Ecurie D DK ties stakes record in Breeders Crown Open Trot Championship
MILTON, October 29, 2022 – Ecurie D DK became the first repeater of the Breeders Crown Open Trot Championship in nineteen years on Saturday night at Woodbine / Mohawk Park, tying the stakes record of 1:51 in winning the $600,000 event while matching the successive scores of Fool’s Goal in 2002-2003, the latter win at Woodbine.
Trainer Åke Svanstedt, winning his second Crown of the night and third of the weekend, selected Dexter Dunn to handle Ecurie D DK (the “DK” indicates he is Danish-bred; the breeder is Jean Pierre Dubois) as one of four horses he sent out in this Crown. Ecurie D DK had gotten “hot” in the Yonkers International in his last start and tired after setting scalding fractions; the son of Infinitif was much more tractable in his Crown, going right out to the lead ahead of 2021 sophomore Crown winner Jujubee, and set fractions of :27.1, :55.2, and 1:23, at the last pole starting to go clear of his field.
No one was able to get near Ecurie D DK in the stretch, with Jujubee three lengths behind in closest pursuit of the winner at the finish. Unfortunately, Jujubee made a break nearing the wire, and after an inquiry he was placed back to fourth, with Amigo Volo (ironically, the 2020 3YO Crown winner, and let go here at 102-1) elevated from third to second and It’s Academic moved up from fourth to third. But they were all trotting for the minor honors behind Ecurie D DK, who gave Dunn his third Crown win of the night, which put him equal with Svanstedt as the only three-time 2022 Crown winners at the time.
Ecurie D DK is owned by Marko Kreivi Stables, Suleyman Yuksel Stables, and Åke Svanstedt Inc. Ecurie D DK was two-for-two when he came to North America last season, and in 2022 he now has two wins, two seconds and a third in six starts (his only off-the-board finish in North America was in the International). The six-year-old has earned $966,389 in his eight North American starts, and $1,356,757 lifetime, as he was 15-for-21 on the Continent. He took his mark of 1:49.1 while setting a world record in his first start of the year, in the Cutler at The Meadowlands on May 21, and his 1:51 mile in the Crown equals the stakes record held by Market Share (2013) and Commander Crowe (2014).
Ecurie D DK was sent off as the 6-5 favorite of this outstanding field, bringing the count of winning favorites to five in the first eleven Crowns, with three seconds and two thirds over the weekend.
Jerry Connors, for Woodbine Communications
Grace Martin