East Rutherford, NJ (My Sportsbook) - Hambletonian winner Donato Hanover suffered his only defeat this year to Arch Madness in last week's Breeders Crown elimination race. Saturday night Arch Madness did it again as the colt wore down Donato Hanover in the stretch to capture the $610,000 Breeders Crown race for three-year-old colt trotter at The Meadowlands.
The Breeders Crown is harness racing's championship for pacers and trotters. There were eight races evenly split between two-year-olds and three-year-olds.
Donato Hanover, 3-5 at post-time, took the lead entering the backstretch. Leaving from the far outside post with driver Ron Pierce, the colt was making his last start before entering retirement.
Donato Hanover still had the lead at the top of the stretch, but was hooked by Arch Madness and driver Brian Sears. Arch Madness took the lead in the deep stretch as Donato Hanover tired. Making a late run was Flirtin Man who also won an elimination race last week.
Arch Madness, trained by Trond Smedshammer, trotted the mile in 1:52 4/5 and won by a neck over Flirtin Man. Donato Hanover, who has earned $3 million, was third with Prayer I Am fourth in the nine horse field.
"He didn't look invincible any more after last week," said Sears. "Plus this horse is really at the top of his game right now and that helps."
Arch Madness returned $6.00, $3.60 and $2.10. Flirtin Man paid $4.20 and $2.20, and Donato Hanover paid $2.10 to show.
Two races earlier Sears drove Artcotic to victory in the $500,000 three-year- old filly pace. Artcotic paced the mile in 1:51 2/5 as she posted a neck win over Real Velocity. The winner paid $8.80 to win.
Driver George Brennan registered two wins most notably with Artist's View at 42-1 in the $555,000 three-year-old colt pace. Brennan began the night with a victory in the two-year-old filly pace with Stylish Artist.
Artist's View came charging down the stretch to upset the field of 10. The colt paced the mile in 1:50 4/5 as he won by a neck over 16-1 longshot Watta Hotshot. Forensic Z Tam, also 42-1, finished third.
Co-favorties Tell All and Always A Virgin finished eighth and ninth, respectively.
Artist's View returned $87.00.
Stylish Artist and Brennan took the $650,000 two-year-old filly pace in 1:53. The filly won by 1 1/2 lengths and returned $11.40.
Hall of Fame driver John Campbell guided 1-10 favorite Snow White to victory in the $650,000 two-year-old filly trot. The win made Campbell the first harness driver to earn $250 million and pushed Snow White to better than $1 million in earnings. The filly covered the mile in 1:55 1/5 as she won by 12 1/2 lengths. Snow White paid $2.20 for the win.
"She's the best two-year-old I've driven, male or female," said Campbell. "She's head and shoulders above any two-year-old trotter I've been associated with."
The $650,000 trot for two-year-old colts went to Deweycheatumnhowe as he remained undefeated in 10 starts. The 3-5 favorite, with trainer Ray Schnitker driving, went the mile in 1:57 2/5 to win by a length and paid $3.20.
"He's been in all kind of horrendous tracks, windstorms and everything and he just overcomes everything," Schnitker noted. "He's just a good horse. He's had a lot of luck, nothing has really gone bad for him. He just overcomes everything."
Santana Blue Chip caught Sand Shooter at the wire to win the $650,000 two- year-old colt pace. Jody Jamieson guided the colt through the mile in 1:51 3/5. In his first start outside of Canada Santana Blue Chip paid $5.80 to win.
"I was anxious that's for sure," said Jamieson. "I was trying to buy my way out of the two-hole at the head of the lane and George (Brennan) and still had some pace left and I had to wiggle out of there. He had kind of an eventful week. He fell down training this week, so he is just kind of living the Shark Gesture dream from last year and you know he raced huge again."
Longshot Southwind Serena got a perfect drive from Yanni Gingris to capture the $500,000 three-year-old filly trot over Pampered Princess. Sent off at 50-1, Southwind Serena won by a half-length as Pampered Princess finished second in a Breeders Crown race for a second time. Southwind Serena trotted the mile in 1:55 2/5 and paid $102.80.
"We didn't have to use her too much early," Gingras said. "As soon as I crossed over I knew Pampered Princess was behind me, John (Campbell) was moving her to the front so I was trying to take it easy on the fractions. I didn't think I was going to win it, but you know I was hoping to be second or third that way."
