The Hambletonian Society, which owns and administers the $6 million Breeders Crown series, will raise the purses on seven of the 12 divisions of the Breeders Crown championship races to held at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Oct. 25 & 26.
“In recent years the Breeders Crown program has enjoyed support on all fronts – from breeders, owners, trainers and stallion nominators, and we always strive to keep our purse levels high while maintaining the future stability of the program,” said John Campbell, president of the Hambletonian Society.
“It’s important to give owners return on their stake payments, particularly for the two-year-old divisions, as quickly as possible.”
For the fifth straight year the two-year-old Breeders Crown events will be raised to $600,000, making them among the richest offered for the age group in North America.
An additional $50,000 will be added to each of the mare events and $100,000 to the open pace. The Breeders Crown Mare Trot and Pace will now race for $300,000 each and the Breeders Crown Pace for $500,000. The Crown Trot and all four sophomore divisions remain at $500,000.
The Society has a mission statement incumbent on supporting and promoting the breeding of Standardbred horses, and raising two-year-old purses shows provides immediate benefit to breeders, owners and yearling buyers.
The 2019 Breeders Crown will take place over two nights in October, with the host track of Woodbine Mohawk Park creating a festive weekend of events surrounding the races. The parent group, Woodbine Entertainment Group, has hosted more Breeders Crowns from 1984 to the present than any other entity, with one at Greenwood, 91 at Woodbine and 64 at Mohawk.
Eliminations for two-year-old races will be held Friday, Oct. 18, while three-year-old and older eliminations will race Saturday, Oct. 19.
The freshmen Breeders Crown finals take place Friday, Oct. 25 and the eight three-year-old and up events are set for Saturday, Oct. 26
Harness Racing’s Championship Series Presented by Woodbine Mohawk Park
Twelve Events • $6.5 Million Estimated in Purses
Friday, October 25
$600,000 BREEDERS CROWN TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT
$600,000 BREEDERS CROWN TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
$600,000 BREEDERS CROWN TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT PACE
$600,000 BREEDERS CROWN TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE
Saturday, October 26
$300,000 BREEDERS CROWN MARE TROT
$300,000 BREEDERS CROWN MARE PACE
$500,000 BREEDERS CROWN THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
$500,000 BREEDERS CROWN THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT
$500,000 BREEDERS CROWN TROT
$500,000 BREEDERS CROWN PACE
$500,000 BREEDERS CROWN THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE
$500,000 BREEDERS CROWN THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT PACE
(Hambletonian Society)