Breeders Crown Countdown~August 30, 2010
| Zweig Splits for Sophomore Trotting Divisions By Frank & Ray Cotolo Members of Hambletonian class of 2010, some Breeders Crown eligibles, won the Zweig Memorial divisions for both sexes in four Zweig Memorial Trots at Tioga Downs on Aug. 29. The quartet of stakes were won by soph-colt and soph-filly trotters with their eyes on a "Crown" score come October. In the first $134,000-plus division of the Zweig Memorial, with only six entries, two Crown ineligibles, Temple Of Doom won and set a world record win (on a five-eighths track) for his division with a 1:52.4 mile. His second win in a two-season campaign was executed uncommonly going wire to wire and, oddly enough, the record eclipsed had been set a week ago by Lucky Chucky at Harrah’s Chester (1:53). That mark was shared with Explosive Matter, who set it in 2009. Trainer Jonas Czernyson’s trainee was driven by David Miller, who said, "We have never put him on the front but I decided to [do it]." Second was Pilgrims Chuckie, the race favorite, and third was Winning Fireworks. Celebrity Bluechip was off the board. In the other Zweig division, Lucky Chucky was sent to the front just after the three eighths and was not asked to do any more to win over three other Crown eligibles and two others. The Chuck Sylvester-trained colt will head for the Canadian Trotting Classic followed by the Breeders Crown and Kentucky Futurity. Baximum was up for second and the recently improved Waldorf Hall took third, with Crown Man finishing last. In the filly "Zweigs," Impressive Kemp defeated favorite Spicy Wings and eligible Amazing Adventure in a mild upset. "Kemp" had been having gait problems during the hottest contests of the division but was well within herself here. Wingbat finished unplaced. In the second division, surprise-success Up Front Juansteen, paying $18.80, beat In The Mean Time, second, and Spectacular Bay among others. Check out our wagering analysis of eligibles at our special Youbet Breeders Crown page, starting with the initial entry, Road warriors, week one. |
