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Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, 240 Main Street, Goshen, NY (2026)

10/20/2026

HERSCHBERGER, SASSINATOR TEAM FOR SIMPSON VICTORY AT POCONO

ATTRIBUTION – PHHA / Pocono
(Curtis Salonick photo)

WILKES-BARRE PA – Driver Mark Herschberger, continuing to make a name for himself by currently sitting third in the win production totals at both Harrah’s Philadelphia and The Meadowlands, showed another sign of his upward turn in recognition during the Monday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. He was asked by trainer Jim King Jr. to make a cameo appearance at the mountain oval to drive Sassinator in the $84,700 Bret Hanover, the John Simpson Sr. stake for two-year-old pacing males, and he cashed in fully with his only drive by winning in 1:52.2.

Sassinator, an altered son of Papi Rob Hanover – Newborn Sassy owned by Tim Tetrick LLC and Jo Ann Looney-King, left strongly from the rail and seated rivals early, but then favored River Ranch Mac decided to move past the :27.4 quarter and got the lead well before the :55.4 half.

Herschberger had plenty of horse in the two-hole and moved Sassinator back to command past the 1:24.3 three-quarters, but just because River Ranch Mac had been passed didn’t mean he was done as he rerallied in the Pocono Pike. However, his late surge came up a head shy in the :27.4 last quarter.

In the $16,000 fast-class event for older trotters, the International Moni gelding Scudo Hanover had about as rough a trip as can be imagined, but he still strode clear to win by five lengths in 1:53. Scudo Hanover was four-wide leaving and had worked his way down to two-wide in third by the :27.4 quarter while pressing forward. Cassius Hanover would not let him clear to the lead, however, and “Scudo” was first though still outside at the midsplits of :55.1 and 1:23.3.

The powerful winner just kept on going and finally managed to clear the leader around the far turn, drawing off to win by five lengths for driver Ridge Warren and trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., co-owner with Christine Baggitt and J L Sadowsky LLC.

Half of the remaining twelve races on the Monday fourteen-race card were won by fifteen-time Pocono driving champion George Napolitano Jr., including both divisions of a $15,500 trot for developing horses.

The faster of George’s winners in this group was the Ready Cash three-year-old filly Tindra Cash S, just a bit more photogenic in 1:54.1 for trainer Åke Svanstedt and Suleyman Yuksel Stables Inc.; just a tick behind was the other winner On Golden Pond, a Southwind Frank mare who took a new mark for trainer Marc Mosher and owner Ronald Bolduc.

Aside from “George Nap”’s six-bagger, multiple winners Monday were the 2026 leading Pocono winner in the driving category Tyler Buter, along with trainer Tom Cancelliere, both his winners driven by Napolitano.

The Davidia Hanover, a Simpson Stake for two-year-old trotting fillies, will go in two $47,550 divisions as the feature on the 1 p.m. Tuesday card, which will also have a carryover into the last race High 5 wager.

10/20/2026

Back Pocket Miki Upsets In Harrington Open

by Matt Sparacino
(Quenton Egan photo)

HARRINGTON, DE – George and Tina Dennis Racing’s Back Pocket Miki ($70.20, Mike Cole) was a 1:52.2 winner in the $22,500 Open Pace Monday at Harrington Raceway.

The 6-year-old Always B Miki gelding received a three-hole trip behind long shot Tack Room Chatter, before a powerful first-over kick saw him clear and win by two-lengths. Tack Room Chatter was second with Steven’s Saloon third. It was his 8th win of the year for trainer Joe Columbo, who is just one win behind Chuck Crissman Jr. atop the trainer standings with just two nights remaining in the meet. Columbo and Cole teamed up for a triple on the card for owners George and Tina Dennis.

While the training title remains in doubt, Brandon Givens was awarded the driving crown Monday evening, after clinching the title last week over Art Stafford Jr. and Corey Callahan. Givens (141 wins) won 4 races Monday and over the course of the meet drove many winners for his father, Les Givens and uncle Wayne Givens, who are in the top six in the trainer standings. He was also the regular driver for standout pacer Wehadababyetzaboy, who had 8 wins at the meet and banked approximately $150,000. Friends and family joined Givens in the winner’s circle to celebrate his title.

Two nights of racing remain in Harrington’s 80th anniversary season, with a 15-race card on Tuesday (October 20) and 13-race program Wednesday (October 21).

10/20/2026

Family ties: 'Rangers' set for Breeders Crown stage

By Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager
(Conrad photos)

Columbus, OH – Senena Esty is excited for this weekend’s Breeders Crown finals at Eldorado Scioto Downs, she just doesn’t want to think about them.

Esty and her husband, Jeff, own Spring Haven Farm in Utica, Ohio, located about an hour northeast of Scioto Downs. Two Breeders Crown trotting finalists – the brother and sister duo of 3-year-old c**t Big Ranger and 2-year-old filly Blue Ranger – hail from the Estys’ breeding operation. Both horses, by In Range out of the mare Big Blue Bird, head to their finals as elimination winners.

Full siblings have never won Breeders Crowns in the same year. The closest instance occurred in 2011 when half-brothers Bettor Sweet (by Bettor’s Delight) and Sweet Lou (by Yankee Cruiser) won at Woodbine Racetrack to make mom Sweet Future proud.

“I don’t even like to mentally go there,” Esty said with a laugh, referring to Big Ranger and Blue Ranger’s potentially own sweet future this weekend. “You hate to get too pumped up about it, so I’m just trying to stay cool and calm.”

Blue Ranger will be the first of the siblings to head to the track when Scioto Downs hosts all four $700,000 Grade 1 Breeders Crown finals for 2-year-olds on Friday (Oct. 23). The remaining eight Grade 1 events, for horses 3 and up, will take place on Saturday. First-race post time both nights is 6 p.m. (EDT).

Trained by Marcus Melander, Blue Ranger won her elimination last week by a length over Nevis Peak in 1:53.1, equaling her own track record that she established Sept. 12 in capturing the $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes championship for freshman filly trotters. That time is also the fastest this season for 2-year-old filly trotter on a five-eighths-mile oval.

Esty won’t claim that she knew from day one that Blue Ranger could be that kind of filly.

“She was an average-sized filly as a weanling, and she was OK,” Esty recalled. “She was nice – she wasn’t nice. Everything about her was correct, but she did have a little bit of an attitude. I like to scratch them and bend down to kiss them, or whatever us girls do, and she might have wanted to take your face off. It was like, OK, we won’t be kissing her too often.

“Then I literally remember one day I was out feeding the yearlings, and I hadn’t seen that group for a while because me and my husband rotate what fields we do. I walked out and I looked at her rear end, and I was like, wow, this filly … is that Bluebird’s? Of course, all she had to do was turn around and show that blaze on her face. And, wow, did she change. From that point on, I really, really liked her. She really developed in her later yearling phases.”

Blue Ranger went for a sale-topping $210,000 at the 2025 Ohio Selected Jug Sale. She has three wins and three third-place finishes in seven starts this season, with earnings of $251,480 for owner Bender Sweden Inc.

The auction price for Blue Ranger was in contrast to that for Big Ranger, who went for $25,000 the previous year, but his success as a 2-year-old helped fuel interest in the filly. And whereas Blue Ranger left little initial impression upon Esty, the young Big Ranger was the opposite.

“He was just a really good-natured c**t, just a real sweet personality, and I liked him kind of from the get-go,” Esty said, adding about his yearling price, “I was honestly disappointed. I wondered what I missed. Maybe I was thinking too much of him, but I thought he was a very well-conformed c**t with good size. He was big, but not too big; he wasn’t too clunky. He had a good look about him.”

Big Ranger proved Esty’s belief in him was warranted, winning all seven of his starts at 2, including an Ohio Sires Stakes championship, and being named Ohio’s Horse of the Year for trainer/driver Ronnie Gillespie. This season, his exploits include a second Ohio Sires Stakes title and memorable stretch duel with Apex in the Grade 1 Hambletonian Stakes, losing by a whisker. For his career, the c**t has 15 wins and a second-place finish in 19 races and $965,959 in purses for owner Madison Global. He won his Breeders Crown elim by 2-1/4 lengths over Nix Nacken in 1:51.1 for trainer Anette Lorentzon.

So, what has Esty seen from her “kids” that’s most impressed her so far.

“Besides what they've already demonstrated on the track, I love their gait,” she said. “I like how they go with their head kind of down, and they seem to really dig in. There really is not a lot of wasted motion up front. That's what I like to see about them. They just go easy.”

And while Esty would rather not think about the weekend’s finals, she is happy the Breeders Crown is being held in Ohio. Scioto Downs is hosting all 12 Breeders Crown events for the first time after being the site of single Breeders Crown finals in 1986 and 1988.

“It’s just huge having it at Scioto Downs,” she said. “It means so much. We were over there for the eliminations, and it looks like they're ready. They've done a great job, so fingers crossed it’ll go off without a hitch now.”

The draws for eight of the Breeders Crown finals were held over the weekend (with Blue Ranger getting post 3) and the remaining four – the Open Pace, Open Trot, 3-Year-Old C**t & Gelding Pace, 3-Year-Old C**t & Gelding Trot – will be conducted Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. during an event at Pinnacle Golf Club in Grove City, Ohio. The draws can be watched live via the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association YouTube channel.

10/20/2026

Hey Trixey Springs Upset at Dayton Raceway

by Jay Wolf
(Conrad photo)

Hey Trixey and driver Luke Hanners took advantage of an off-performance by the heavy favorite, Big Boys Don't Cry (Tyler Smith), and a break by second choice Twofiftychamp (Trevor Smith) to score a surprising victory in the $15,500 conditioned claiming trot Monday night (Oct. 19) at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway.

When the field of 10 left the gate, Hey Trixey, Quick Cash (Cam McCown) and Good Luck Mark (Austin Hanners) were the quickest away. Hey Trixey seized command midway through the first turn and reached the opening quarter in :27.3.

Dublin's Breanna (Kayne Kauffman) was the first challenger, launching a first-over bid and drawing within a nose of the leader at the half-mile marker in :58.

Hey Trixey and Dublin's Breanna raced stride-for-stride down the backstretch and remained locked together through three-quarters in 1:26.2.

Quick Cash was forced three-wide around the final turn, while Good Luck Mark saved ground along the pylons before diving into the passing lane in the stretch.
At the wire, 11-1 shot Hey Trixey held off 26-1 Good Luck Mark by 1½ lengths to win in 1:55.3. Papa Nordin (Brett Miller), dismissed at 62-1, captured third in a three-horse photo finish, helping produce a $0.50 trifecta payoff of $1,276.90.

A four-year-old mare by Trixton, Hey Trixey is trained by Jason Brewer for First Up Racing Stable.

In the $16,500 conditioned pace, driver Brett Miller recorded one of his three victories on the program behind Rock Son, who established a new lifetime mark of 1:51.

Longshot Wagon Day (Kayne Kauffman), sent off at 117-1, blasted away from post eight and led through an opening quarter in :26.1.

Miller quickly reclaimed the lead with Rock Son and guided the sophomore pacer through middle fractions of :55 and 1:22.3.

A :28.2 final quarter was more than enough as Rock Son drew away to a 3½-length victory over the fast-closing Vel See You Later (Trevor Smith), with Contour (Cam McCown) finishing third.

The son of Pet Rock is co-owned by trainer Charles Neff and Greg Mackanos. Rock Son was just out of the money in the $300,000 Ohio Sire Stakes Final on Sept. 12 and has now earned $92,668 in his career.

Miller added victories with Sectionline Jr. (1:54.3) and Commence (1:55.1) to complete a driving triple.

Cam McCown also enjoyed a three-win evening, scoring behind Classy Miki (1:54), Vel Im Good (1:53.3) and Vel Big Shocker (1:53.1).

Racing continues at Dayton Raceway Tuesday through Thursday this week, with post time each day scheduled for 4 p.m.

10/19/2026

SIX SIMPSON STAKE SECTIONS HEAD SATURDAY POCONO CARD

ATTRIBUTION – PHHA / Pocono
(Curtis Salonick photo)

WILKES-BARRE PA – Stakes youngsters were gathered at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun on Saturday afternoon, as $211,700 was up for grab in two John Simpson Sr. Stakes, two divisions of the Razzle Hanover for freshman pacing females and two sections of the Ayres for sophomore trotting males. In both groups, the only favorite to win in the divisions turned in the group’s fastest mile.

The Stay Hungry – Pleasant Roll filly Honey Roll has certainly been a roll recently, as she followed up on a victory in her Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championship with a Simpson victory on a windy day that seemed like the coldest at the mountain track in months. Honey Roll had the largest winning margin in her Fair Championships (eleven lengths), and she was most clear in the Simpson as well, with a 2¾ length victory in 1:54.1 for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Steve Cook, and Bay Pond Racing Stable. Honey Roll now has nine wins in her freshman campaign, the last six consecutively.

Gift Of Faith broke her maiden in her last start, and the Captaintreacherous – Cannae Cammie miss got her second straight success with a length victory in 1:55. Jack Pelling also went to the lead and won nicely for trainer-father Brett Pelling and the ownership of David Mc Duffee, Paul Bordogna, and Melvin Hartman.

Among the Ayers diamondgaiters, only the Chapter Seven c**t Seven Grand lived up to the crowd’s confidence, tucking in third early for driver Brian Sears, re-entering the fray nearing the three quarters, and able to keep a length margin at the finish. Having campaigned in predominantly-half-mile-track New York, Seven Grand lowered his mark to 1:54 for trainer Åke Svanstedt, who is also a co-owner with Little E LLC, Soderberg Bloodstock, and Van Camp Trotting Corporation.

The Svanstedt shedrow sent out a second winner in the Captain Corey gelding Mr Penner, who controlled a reasonable pace and had a length margin at the end of his 1:54.4 mile. Simon Allard was in the sulky for owners Åke Svanstedt Inc., Knutsson Trotting Inc. and Little E LLC.

The hot sire Captain Corey had another of his progeny win, with the gelding Captain Vodka digging in nicely for a win by a half length, shortest margin of all the stakes races, in 1:54.2. Ridge Warren had the drive for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr. who is also co-owner with Christine Baggitt and J L Sadowsky LLC.

The other Ayres division saw the Bar Hopping gelding Highball Hanover become the first horse to pay $50+ to win twice at this meet but look nothing like a longshot, going first-over after tucking then still with the power to win by 1¼ lengths. Jordan Stratton handled the trotter in the 1:54.2 victory for Sjoblom Racing & M Dolan, Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing LLC, Caviart Farms, and P C Wellwood Enterprises. The triumph also put trainer Noel Daley on top of the “Pocono Bomber Brigade: with is third $50+ win price of the year.

In the $27,500 fast-class pace, the Bettor’s Delight gelding Always A Thrill was last to the top and first to the wire, pacing in 1:50 despite the less-than-ideal conditions in winning by a half length. Matt Kakaley drove the Travis Alexander trainee for owner Eric Prevost.

Matt Kakaley drove four winners on the card to be #1 in the sulky brigade; Ridge Warren had two visits to the winners circle. Also winning twice, on the training side, were the “Å & A Brigade,” Åke (Svanstedt) and (Travis) Alexander.

Racing returns to Pocono on Monday at 1 p.m., with a single $84,700 division of the Simpson Stake for two-year-old pacing c**ts, the Bret Hanover; there are also several high-class overnight trots on the card.

10/19/2026

QUALITY FAST RACING AND "PINK OUT DAY" HEADLINE SUNDAY AT PHILLY

ATTRIBUTION – PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia
(Grace Zimmers photo)

CHESTER PA – The Sweet Lou sophomore gelding Toast Of The Town, last seen getting a luckless trip in his Jug elimination, on Sunday afternoon returned to the state where he had scored three stakes wins at as many tracks and won the $14,000 featured pace for up-and-coming horses easily in 1:51.2.

Jack Pelling made a move after the :26.4 opening quarter to take over command before the :54.3 half, opened distance on his opposition before the 1:23 three quarters, and was never in doubt to the wire, with Moneyhill GB rallying up the inside to take second, 2½ lengths back. Noel Daley conditions the winner of $253,117 for Let It Ride Stables Inc., Morrison Racing Stables, Jesmeral Stable, and Alberg Racing.

(Toast Of The Town, by the way, was also the name of a popular variety program that was broadcast every Sunday and was hosted by Ed Sullivan, who was a harness racing fan – Cardigan Bay once appeared on the show, 58 years ago this week, after he became the first millionaire!)

Mardi Gras Man, who had ripped off seven straight wins before so-so efforts in his last couple, rebounded in a big way in the $13,500 co-feature for developing male pacers, making every pole a winning one in a 1:51.1 mile. The altered sophomore son of Stay Hungry has mostly been an off-the-pace type, but here driver Simon Allard had him on the stick rather quickly, and he stayed strong with a :55 back half to defeat 152-1 shot Mick Steamy by 3½ lengths. Allard, trainer Stacy Chiodo, and Timothy Tobias Stable LLC combined again after winning Friday’s feature with Luckylady Hanover.

The fourth of four consecutive winners for Allard (he now trails Tim Tetrick by only 113-107 for the top spot in the meet) came courtesy of the Always B Miki gelding Joemikiyoursofine in the $13,000 topline pace for the fast-class group. The winner, trained by Chris Choate for owners Anthony Ruggeri and Richard Tosies, stung American Son to a :26.4 opener before letting him go to sit in the golden chair, then came back in the stretch to be 1¾ lengths of that rival in 1:51.4 as he boosted his career bankroll to $395,285.

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation made a stop at Harrah’s Philly and conducted two “Pink Out” races featuring full fields of eight female drivers. Marianna Monaco, a 31-year-old provisional driver who races primarily in Maine, certainly enjoyed her visit to southeast Pennsylvania, winning both Pink Out events, with Ain’tnostopn Time (1:53.4) and Allstar Cheddar (1:53.2). The two Pink Out races were announced by Jessica Paquette, who calls the race at Parx thoroughbred track just up I-95 from Philly. The proceeds from the women’s drivers, and from the two races for the American Harness Drivers Club (both were won by Yogi Sheridan, who also trained Monaco’s first success story and one of his own AHDC winners), will be donated to the Komen Foundation.

Mostly everybody who had multiple wins at Philly on Sunday has been mentioned already: Simon Allard with his four driving wins, plus driving doubles by Pink Out participant and provisional driver Marinna Monaco and amateur driver Yogi Sheridan, who also trained a pair. Winning the late double to join this list were drivers Mark Herschberger and Jim Marohn Jr.

Philly will next race on “Trottin’ Thursday” at 12:25, with last week’s featured trot winner Benjamin Hanover handicapped to the outside post seven in the $16,000 feature.

10/19/2026

29th Annual Virginia Breeder's Championship Series Gets Underway at Shenandoah Downs

by Darrell Wood
(Quenton Egan photo)

WOODSTOCK, VA ---- Hagerman Racing's impressive two-year-old gelding trotter In The Worst Way captured his fifth straight race in a $10,000 Virginia Breeders prep division Saturday at Shenandoah Downs as round number one of the 29th annual Virginia Breeders Championship Series kicked off. A second round of preps and eliminations will take place next weekend in advance of the $400,000 "Day of Champions" card on October 31.

Driver Corey Braden directed the son of Mach II past Areallyfastcar just after the quarter then led the rest of the way, crossing the wire in 2:01 4/5. The winner is trained by Herman Hagerman and came to Virginia fresh off a dominating $100,000 Maryland Sire Stake victory October 11 where he won by nine lengths. William Roberts & Graham Grace Stables' Youcancallmeroy finished second and Caviart Farms' Call Me Ovi took third.

In the female counterpart, Tremaine Harding's Dance With Jenni picked up where she left off in Virginia Sire Stake competition two weeks ago with another solid win --- in Breeder's company this time. The daughter of Armed Dangerously, who wired the field in both her Sire Stake prep and final, came outside Saturday in the final turn --- after a pocket trip throughout --- and powered home to a 6-1/4 length triumph in 2:03 4/5. Reinsman Billy Carter led the effort for trainer Michael Whitaker. All six of Dance With Jenni's career starts have been at the Woodstock oval. Rudy Hostetler's Aren't I Pretty finished second and Tremain Harding & Cornelius Martin's Queen Jessica took third.

Pacers took center stage Sunday and Caviart Farms' Caviart Caleb delivered a solid outing in the first of two elimination division legs for males. The Papi Rob Hanover gelding wired the field in 1:56 1/5 after initial fractions of :29 3/5, :59 1/5 and 1:28 3/5. Driver Troy Beyer positioned the Jim Campbell trainee ten lengths ahead at the top of the stretch and at the wire, was 18 lengths on front of runner-up Big Mac Dylan. Debbie Warnick's Meadowland Park finished third.

Richard Havens' Blue Jay's Watchin took care of business in the second c**t division, covering the mile in 1:57 2/5 and crossing 2-1/2 lengths the best. The son of He's Watching left from outside post eight with driver Tony Morgan aboard and authored panels of :28.0, :57.0 and 1:27.0. Trained by Dan Gassien, the elimination winner is now 3-for-5 in his young career and rebounded from an eighth-place finish last out at Harrington. Joe Chinando's Ohh Hey Bud finished second and Scott Woogen's KJ Atlas took third.

In the first filly division, Ramona Gillespie's Oops All Berries paced in front at all four fractions and stopped the timer in 1:59 4/5. The daughter of Captain Crunch authored a :29 3/5 opener and followed with 1:00 2/5 and 1:30 2/5 stanzas. The Janet Davis trainee maintained a one-length cushion throughout but opened extra distance in the stretch and crossed 3-1/2 lengths the best. J M B Ventures' If I Win Uwin was second and Hagerman Racing's All That Rusty finished third.

Jason Skinner's Denim N Pearls surged past Nurse Nippy before the three-quarter pole in the second filly clash, opened up by eight at the head of the stretch and coasted home to a 9-3/4 length victory in 1:58.0. The Perfect Sting filly has produced top-three finishes in all eight of her starts and 19-year-old Ryder Skinner has been in the sulky for all. Ellen Warren & Bob Krenitsky's Dark Sunkist took second and John Pyott's Nurse Nippy was third.

Shenandoah Downs hosts its annual Pink Power Day in conjunction with second leg Breeder's races next Saturday, October 24.

10/18/2026

Hope Hill & Sangria Summer capture Breeders Crown elims for sophomore pacing fillies

By Kimberly Rinker for the Breeders Crown
Brad Conrad Photography

Hope Hill jogged to victory in the first of two $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday (Oct. 17) at Eldorado Scioto Downs. The daughter of Papi Rob Hanover was guided by Dexter Dunn for trainer Petter Engblom to her eighth triumph of the season and her third straight victory, stopping the timer in 1:50 as the 1-2 choice.

Whoomp, who endured a first-up journey, held on to be a game second for John DeLong at 9-2, with 12-1 Darlin’s Angel (Lauren Tritton) garnering third place honors, with 14-1 A Clean Deal (Doug McNair) grabbing fourth.

Darlin’s Angel grabbed the lead as the wings of the gate folded, but Dunn hustled Hope Hill quickly out of the pocket to take command going to the :26.4 opening panel. Whoomp then came first up heading into the second turn with a :28.2 second panel that stopped the half mile timer in :55.1, while Darlin’s Angel continued to save ground on the rail in third. Around the final turn positions remained unchanged as the field passed the 1:23.1 three-quarters, with Hope Hill easily holding off her rivals by one length at the wire.

Tom Hill of Cabus, Preston, UK owns the homebred bay filly who upped her career earnings to $517,932 and her seasonal earnings to $408,742. She came into this elimination fresh off victories in the $212,000 Garnsey Memorial and $76,000 Bluegrass at Lexington, and now has 11 victories in 23 career starts, with four seconds and five thirds.

Sangria Summer posted a new track record of 1:49.3 en route to winning the second Breeders Crown elimination for driver James MacDonald and trainer Luc Blais. Determination of Montreal, Quebec owns the daughter by Captaintreacherous, who is out of the Shadow Play mare Shower Play.

“What she showed at 2, we thought we’d be a good sires stakes filly, and she’s better than we originally thought,” said winning trainer Blais. “She’s healthy and an easy keeper who looks out for herself and is very professional.”

After 56-1 longshot Topville Lucky (Todd McCarthy) took the field to the :27.1 opening panel, Sangria Summer hustled to the front and led through fractions of :55.2 and 1:22.4 basically unchallenged. She easily held off She’s A Bulldog (Yannick Gingras), with Miss Jum Jabber (Andrew McCarthy) third, and Topville Lucky holding on for fourth.

Sangria Summer notched her ninth career victory in 25 starts and her eighth of the season, pushing her career earnings to $516,435. She came into this elimination fresh off her triumph in the $150,000 Courageous Lady at Northfield Park in Cleveland.

Post positions were drawn for the $664,500 Grade 1 final, which will be held Oct. 24, following the elims. Elimination winners drew for posts 1 through 6.

$664,500 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Pace Final (G1)
PP-Horse Name-Driver-Trainer

1-Sangria Summer-James MacDonald-Luc Blais
2-Whoomp-John DeLong-Roger Welch
3-Hope Hill-Dexter Dunner-Petter Engblom
4-Say Goodnight-Tyler Buter-Nicholas Devita
5-A Clean Deal-Doug McNair-Robert Fellows
6-Darlin’s Angel-Lauren Tritton-Juan Cano
7-She’s A Bulldog-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke
8-Miss Jum Jabber-Andrew McCarthy-Brett Pelling
9-Topville Lucky-Todd McCarthy-Andrew Harris

10/18/2026

Nezuko Kamado S Sets Track Record in Breeders Crown Filly Trot Elim

By Ray Cotolo, for Breeders Crown
Brad Conrad photography

COLUMBUS, Ohio— Hambletonian Oaks winner Nezuko Kamado S persisted with a first-over grind and staved off late pursuers to take the first of three $25,000 Grade 1 Breeders Crown eliminations for 3-year-old trotting fillies in a track-record 1:51.2 mile on Saturday night (Oct. 17) at Scioto Downs. Little Road and She’s Moni won the other eliminations.

Driver Scott Zeron eased Nezuko Kamado S out of post 3 into fourth behind a three-wide brawl for the lead between Madam Cheval (driven by Tim Tetrick), Southwind Chaska (Dexter Dunn) and Isabella Bi (Ake Svanstedt). Isabella Bi took back to third and Southwind Chaska yielded into the pocket, leaving Madam Cheval to cut a :27.1 first quarter and then a :55.2 half with no challengers looming. Zeron angled Nezuko Kamado S off the pylons into the backstretch and steadily advanced on Madam Cheval heading to three-quarters in 1:23.1 before thrusting to the lead upon straightening for the finish. Nezuko Kamado S extended for the finish and clinched the win by a nose as Custom (Jason Bartlett) bolted from last down the center of the track to settle for second. Southwind Chaska held the last berth into the final in third.

“I thought I’d be first up no matter how I shook that race,” Scott Zeron said after the race, “and I was very happy with even being first-up, just giving her every chance to win. The only thing I didn’t want to do was rush her really, really hard first two steps out of the gate. Timmy’s horse [Madam Cheval] was giving a hell of a run in the last turn and I was still laboring off of him. And then when his started to tire a little bit it gave mine that second wind to just dig on by and she felt good up there. Hats off to Jason’s horse [Custom] she raced phenomenal from behind.”

Marcus Melander trains Nezuko Kamado S for owner-breeder Courant Inc. The filly by Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos IT has now won seven races from 11 starts this season and 13 races from 22 starts in her career, amassing $1,143,869. She paid $3.80 to win.

Supplemental entry Little Road (Brady Brown) ripped from a pocket trip to a 1:53.3 victory in the second Breeders Crown elimination for sophomore trotting fillies.

Brown asserted his charge from the pylon draw and clicked past a :28.1 first quarter before Victorianas Secret (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) ranged forward out of third to grab the lead. Little Road drafted comfortably behind the favorite to a :57 half but lost ground in the backstretch once the tempo quickened with Setyoursightshigh (Dexter Dunn) blitzing the leader out of fourth. Setyoursightshigh reached the Victorianas Secret’s throat to three-quarters in 1:26.1 and kept pressing the leader through the turn while Little Road waited for the open stretch. Brown dove his charge inside in the lane and surged by his rivals late to score a half-length win over Setyoursightshigh while Victorianas Secret held third.

A homebred filly for trainer Roger Hammer by Fordham Road out of the Great George Two mare A Little Laid Back, Hammer decided to pay the $72,000 supplement fee to make Little Road eligible for the Breeders Crown after a sophomore campaign where she’s earned nearly $300,000 including a victory in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final in early September.

“She made the money this year and it was the first horse that I raised to have a shot at the Breeders Crown,” Hammer said after the race. “I wanted to give her a shot. She doesn't like the passing lane that well. She's better when you pull her to the outside and come with her, but I figured with where she's sitting I'm into the final, if nothing happens. It'd mean a lot [to win a Breeders Crown].

"This week, she'll go home tonight and she'll train lightly on Thursday,” Hammer also said, “then come back out on Saturday for the retention barn. I hope she's ready again.”

Little Road has now won 16 races from 25 starts and earned $373,150 in her career. She paid $9.40 to win.

Kentucky Filly Futurity champion She’s Moni (Yannick Gingras) hauled from the outermost draw in the third elimination and held her ground for a 1:53.2 win in the third elimination.

Gingras hustled his charge to seize command from Carve (Andy McCarthy) passing a :28 first quarter and immediately hit the brakes to steal a breather to a :58 half. She’s Moni gradually accelerated in the backstretch and readied for an attack once Busy Miss Lissy S (Dexter Dunn) tipped out of fourth to march up the rim. She’s Moni continued to cruise towards three-quarters in 1:26.1 but endured an unrelenting bid from Busy Miss Lissy S coming for home, and she managed to keep that rival at bay by a neck to the finish. Storybook Love (Todd Ratchford) zipped up the open stretch to take third.

“I always thought that she was my best filly,” trainer Nancy Takter said. “She was my best filly last year training down. Unfortunately, she had a little injury that we had to take care of and give her time off. So she came back from that and she hasn’t had any issues from that all year. It was a matter of just getting her into racing and making up for lost time, not having a lot of starts at 2. She always had the ability. She’s a very gifted filly, probably one of the most gifted I’ve been around.”

She’s Moni, a homebred filly for owners Brittany Farms LLC and Marvin Katz, won her fifth race from 11 starts this season and her sixth race from 12 starts overall, banking $443,606. The filly by Walner-Thats All Moni paid $4.40 to win.

Following the third elimination, Scioto Downs conducted the post position draw for the Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Trot final. Nezuko Kamado S, Little Road and She’s Moni earned draw protection between posts 1 through 6 by winning their eliminations. Below is the field:

$664,500 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Trot Final (G1)
PP-Horse Name-Driver-Trainer

1-Storybook Love-Todd Ratchford-Matt Bax
2-Victorianas Secret-Ronnie Wrenn Jr.-Vernon Beachy
3-She’s Moni-Yannick Gingras-Nancy Takter
4-Nezuko Kamado S-Scott Zeron-Marcus Melander
5-Little Road-Brady Brown-Roger Hammer
6-Setyoursightshigh-Dexter Dunn-Marcus Melander
7-Custom-Jason Bartlett-Petter Engblom
8-Southwind Chaska-Dexter Dunn-Jim Oscarsson
9-Busy Miss Lissy S-Dexter Dunn-Ake Svanstedt

Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame

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