Forrest Skipper Heads Field in Breeders’ Crown

Forrest Skipper the 4-year-old pacer driven and trained by the father-son team of Lucien and Marc Fontaine, has won all 12 of his races this year.

He has been syndicated for breeding at a cost of $5 million and probably will win the voting for Harness Horse of the Year no matter what happens tonight at Los Alamitos in the $301,350 Breeders’ Crown Aged Horse Pace.

The Breeders’ Crown series, which started in 1984, is harness racing’s counterpart to the thoroughbred Breeders’ Cup. Unlike the Cup, however, which is seven races worth $10 million on the same day at one track, the Crown this year is a 12-race, $5-million series contested at nine different tracks.

Tonight’s Los Alamitos event, which will be the richest harness race ever held in California, is the fourth of the 12 Crown races.

Hothead, who would have been the top threat to Forrest Skipper, is not racing tonight because it would have cost more than $40,000 to supplement the horse. Hothead came closest to beating Forrest Skipper this year, losing by a head Aug. 23 at Sportsman’s Park in Chicago.

Forrest Skipper will be challenged by eight rivals: Lustras Big Guy, Chairmanoftheboard, Staff Director, Armbro Dallas, Dignitarian, Armbro Cadet, Broadway Express and Whats Next. The winner’s share of the purse will be $150,675.