The Breeders Crown Open Pace is a Grade 1 harness racing event for Standardbred pacers. It is one part of the Breeders Crown annual series of twelve races for both Standardbred pacers and trotters. The Open Pace for horses age four and older was first run in 1985. It is contested over a distance of one mile. Race organizers have awarded the event to various racetracks across North America.The Hambletonian Society, Inc. - History of the Breeders Crown Retrieved November 5, 2016

Historical race events At the Meadowlands Racetrack in 2009, Won The West set the Open Pace record time of 1:47 flat which was the fastest pacing mile in the entire Breeders Crown series until 2023.Breeders Crown: 31 Years of Statistics Retrieved November 5, 2016

Bulldog Hanover, who had broken the record for the fastest ever mile time for a Standardbred previously in the season, broke the Breeders Crown record in the 2023 edition of the race. He went on to be the first unanimous Horse of the Year.

In 2025, Ervin Hanover set the stakes record while pacing the fastest mile in Canadian history.

North American locations Track & Abbreviation -- State/Province -- times hosted Meadowlands Racetrack (Mxx) New Jersey (15) Mohawk Raceway (Moh) Ontario (6) Woodbine Racetrack (Wdb) Ontario (4) Hoosier Park (HoP) Indiana (3) Pocono Downs (Pcd) Pennsylvania (2) Freehold Raceway (Fhl) New Jersey (2) The Meadows Racetrack (Mea) Pennsylvania (1) Pompano Park (Ppk) Florida (1) Scioto Downs (Scd) Ohio (1) Roosevelt Raceway (Rr) New York (1) Los Alamitos Race Course (Lrc) California (1) Freestate Raceway (Fsr) Maryland (1) Northfield Park (Nfl) Ohio (1)

Records Most wins by a driver 5 – Michel Lachance (1985, 1989, 1991, 1997, 2000), John Campbell (1992, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2014)

Most wins by a trainer 4 – Robert McIntosh (1991, 1992, 1993, 2014)

Stakes record 1:46 2/5 – Ervin Hanover (2025)

Winners of the Breeders Crown Open Pace

Year Winner Age Driver Trainer Owner Time Purse Track2025Ervin Hanover5Dexter DunnDave MenaryPollack Racing1:46 2/5$600,000Moh2024Coach Stefanos4James MacDonaldErv MillerKen Duffy, D&M Trading II, John Stefanos1:48 3/5$600,000Mxx2023Bythemissal4Yannick GingrasRon BurkeBurke Racing Stable, Eric Good, Rich Lombardo Racing, Weaver Bruscemi1:48 0/0$600,000HoP2022Bulldog Hanover4Dexter DunnJack DarlingJack Darling Stables, Brad Grant1:46 4/5$600,000Moh2021Ocean Rock4Dan NobleChristi NobleSandra S. Burnett1:48 3/5$600,000Mxx2020Century Farroh4David MillerDr. Ian MooreCentury Springs Farms1:49 0/0$500,000HoP2019American History5Joe Bongiorno Tony AlagnaBrittany Farms, Marvin Katz, American History Racing 1:48 1/3$500,000Wdb2018McWicked4Brian Sears Casie ColemanS S G Stable 1:49 1/3$530,000Pcd2017Split The House5Brett Miller Chris OakesCrawford Farms Racing 1:48 1/1$421,000HoP2016Always B Miki5David Miller Jimmy TakterBluewood Stable, Roll The Dice Stable, Christina Takter 1:49 0/0$500,000Mxx2015Always B Miki4David Miller Jimmy TakterBluewood Stable, Roll The Dice Stable, Christina Takter 1:49 3/5 $518,960Wdb2014Thinking Out Loud5John CampbellRobert McIntoshR McIntosh Stables, CSX Stables, Al McIntosh Holdings1:48 3/5$400,000Mxx2013Foiled Again9Yannick GingrasRon BurkeBurke Racing Stable, JJK Stable, Wever-Bruscemi1:49 2/5$500,000Pcd2012Bettor Sweet8David MillerThomas Cancelliere John Cancelliere 1:49 1/5$500,000Wdb2011Bettor Sweet 7John CampbellThomas Cancelliere John Cancelliere 1:48 4/5 $501,950Wdb2010Won The West6Jim Morrill Jr. Ron BurkeStrollin Stable, William Robinson, James Koehler1:49 0/0 $500,000Pcd2009Won The West 5Jim Morrill Jr.Ron BurkeStrollin Stable, William Robinson, James Koehler1:47 0/0$500,000 Mxx2008Mister Big 5Brian SearsVirgil Morgan, Jr.Joseph Muscara, Sr.1:50 0/0 $532,150Moh2007Artistic Fella 4Tim TetrickSteve Elliott Joseph Alborano 1:49 2/5 $540,000Mxx2006Lis Mara 4Brian Sears Ervin MillerMJG RAcing Stables & Louis Willinger1:47 3/5$500,000 Mxx2005Boulder Creek 5Brian Sears Mark SilvaClifford D. Siegel, Lee S. Wasserman, John A. Fodera1:49 1/5$605,000 Moh2004Boulder Creek 4Ronald Pierce Mark SilvaClifford D. Siegel, Lee S. Wasserman, John A. Fodera1:48 1/5$552,500 Mxx2003Art Major 4John Campbell William Robinson(Lessee) Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc., James Simpson, Art Major Stable1:49 4/5$729,730 Wdb2002Real Desire 4John Campbell Blair BurgessBrittany Farms, R. Burgess, K. Olsson Burgess, Perretti Farms1:48 3/5$500,000Mxx2001Goliath Bayama 5Sylvain FilionYves FilionEcuries NDG1:48 4/5$500,000 Mxx2000Western Ideal 5Michel LachanceBret PellingBrittany Farms1:48 0/0$440,000 Mxx1999Red Bow Tie 5Luc OuelletteMonte GelrodCliff Siegel of TLP Stables, et al.1:50 0/0$380,000 Mxx1998Red Bow Tie 4Luc Ouellette Monte GelrodCliff Siegel of TLP Stables, et al.1:50 1/5$340,000Mxx1997Armbro Operative 4Michel Lachance Brett PellingDavid McDuffee & Tom Walsh1:50 3/5$300,000 Mxx1996Jennas Beach Boy4William Fahy Joe HollowayL & L DeVisser Partnership1:48 4/5$300,000 Mxx1995Thatll Be Me 4Roger Mayotte Robert YoungRobert Young1:52 4/5$300,000 Nfl 1994Village Jiffy 4Paul MacDonell William WellwoodW. Wellwood, H. Charles Armstrong, AFJ Stable, Fred Brunner 1:52 2/5$334,000 Fhl1993Staying Together4Bill O'DonnellRobert McIntoshRobert Hamather 1:51 1/5$396,810 Moh1992Artsplace4John Campbell Robert McIntosh George Segal & Brian Monieson1:52 0/0$368,100 Moh1991Camluck 4Michel Lachance Robert McIntoshNew Destiny & Al McIntosh1:52 1/5$463,000 Mea 1990Bays Fella 5Paul MacDonell Mike DeMennoPar-Birdie Stable1:52 1/5$273,458 Ppk 1989Matts Scooter4Michel Lachance Harry J. PoultonGordon & Illa Rumpel, Charles Juravinski1:53 2/5$278,238 Fhl1988Call For Rain 4Clint GalbraithClint GalbraithClint & Barbara Galbraith1:53 2/5$316,256 Scd 1987Armbro Emerson 4Walter Whelan Brian BurtonEd Weisz, Light/Heavyweight Stable1:54 1/5$359,794 Rr 1986Forrest Skipper4Lucien Fontaine Lucien FontaineForrest Bartlett 1:53 4/5$301,350 Lrc 1985Division Street 4Michel Lachance Vinnie AurigemmaLachance, Denim, M.E.K. Stable, KLR Stable1:52 3/5$309,553 Fsr

References