A total of 13 Ontario-sired horses competing in last weekend’s rich Breeders Crown finals and 10 of those performers earned money in their events.
On Friday night it was the great Bee A Magician leading the way, winning the Mare Trot final with an impressive performance. Last year’s horse of the year in both Canada and the US, the daughter of Kadabra put her earnings at $2,750,151 with the victory.
Charmed Life, a daughter of Majestic Son, who competed against Bee A Magician in the Ontario Sires Stakes throughout their two- and three-year-old seasons, was fourth in the Breeders Crown final for Ontario trainer Dave Menary.
Also on Friday night, Danielle Hall, driven by Jody Jamieson for his dad Carl of Rockwood, Ontario, who trains and co-owns the daughter of Deweycheatumnhowe, finished second to the outstanding filly Mission Brief in the two-year-old filly trot final.
Peterborough, Ontario trainer John Bax had two fillies finish fifth in their $500,000 Crown finals. Stubborn Belle in the rookie filly trot division to give her $524,000 in earnings on the year. Her stablemate Riveting Rosie upped her 2014 bankroll to $436,000 with her performance in the three-year-old filly trot final to give her over $900,000 lifetime.
On Saturday night one of the most compelling finishes was by European sensation Commander Crowe in the $500,000 Open trot. The striking 11 year-old horse became the oldest Breeders Crown winner with his 1:51 victory. Also of note was Ontario-sired Arch Madness whose longevity is also noteworthy.
Now 10, Arch Madness has competed in a remarkable seven Breeders Crown events throughout his career, starting as a three-year-old when he won both his elimination and the final over a field that included Donato Hanover. From the final crop of Hall of Fame stallion Balanced Image, the leading trotting stallion in Ontario for many years, Arch Madness has never once not earned money in a Breeders Crown and this year was no exception as he finished fifth. His lifetime earnings are $4,328,091.
Flanagan Memory, last year’s OSS Super Final winner, finished fourth in the same event. The son of Kadabra has over $629,000 banked to date in his career.
In the two-year-old pacing colt final Ontario-sired Go Daddy Go, a winner of his elimination, finished fifth after being parked most of the mile. His stablemate from the Bob McIntosh barn, Thinking Out Loud, captured the open pace final. Ontario-sired Modern Legend was fourth in that event after being first up more than half the mile.