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The $6.7 million (USD) Breeders Crown, harness racing's richest and most prestigious year-end divisional championship series, returns in the last weekend of October 2022 to Woodbine Mohawk Park in Campbellville, Ontario, Canada.

Eliminations, if necessary, for freshman races will be held Friday, Oct. 21, with three-year-old and older eliminations raced Saturday, Oct. 22. Finals for two-year-olds get underway the next Friday, Oct. 28 with sophomore finals and open events following on Saturday, Oct. 29. All Breeders Crown divisions are now guaranteed at $600,000, with the exception of the Open Mare Pace and Trot which have been raised to a minimum of $350,000.

Woodbine Entertainment last hosted all 12 events in 2019, smashing handle and attendance records at the seven-eighths mile track, with $11.1M wagered over the four fall nights. The 2019 events were capped by a sensational victory in the Crown Trot by French star Bold Eagle, who retired with earnings of $5,878,322.

The 2019 Breeders Crown at Woodbine Mohawk Park also initiated the successful and subsequent three-year sponsorship of the Libfeld-Katz Breeding Partnership, which was also responsible for creating and executing the Breeders Crown Charity Challenge. The Breeders Crown Charity Challenge, brainchild of breeder/owner Marvin Katz, has since raised over $800,000 in three years, supporting numerous local charities in Crown host track communities.

Woodbine Entertainment has hosted more Breeders Crown events than any other venue at their tracks of Woodbine, Mohawk and Greenwood, for a total of 152.

“The Woodbine name is recognized as one of harness racing's leading brands and we are excited and proud to partner with them and bring the Breeders Crown series back to Canada,” said John Campbell, President & CEO of the Hambletonian Society, which owns and administers the races.

“Woodbine is thrilled to welcome back the Breeders Crown to Woodbine Mohawk Park this October,” said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. “Hosting the Breeders Crown continues our commitment to a world-class racing product, and we're focused on once again producing an exceptional two-night event showcasing the very best in our sport.”

The Breeders Crown series has typically crowned champions in every division for trotters and pacers and been the deciding factor in Horse of the Year honors. A Breeders Crown title is one of the most coveted honors in harness racing.

The Hambletonian Society is a non-profit organization formed in 1924 to sponsor the race for which it was named, the Hambletonian Stake. The Society's mission is to encourage and support the breeding of Standardbred horses through the development, administration and promotion of harness racing stakes, early-closing races and other special events. For more information, visit www.hambletonian.com.

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The sensational filly Ramona Hill took a well-deserved gulp from the Hambletonian trophy after beating the boys on Saturday in the $1 million trotting classic at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, N.J.

It was the latest chapter in the developing saga of harness racing's newest superstar.

The victory, the 15th by a filly in the race's illustrious history, was hardly a surprise. She was the 2-5 favorite following the previous week's jaw-dropping win from an impossible spot, kicking home with a :25.4 final quarter in the Hambletonian eliminations.

She was just as good in the final. Andy McCarthy turned Ramona Hill loose down the backside and she easily surged past Threefiftytwo to take command for good.

“When I came out early there, I sensed I could find the front,” McCarthy said. “I went for it, and she knows her job.”

As Ramona Hill made the lead, main rivals Ready For Moni — the other elimination winner — and Back Of The Neck took up the chase.

Through the lane, Ramona Hill remained solidly in command, beating Ready For Moni by a length with Back Of The Neck third.

“She was starting to work a little bit towards the wire, but she finished it off,” McCarthy said.

The time for the mile only confirmed what observers already knew: Ramona Hill is the real deal. The 1:50.1 clocking equaled the stakes mark set by her sire Muscle Hill in 2009.

It was a muted winner's circle celebration with access limited and everyone masked to ward off the coronavirus.

John Campbell, president of the Hambletonian Society, summed up the day and the performance eloquently.

“What a great performance by a tremendous filly,” Campbell said. “Throughout history, society has dealt with crises and troubles, but great horses and great horse racing have found a way to bring people together to forget about what's going on in their everyday lives. I think that's what's happened here today.”

It was the first Hambletonian victory for McCarthy and trainer Tony Alagna, who took a very patient approach with his talented filly. The race was only her fourth of the year and 11th of her career.

“People talked earlier about how COVID affected this filly's schedule,” Alagna said. “Honestly, this was our schedule from the beginning, with or without COVID. She's very much like a Thoroughbred. She doesn't need the starts to be at her best.”

Of course, the Hambletonian Oaks for fillies earlier in the day was a possible target. But after Ramona Hill cruised to a convincing win in the Del Miller on July 18, Alagna set his sights on the bigger goal.

“We always had it (the Hambletonian) in the back of our minds, but nobody wanted to be the first one to say it,” Alagna said. “After the Del Miller, it became a reality.”

It had already been a great afternoon for McCarthy with four victories. Number five, the Hambletonian, will be the one he'll always remember.

“It was a very good start to the day and I was trying to keep my cool, and I was trying to let it sink in too much because I still had a lot of work to do,” McCarthy said.

The driver and the filly completed the mission in style.

“The adrenalin you get from winning a race like this, words can't explain it,” the Australian reinsman said. “It's an amazing event and a privilege to be involved.”

With the victory, Ramona Hill improved her record to 9-0-2 in 11 starts for Bradley Grant, Crawford Farms Racing, Robert LeBlanc and In The Gym Partners. The 2019 Breeders Crown and Dan Patch Award winner is the second filly to capture the Hambletonian in the last three renewals, joining Atlanta (2018).

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