Brown seeks landmark Breeders Crown win
Brady Brown never figured he would be in the spotlight of the Breeders Crown Saturday night at Scioto Downs (Columbus, Ohio) in an elimination of the $25,000 3-year-old filly pace.
Owner-trainer Roger Hammer, of Johnstown, supplemented Little Road (Fordham Road-A Little Laid Back-Great George Two) into the race for $72,000.
Brown, one of the top drivers at The Meadows, is looking for his first landmark stakes victory. It’s his maiden start in the Breeders Crown.
“I’m still speechless,” Brown said. “I never thought I would get this opportunity, especially to get to drive a filly for one of the best trainers and drivers in this business. It’s very special to me.”
Little Road, who will leave from the rail, will compete with Sharp Seven (Jody Jamieson or Ronnie Wrenn Jr. and George Ducharme), Victorians Secret (Wrenn Jr. and Vernon Beachy), Emmas Mystery CCl (Andrew McCarthy and Noel Daley), Setyoursightshigh (Dexter Dunn and Marcus Melander), R Ro (Andy Miller and John Butenschoen) and Kngtstlkrs Games (Louis Roy and Peter Shody).
The top three finishers in the three divisions will advance to the final Oct. 24.
Little Road, bred by Hammer, has won nine of 15 starts this season with three seconds and a third. She has earned $282,562 and has a best time of 1:52.
In two seasons, she has 15 wins in 24 starts with four seconds and two third-place finishes with $360,650 career earnings.
Little Road, who is 5-1 on the morning line, has won seven of her last eight starts with wins in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes last month and a victory in the Keystone Classic Oct. 6.
“She’s been a good filly,” Brown said. “Towards the end of her 2-year-old year, we really knew we had a good horse – wasn’t sure how good, but she was good. When (Hammer) brought her back as a 3-year-old, he trained her down and started racing her. She was just phenomenal.
“She can race either way,” Brown said. “She can go forward or she can race from behind.
“One thing about Hammer, he doesn’t put a horse in these kinds of races just to be in the race. He’s in the race to win and to make money.”
Hammer, a Bedford resident, said his only instructions for Brown are to give the horse a “shot” at winning.
“When Brady first started racing at the fairs, I gave him drives,” Hammer said. “That’s how we got together. I told him to not sit back with Little Road.
He gives her a shot all the time and I don’t care if she finishes last, if he gives her a shot to win.
He also thinks Brown’s time has come to win a Grade 1 stakes race.
“I thought too, being Brady has never driven in the big races, I think this would be good for him.”
Hammer admitted he has rarely supplemented horses into a big race, which says much about his confidence supplementing Little Road into the Breeders Crown.
Hammer, 80, won the Hambletonian in 2005 with Vivid Photo.
He’s confident Little Road has the makeup and ability to be his next big winner.
“She doesn’t need a trip,” Hammer said. “The last four, five or six weeks, we just put her to the top and stayed out of trouble.
“She can leave fast – leave the gate good. She’s raced against a lot of these fillies and she beat them, and they beat her. She’s only had one bad race all year. And that was down in Kentucky when she tied up on me. Other than that, she’s been one, two, three the whole time.”
As for supplementing Little Road into the Breeders Crown, Hammer said his decision was easy.
“Nothing has come out of my pocket with this one,” Hammer explained. “She made the money. I’m going to give her a shot at this.”
Burke’s brigade
Hall of Fame trainer Ron Burke and the Burke Racing Stable, Fredericktown, have a bevy of Breeders Crown entries.
That group includes defending Breeders Crown champion Loua Dipa (3-year-old filly pace), Al Papi and Melillo (3-yea-old colt pace), Bythemissal (Open Pace), Rodeo Drive Deo (Open Mare Pace), Lexus Kody (Open Trot)
Down the stretch
Scioto Downs previously hosted the Breeders Crown Pace (1988) and Mare Trot (1986). After major renovations, including a new race paddock, gaming floor and grandstand, the 2026 Breeders Crown is hosting a festival week, culminating in the Crown final Oct. 23-24. … The event will feature more than $7.2 million in total purses. … Eight of last year’s Breeders Crown titlists will race (Oct. 17). … First-race post time is 6 p.m. both Friday and Saturday at Scioto Downs.