MILTON, October 17, 2025– Storybook Love (Chapter seven) pulled off a 33-1 upset rally over the top of her harness racing event and Nezuko Kamado S later raced down the middle of the track to win their respective $34,250 Breeders Crown eliminations for 2-year-old trotting fillies on Friday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Storybook Love flew out of cover down the stretch and easily overhauled 4-5 favorite Setyoursightshigh to win the first Breeders Crown elimination in 1:53.2.
Driver Todd Ratchford put Storybook Love in fourth place, just behind Setyoursightshigh, while Southwind Chaska moved ahead to take the lead from Im Kronos S in a :27.1 first quarter.
Southwind Chaska cruised to a :56.4 half and rolled through the final turn as Setyoursightshigh pulled off the cones with Storybook Love in tow. Setyoursightshigh glided past Southwind Chaska in 1:25.4 after three quarters and chugged to the finish, while Ratchford Storybook Love tapped wide and got going late. Storybook Love pulled wide to Setyoursightshigh and then eased past in the final eighth for a three-quarter victory. R Ro rallied from the speed for third place, while Wishuponastar Deo took fourth place from a tiring Southwind Chaska, who took the final spot in the finals as fifth place with the highest season earnings between the two eliminations.
STORYBOOK LOVE REPETITION
“It’s kind of fun,” Todd Ratchford said of winning a Breeders Crown elimination, which came during his first Breeders Crown ride and only his third year as a driver. “I never expected it, but I’m glad it happened.
“Last week [finishing second at Vernon] really showed what she was capable of,” Ratchford also said. “And I thought I’d put her in a good spot tonight. She would have a good chance of making it to the final, let alone winning. So it was pretty good. She knows how to pull herself out and move forward, so she’s quite easy to control.
Storybook Love, a Chapter Seven-Stirling Debutant filly bred by Alan and Larry Troyer, won her third race from 11 starts and has now earned $207,726 for owners Al Libfeld and Brad Grant.
“She’s really matured lately,” said trainer Matt Bax, who also won his first Breeders Crown elimination in his second outing. “At the beginning of the year she wasn’t quite ready mentally, and luckily she’s putting it together at just the right time. She actually rode great in Vernon [and I] thought she had a chance. I told Al and Brad, great people. They said, ‘if you think she’s good enough.’ I said, ‘Well, she’s not going to embarrass herself in the Breeders Crown.’ So I’m happy that it worked out.”
Storybook Love, with the second longest odds on the board, paid $69.70 to win.
Marcus Melander trainee Nezuko Kamado S hit the front after fast fractions to take a 1:53.1 victory in the second elimination for first-year trotting fillies.
NEZUKO KAMADO’S REPEAT
From the pylon pole, Nezuko Kamado S landed in seventh place after battling for the lead in a:28 first quarter. Jailbird Jog cut through traffic and was last in the shuffle planting on the lead as he stretched through a half of :55.3 through Shimmering Hanover. Driver Scott Zeron, meanwhile, found a third place as Jailbird Jog raced to an open lead to three-quarters in 1:23.1. Zeron blew Nezuko Kamado S towards the stands, spinning for home and powered by a tired Jailbird Jog in the final eighth, before sealing a two-length win in hand. Lainey W moved along a seam at the cones to take second place, while Bingo Night was in third place and Sparks flew from almost last to fourth.
“She was far away, but the pace was good there and she really flew home,” said Marcus Melander after the race. “She’s got a great attitude, great speed. I probably put her in the wrong races; I put her in the New York Sires Stakes with the half-mile course – she probably could have raced on the bigger tracks, taken her to Kentucky or something. But she’s a really good horse and I’m looking forward to the finals.”
Nezuko Kamado S, a homebred Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos IT filly for Courant Inc., earned her sixth win from nine starts and has collected $508,208 in her career. From the small second favorite, she paid $8.30 to win.
Following the ninth race of the evening, Woodbine Mohawk Park held the post-position drawing for the $959,000 Grade 1 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trot. The two elimination winners, along with Jim Doherty Memorial champion Atlantic Summer, earned draw protection from posts 1 through 5. Below is the field:
$959,000 Grade 1 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trotting Final
PP-Name (Sire)-Driver-Trainer
1-Lainey W (Bar hopping)-Yannick Gingras-Marcus Melander
2-Nezuko Kamado S (Chapter seven)-Scott Zeron-Marcus Melander
3-Southwind Chaska(Tactical landing)-Tim Tetrick-Jim Oscarsson
4-Atlantic summer (Captain Corey)-Ronnie Wrenn Jr.-Ron Burke
Love from 5 storybooks (Chapter seven)-Todd Ratchford-Matt Bax
6-Bingo evening (Green Manalishi S)-Tyler Jones-R. Dustin Jones
7 sparks (Walter)-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt
8-Wishuponastar Deo (Six pack)-Tyler Borth-Susie Kerwood
9-Set your gaze high (Within range)-Dexter Dunn-Marcus Melander
10-R Ro (Chapter seven)-Jody Jamieson-John Butenschoen
Through Ray Cotoloin front of Woodbine Mohawk Park
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