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Bythemissal, Pebble Beach in Breeders Crown showdown

2 min read

Bythemissal has produced one big moment after another this season – just what trainer and co-owner Ron Burke expected.

Bythemissal was turned over to Burke to train. Then the Burke Stable, Fredericktown, purchased partial ownership of the 3-year-old gelding from Eric Good.

“(Good) gave him to me to train,” Burke said. “I knew he was special. Obviously, I didn’t know he would become the best 3-year-old out there. But I knew he was special.”

Bythemissal has done his best to prove just that over the course of 2022.

He can certainly lay claim to that title with a victory in Saturday night’s Breeders Crown 3-year-old Pace for colts and geldings at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Milton, Ontario.

Bythemissal, a winner of 14 of 16 races in 2022 with two seconds and earnings of $997,400, has won five consecutive races and eight of his last nine dating back to The Adios in July.

He is a 9-5 second choice of the morning line in the Breeders Crown championship and will pace from post 2 with Chris Page in the bike.

Standing in Bythemissal’s way is the formidable Pebble Beach, the 8-5 favorite leaving from post 5.

Pebble Beach has won seven of 14 races with six seconds and a third this year. The horse, driven by Todd McCarthy, has earned $1,046,000.

Pebble Beach has had a handful of significant victories this season, including the Tattersalls Pace Oct. 9, and the $1 million North America Cup June 18. Pebble Beach also defeated Bythemissal in an Adios elimination race before finishing third to Bythemissal in the final.

Pebble Beach is undefeated in four starts at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

“Pebble Beach was really good last week,” Burke said. “We want to get ourselves a good spot. We don’t want to be too far from Pebble Beach at the turn.”

Page said Bythemissal is ready to take his shot.

“Even though he was green, he had all the fundamentals when Ron bought some of him,” Page said. “The horse loves to race and Ron has been masterful with him.”

Meadows-stabled Fourever Boy is also in the race. He will pace from post 7 and is 10-1 with Dexter Dunn driving.

Fourever Boy is trained by Tim Twaddle, who co-owns the horse with Miki Rae Stables Llc.

Meadows-stabled Jujubee is a 7-2 second choice in the Breeders Crown Open Trot. Trained by the Meadows’ Greg Wright, Jr., Jujubee was the Breeders Crown champion in 2021.

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