Commander Crowe favored at Breeders Crown

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) European star Commander Crowe is the 3-1 morning line favorite for the $500,000 Open Trot, the final event of the $5.4 million Breeders Crown this weekend at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

The Breeders Crown, harness racing's equivalent of the Breeders' Cup, consists of 12 championship races that determine divisional titles and Horse of the Year. This will be the first time the Crowns are raced at one track over two nights.

Four filly and mare championships will be contested Friday. The remaining races go the following night, with the Open Trot the marquee event of the evening.

The Open Trot attracted four former Breeders Crown winners: Arch Madness, Intimidate, Market Share and Maven.

The most intriguing horse is Commander Crowe, an 11-year-old gelding making only his second U.S. start. He was second in latest effort, the International Trot at Yonkers Raceway. He is 60-for-107 in his career, earning $4.8 million.

He starts from post 9 with Orjan Kihlstrom driving for trainer Fabrice Souloy.

The full field for the Open Trot, in post-position order with morning-line odds: Your So Vain, 8-1; Market Share, 7-2; Arch Madness, 12-1; Maven, 4-1; Flanagan Memory, 30-1; Archangel, 10-1; Creatine, 9-2; Wishing Stone, 20-1; Commander Crowe, 3-1 and Intimidate, 8-1.

In the Friday night Crowns:

-Color's A Virgin was won seven straight heading into the $593,750 3-Year-Old Filly Pace as the 6-5 choice from post 5.

-Mission Brief, the fastest juvenile trotter in the history of the sport, is the 4-5 favorite from post 5 in the $500,000 2-Year-Old Filly Trot.

-Shake It Cerry, a defending Breeders Crown champion, is the 4-5 favorite from post 3 in the $500,000 3-Year-Old Filly Trot.

-Defending Horse of the Year Bee A Magician is the 9-5 favorite from post 3 in the $250,000 Mare Trot.

Also on Saturday:

-Always B Miki, winner of nine of his last 10, is the 8-5 favorite from post 4 in the $531,250 3-Year-Old Colt Pace.

-Nuncio, winner of the Yonkers Trot and the Kentucky Futurity, is a slight 6-5 choice from post 3 over stablemate Father Patrick at 7-5 in the $500,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Trot.

-JK She'salady, puts an 11 for 11 mark on the line in the $500,000 2-Year-Old Filly Pace as the 3-5 favorite.

-Hall of Famer Jimmy Takter trains half of the 10-horse field in the $500,000 2-Year-Old Trot. Pinkman tops the Takter brigade as the 2-1 choice from post 5.

-John Campbell, the all-time leading Breeders Crown driver with 45 victories, pilots Go Daddy Go, the 5-2 favorite from post 5, in the $500,000 2-Year-Old Pace

-Trainer Ron Burke sends out four of the seven horses in the $400,000 Open Pace, including 5-2 favorite Clear Vision from post 6.

-Yagonnakissmeornot was supplemented for $31,250 to the $281,250 Open Mare Pace and wound up the 5-2 choice from post 5.