeders Crown. He will be prominent as usual in all pacing divisions.
AND FINALLY....
10 AMAZING BREEDERS CROWN FACTS THRU THE YEARS
10) It's been 22 YEARS since the SAME SIRE won the 2 YOCT and the 3 YOCT in the Breeders Crown in the SAME YEAR: 2001 Balanced Image Liberty Balance in the 3 YOCT and Duke Of York in the 2 YOCT. Tactical Landing certainly has a a big chance with headliners such as Karl and Tactical Approach.
9) It's been 20 years since the SAME SIRE has both WON the Crown 3 YOCT themselves and then sired the winner of the same trotting division in their VERY FIRST CROP. Muscles Yankee 1998 and then Mr Muscleman in 2003. Tactical Landing won the 2018 Breeders Crown and can duplicate that in 2023.
8) Jan Johnson the ONLY member (31 in it) of the $1 Million $ driving club in the Breeders Crown WITHOUT winning one!~ 31 0-3-7 $1,009,912
7) WHO HAS MADE THE MOST MONEY IN THE BREEDERS CROWN THE LAST FOUR YEARS? AMIGO VOLO $700,000 (1st 2019....1st 2020....2nd 2022 at 102-1)
6) Trond Smedshammer has won NINE BREEDERS CROWNS-ALL TROTS-ALL WITH SEARS!
5) It's been 28 YEARS since a DIFFERENT DRIVER WON EVERY BREEDERS CROWN RACE-1995-YET-this has happened TWELVE TIMES ON THE TRAINING SIDE!!.
4) FOUR STRAIGHT years a driver from the land down under has led in all Breeders Crowns earnings. Andy McCarthy 2019-Dexter Dunn EACH of the last three years. NO driver from the land down under ever PRIOR had landed in the top ten in any year.
3) 1984-2001 NO Ladies in the Crown in the winners circle
2002-2022 29 TIMES Ladies have prevailed-11 different ladies-with Linda Toscano and Nancy Takter leading the parade with 8 each.
2) Brian Sears and Dexter Dunn have THE BEST FOUR YEAR STRETCHES IN BREEDERS CROWN HISTORY. Dex-the LAST 4 years $4.7 million plus...Sears 2006-2009 $4.9 Million plus
1) Jim Campbell has won SIX BREEDERS CROWNS-AVERAGING $77.60
40th Breeders Crown 40 Facts/Figures For 2023
1) ONLY ONE driver born in the USA won a Breeders Crown in 2022-and he was 52-1! Dave Miller Ammo (CONVERSELY-in 2009-Only ONE WAS NOT BORN IN THE USA-Lachance)
1) Burke moves into the #1 spot in Breeders Crown starts on Friday-and will be the first to 200
1) 1 and 1/4 Lengths-THAT is the total-ENTIRE-margin of victory at Hoosier Park in 2020 on Night One
1) Only ONE trotting colt in the 21st century has won BOTH the Hambletonian AND the 3 YOCT in the Breeders Crown-Muscle Hill. His GRANDSON Tactical Approach tries to make that a pair.
1) ONLY No Pan Intended has won BOTH a Triple Crown AND a Breeders Crown-2003
2) BOTH the trotting and pacing marks in BC history were set in 2022. 1:46.4 by Bulldog and 1:50.3 for King Of The North
2) BOTH Sebastian K (2014) and Varenne (2001) were THE fastest ever trotters-BOTH sired a Breeders Crown winner-Southwind Serena in 2007 for Varenne as Yannicks first and at 50-1-Sebastian K had Next Level Stuff at Hoosier Park in 2020
2) DOUBLING the next guys total? As a driver? Dexter did it in last years Crown-the 6th time it has happened. Yannick did it twice in 2014 and 2017-and John Campbell three times 85-90-93
2) Like trivia? WHO was the only TRAINER DRIVER in 2020 to be in BOTH the Older Trotting Male and Female Finals? Give up? JAMES YODER May Baby and Katkin America
3) Fred Hertrich has a couple of major chances on the Crown card-with horses that he bred. He has ALREADY won 5 Crowns with THREE lady pacers-Etrernal Camnation in 1999-2001 and 2003....All American Nadia in 2002 and Test Of Faith in 2021 as the HOY.
3) Diamond Creek exploded onto the Breeders Crown scene in 2015 with THREE they bred hitting paydirt-Pure Country-Creatine and Divine Caroline
3) Joe Holoway is a candidate-the LEADING one-for the BEST THREE year period-EVER-in the Crown. 1994-1996-All three years he won with Jennas Beach Boy-and he's STILL the only PACER to do so. PLUS-he went 1-2 in the 1996 Open Mare Pace with She's A Great Lady and Armbro Nest.
4) Dave Miller-4 STRAIGHT CROWNS 2015-D'One-Always B Miki-Colors A Virgin-The Bank.
4) Joe Holloway is trying to win a Crown 4 STRAIGHT years-Nifty Norman HAS done just that entering 2023.
4) $4.7 Million in FOUR years of the Crown for Dex-Only SEARS from 2005-2008 $5.1 million has topped that.
4) FOUR 2023 MAIDENS in the SAME Breeders Crown race? REALLY? SATURDAY OPEN MARES TROT: Warrawee Xenia 0-17.....Ghostintheshell S 0-11....Weslynn Quest 0-7 and Herculisa 0-11
4) 4-60 Captaintreacherous looks to add to his siring total-he won the Breeders Crown himself as a soph in 2013.
4) Yannick did something NEVER done before in 2017-the top FOUR in the balloting at years end-ALL FEMALES-Hannelore Hanover 1 Manchego 2 Ariana G 3 Youaremycandygirl 4 YANNICK DROVE!
5) In 2013 the top FIVE drivers in North America SWEPT the 12 Breeders Crowns-Pierce Tetrick and Gingras 3 each..Miller 2 Sears 1 POCONO
5) Team Svanstedt is 5/18 in the Crown the last two years AFTER starting out 36-0-6-5
5) WHITE BIRCH FARM has a collective five Breeders Crowns between Captaintreacherous-1-My Little Dragon 3 and last years Treacherous Dragon.
5) Dave Millers FIVE wins in 2015 in the Crown remains the high water mark.
6) Is this field THE best SIX TROTTERS AS A GROUP in Breeders Crown history? 2017 Hoosier
1-Resolve-2-Crazy Wow-3-Homicide Hunter-4 Hannelore Hanover 5 Marion Marauder 7-Pinkman $15.4 MILLION field (Hannelore won it en route to HOY honors)
6) SIX STRAIGHT years as driving leader in the Crown? Campbell and Sears have done it
6) Joe Holloway #6 all time in wins with 10-the FEWEST starts needed to get there 45.
6) Always B Miki is the fastest stallion to 6 Crowns 6-22.
6) 6 YEARS ago Stay Hungry won a Hoosier Park Breeders Crown and tries to become the first to ALSO sire one here. NOTE-Nicole Agosti Wilfong-Bretts wife-was caretaker
6) In 2019-the top SIX in the HOY Balloting-READY? ALL LOST THEIR FINAL RACE!
6) 29 BREEDERS CROWN races won by FEMALE conditioners- JUST SIX BREEDERS CUPS
7) Tims SEVEN Divisional titles in 2012 still stands as the all time best.
7) Kentuckiana 53 7-7-3 #6 in Breeders Wins in the Crown
7) Jim Campbell is #7 in Crown $ 75G behind Trond Smedshammer for the #6 slot.
7) The top SEVEN drivers in Breeders Crown history have won 47% of the races. 217/464
7) FOUR 7YOs to compete in the Breeders Crown finals.
7) The first SEVEN Breeders Crown years had a DIFFERENT Training leader each time-Nordin-Haughton-Sylveseter-Nickells-Elliott-Eriksson-Riegle
7) SEVENTH year NO CAMPELL in the Breeders Crown-all time leader at 48 wins
8) 8 years since BROTHERS for the one and ONLY time-won on the SAME Breeders Crown card-2015-Trace Freaky Feet Pete and Tim with Boston Red Rocks. THAT year-Johnny Takter (Creatine) also completed driving double for brothers just not the same year. THIS year-TIM/TRACE are right next to each other with Confederate and Coach Stefanos in the 3 YOCP.
8) 8/12 Dexter wins in the Crown were with Trotters
8) 8/12 Dexter wins in the Crown were with Favorites.
8) $8.20 is the HIGH DEXTER win price of his dozen wins Fire Start Hanover 2020
8) Linda/Nancy tied at EIGHT Breeders Crowns each #1 among the fairer set
9) NINE Times a driver has won 4 or more Crowns one year-five have done it twice.
9) NINE sires NOT NAMED WALNER (3) won a Breeders Crown in 2022
9) NINE drivers are past $5 million in the Breeders Crown series-Dexter is a quarter million from joining in-last year he jumped from #16 to #10 .
9) NINTH year NO RON PIERCE-the ONLY driver to ever retire whom just the year prior had the Trotter (Shake It Cerry) and Pacer (Sweet Lou) Of The Year (2014)
9) NINE LENGTHS COMBINED-2020-the all time FEWEST in Breeders Crown history happened at Hoosier in 2020 (FOR ALL 12 RACES!)
10) 2013 at Pocono Foiled Again AND Captaintreacherous got their lone Breeders Crown win. TEN YEARS AGO.
11) ELEVEN of the 27 elimination winners were odds-on favorites last week
12) TWELVE of the 27 elimination winners last week were favored.
12) TWELVE Dex is the SECOND fastest to win 12 Crowns-43 drives-Sears did it in 39
13) THIRTEEN years ago-2010-Buck I St Pat and Won The West BOTH doubled (2009-2010) up for Burke-significant because these were his first TWO Crowns.
14) Muscle Hill becomes the last horse to win BOTH the Hambletonian AND the Breeders Crown in the same year. THIRTEEN YEARS AGO!
15) FIFTEEN of the 40 Crown horses entered Friday Night are sired by horses that Tim Tetrick drove! Huntsville-Captaintreacherous-Walner-Chapter Seven-Bar Hopping and Boston Red Rocks
16) SIXTEEN horses in the history of the Breeders Crown have had at least five Crown final starts. Two who had six straight are not here this year-Atlanta and This Is The Plan.
17) SEVENTEEN of the 45 drivers who have won $1 Million plus in the Breeders Crown were born in the USA. (21 in Canada)
17) SEVENTEEN years ago Tony Alagna got his feet wet in the Breeders Crown with Shark Gesture for Erv Miller in Canada as the caretaker. He currently is 5th all time in Crown earnings.
17) Gregg McNair has 17,038 starts lifetime and $52 Million as #19 on the all-time list of earners. 8th highest total ever for starts.
18) EIGHTEEN years ago two drivers had back to back 4 winner Breeders Crowns Pierce/Sears. 46 cents of every dollar given out that year went their way-for THAT Two Year Period.
19) NINETEEN years ago the Hambo/Triple Crown winner PASSED on the Breeders Crown-Windsongs Legacy.
20) TWENTY YEARS APART? Steve Elliott did it-leading all trainers in both 1988 and 2008!
21) TWENTY-ONE of the past 24 Hambletonian winners have gotten NO MONEY in the 3 YOCT Breeders Crown (Of course two were ladies-so actually 19/22)
22) TWENTY TWO years since Balanced Image sired BOTH the 2YOCT and he 3YOCT winner same night-Duke Of York and Liberty Balance. It has NOT HAPPENED since! Tactical Landing with Karl and Tactical Approach can duplicate that.
22) TWENTY TWO years ago Cam Fella passed away. (1979-2001) His racing career ended the year prior to the start of the Breeders Crown. Forgotten is his amazing impact in the Breeders Crown-arguably the greatest ever impact. 48 12-8-5 $3,456,760. 25% win percentage by far the highest of ANY stallion. Trotter or Pacer. His 56% in the money percentage is not only the all-time high-he is the only stallion on either gait with at least 10 starts over 40%
23) TWENTY THREE YEARS since Dave Miller won the FIRST MILLION $$ BREEDERS CROWN. 2000 Magician-his FIRST CROWN!
23) The OLDEST PACING SIRE to win a Breeders Crown is 23-a tie between Albatross and Camluck. Albatross had Three Wizzards in 1991 and Camluck in 2020 Dreamfair Eternal.
23) 23% of Breeders Crown winners have been homebreds-(Defined here as the owner and breeders being one and the same) 94/464
24) 24.2 Coach Stefanos 24.3 Twin B Joe Fresh BOTH have posted these incredible last quarters as the fastest EVER male and female finishes-BOTH in the Crown.
24) TWENTY-FOUR years ago four of the top six trainers in year end Breeders Crown earnings had just the LONE START (VICTORY OF COURSE)
25) Bettors Delight is 25 and once against represented in the Crown with this his TWENTIETH Crop of freshman. He WOULD be the oldest pacing sire to win one-Speedy Crowns' Moni Maker won in 1998 at 29.
26) $26.60 the AVERAGE George Brennan win price in the 6 Crown wins he has won. He handles the top mare Mikala. .
27) YEARS-27-Since Peter Wrenn's last Breeders Crown-1996 Personal Banner 3YOFT denying Moni Maker her 20th STRAIGHT win.
28) 1995 THE only TIME A different DRIVER WON EVER CROWN. TWENTY EIGHT YEARS AGO.
29) TWENTY NINE YEARS AGO Immortality became the lone $2.10 winner in Breeders Crown history at the time. JIGGY JOG?
30) THIRTY wins Each Hanover Shoe Farms and Brittany Tied at the top BREEDERS
31) 1992-THIRTY ONE years ago-Half the Breeders Crown winners paid $2.60 or LESS! Peace Corps $2.30....Artsplace $2.30...Shady Daisy $2.30....Winkys Goal $2.60....So Fresh $2.20 and Immortality $2.10... ARE WE LOOKING AT THAT IN 2023?
32) THIRTY-TWO of the 120 Crown horses are PA-BRED!
33) THIRTY THREE YEARS since Paul Macdonnell lit up the board with Bays Fella for a group of golfing buddies. Mike Demenno trained. THE high price until 2007 when Kadealia paid $152.00
34) DEXTER & SCOTTYS AGE. 34. The 4-time DEFENDING Driver Of The Year and very likely 2023 Driver Of The Year. The last time a driver won three STRAIGHT Breeders Crowns? He was 34 also-Tim Tetrick in 2016 with Huntsville-Walner and Bar Hopping
35) THIRTY FIVE-35-that's right Brian Sears (2003). Dave Miller (2000) and Ron Pierce (1991) all won their FIRST CROWN at 35-and they have since won 95 of them!
36) THIRTY SIX YEARS ago Mack Lobell won the Breeders Crown by the BIGGEST EVER MARGIN 12 3/4 lengths.
37) THIRTY SEVEN years ago the 2 YO $$ record was set by Redskin-$1,407,263. NOT touched since. IF TCI wins-the will eclipse that mark. For ANY 2 YO-EITHER GAIT. Redskin was second in the Breeders Crown to Sunset Warrior in 1982 2 YOCP.
37) James Macdonald just turned 37-he looks to join brother Mark (4 wins-including King Of The North last year) as BROTHERS winning a Breeders Crown.
38) 1985 THIRTY EIGHT YEARS AGO. Prakas became the first horse to win BOTH the Hambletonian and the BREEDERS CROWN-but he did so with two DIFFERENT drivers. O'Donnell and then Campbell.
38) 1985 also marked the year that the OLDER Pacers/Trotters began. Sandy Bowl and Division Street won in Year One-JOE HOLLOWAY was in there with Tuff Choice.
39) The Breeders Crown Kicked off in 1984 THIRTY NINE YEARS BACK!
40) TODD won with Pebble Beach. Dex has 12-Andy 4 alone in 2019-then Jujubee in 2021. BREEDERS CROWNS. NOBODY is 40 yet. FORTY was nothing back when. Today-the 40-somethings are veterans-69 YO Carl Allen holds the all-time mark winning a 1998 Breeders Crown at Colonial with C R Commando.