Mystical Sunshine rebuffed overwhelming 1-10 favorite Peaceful Way and drew off to win the $250,000 Breeders Crown Mare Trot. The 10-1 second choice scored a gate-to-wire victory by 1 length over 24-1 longshot Three Little Words in 1:53 1/5. There was no show wagering. Peaceful Way, who had to be steadied in the final 1/16, was third by 2 1/4 lengths. The defending Older Trotting Mare of the Year and $2.2 million earner won the 2005 edition of the Breeders Crown Mare Trot in the stakes record of 1:53 1/5. It was the 16th Breeders Crown victory for Hall of Fame driver Ron Pierce and first for New Zealand-born trainer Chris Ryder. Mystical Sunshine, a five-year-old daughter of Yankee Glide out of Aura of Glory, picked up her second win with four thirds in 10 starts this year. Lifetime, she has 15 wins, 15 seconds and 10 thirds from 59 starts. She has banked $1,201,069 for owners Alvin Jacobson of Crompond, New York, and Sidney Korn of Monmouth Beach, New Jersey.
"I pretty much wanted to get her on out of the gate and take control," said Pierce. "I was also concerned about that filly that Cat (Manzi) was on (Ticket To Glide). She's been racing awfully good. So once I got control of the race, I had a bit of a breather down the back. They weren't getting to me. The mare felt super. Chris (Ryder) did a great job and I'm very happy to win his first Breeders Crown. You can never get really comfortable with Peaceful Way on your back. She's a very special mare, and she's blown by me what seems like three dozen times. So I wouldn't have been surprised if she did blow by me again. But tonight she didn't. I'm very happy."
"I guess Mystical Sunshine hasn't gotten that much respect because Peaceful Way has been beating her most of the time," acknowledged Ryder. "When you finish in second or you're second best, that's just the way it is. It doesn't worry us. Taking away nothing from Peaceful Way, I always thought that my mare was sharp and if things went our way, she would have a shot to beat her one day and today it happened."
Back to the Open Pace
Back to the Open Trot
Back to the Mare Pace
