MILTON, October 23, 2025Even amid a meteoric rise through the sport’s elite ranks, Todd Ratchford is as grounded as they come.
On Friday evening, in front of the crowd at Woodbine Mohawk Park, the 29-year-old rider will make his rapid ascent to ceiling-shattering heights when he makes his Breeders Crown debut in the Grade 1 USD $700,000 2-Year-Old Filly Trot final.
Grappling with top competition on the world stage is nothing new for the former professional hockey player turned crotchety superstar.
“I expected to do well just because that’s the kind of pressure I put on myself, but I never expected to be riding in the Breeders Crown in my second year,” said Ratchford, whose on-ice career included stops in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the United Arab Emirates.
“It’s something I never thought about at the moment. Maybe I would expect something like that later, but to get here so quickly it’s a surprise. But things happen for a reason, and if you’re supposed to be there, you’re supposed to be there.”
Competing for a Breeders Crown is exactly where Ratchford should be.
After debuting in 2023, the Caledonia, Ontario native hit it big the following year, posting career highs across the board (854: 95-80-108; C$1.06 million) en route to the 2024 O’Brien Future Star Award.
Ratchford has backed up his breakout campaign by reaching the $1 million mark again this year ($1.09 million), surpassing his previous benchmark with more than 300 fewer starts.
His biggest achievement to date, however, was being able to parlay that season-long excellence into the first of two Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trot eliminations on Oct. 17 in Mohawk.
Along with 33-1 underdog Storybook Love, Ratchford and the rookie Chapter seven filly stormed home in :27-flat – tying a personal best – to secure victory and a position in Friday’s final.
It was an encouraging result for a young horse packed with natural talent.
“She’s always been a talented filly, but at the beginning of the year she was a little immature, she had a little nagging problem, so we just had to figure her out,” said Ratchford, who has raced eight times in Storybook Love’s 11 lifetime starts.
“Mat [trainer Matt Bax] has done an excellent job, and she is only now getting into shape.”
The bay trotter out of Credit Winner mare Stirling Debutant strengthened Ratchford’s belief heading into elimination after a pair of impressive performances in the Big Apple series at Vernon Downs.
“She won the elimination for the Big Apple, almost identical to the way she won her Breeders Crown elimination – she just felt great. The next week, for the Big Apple finals, she raced just perfectly. She almost got there for the win, but just lost to a really nice filly [Nezuko Kamada S] which the other won [Breeders Crown] elimination.
“She felt really good those two weeks at Vernon, and I felt very confident going into elimination last week. As soon as I got on the court, I knew she was ready to roll and do her job.”
A top-two finish felt possible, Ratchford added, but taking the win was a welcome bonus.
‘I was pretty sure when I got coverage from Dex [driver, Dexter Dunn] to me that she would come around that last bend in a good place. She felt just like she did in New York, so I thought we would have a good chance if nothing crazy happens.
“She loves to pass horses, so as soon as you take her helmet off she shifts into another gear and away she goes. Having a horse that is willing to do that is a plus because a lot of them don’t like that, but she is certainly a special filly.”
When Ratchford and Storybook Love line up behind the starting car for the biggest race of their early but distinguished careers, they will look to take advantage of home field advantage.
The former, a Mohawk regular, will have his own cheering section watching from the stands and restaurant.
“It’s incredible. Just having everyone there and being a part of it with me makes a big difference.”
While the latter is “a great traveler,” according to Ratchford, it is based in Ontario and will not be subject to transportation-related stressors.
That, Ratchford noted, can be of great benefit on race day.
“For everyone, when you go to a new place you just don’t feel that comfortable, right? I think that translates well to a horse as well. They’re very environmentally oriented animals, so if they can feel comfortable and not as stressed as, say, traveling and things like that, that definitely plays a big role.”
However, it all comes down to executing between the rails.
“They are world-class horses,” Ratchford said. “They’re all here for a reason and they’ve all shown they can handle stressful situations. You want to beat everyone at their best, so I think it comes down to that.”
Ratchford leads by example, operating with the same discipline from his previous life on the frozen pond to remain stable for what could be a defining day on the track.
“It’s pretty much the usual: stay in your routine, do your work in the morning and take it day by day.
“I’ve had races all week so I’ve been preparing for that and when Friday comes you have to bear it a little bit, but you don’t want to put too much pressure on yourself because that’s how mistakes happen… enjoy it and try not to stress about it too much.”
That’s why Ratchford is enjoying the ride.
“There are very few opportunities to even participate in a race like this. I certainly don’t take it for granted. I want to take it all in and enjoy it. Winning the elimination especially makes you feel like you’re part of the race and not just along for the ride.”
“It’s always fun and hopefully the result is what we want.”
Ratchford and Storybook Love enter the final from post five as third choice with a score of 4-1.
For full race entries, click here.
By means of Matthew Lomonfor Woodbine Entertainment
#Todd #Ratchford #Fokkers #Crown #glory