NEZUKO KAMADO S SETS TRACK RECORD IN BREEDERS CROWN FILLY TROT ELIM

COLUMBUS, OH -- October 17, 2026 -- Hambletonian Oaks winner Nezuko Kamado S persisted with a first-over grind and staved off late pursuers to take the first of three $25,000 Grade 1 Breeders Crown eliminations for 3-year-old trotting fillies in a track-record 1:51.2 mile on Saturday night (Oct. 17) at Scioto Downs. Little Road and She’s Moni won the other eliminations.

Driver Scott Zeron eased Nezuko Kamado S out of post 3 into fourth behind a three-wide brawl for the lead between Madam Cheval (driven by Tim Tetrick), Southwind Chaska (Dexter Dunn) and Isabella Bi (Ake Svanstedt). Isabella Bi took back to third and Southwind Chaska yielded into the pocket, leaving Madam Cheval to cut a :27.1 first quarter and then a :55.2 half with no challengers looming. Zeron angled Nezuko Kamado S off the pylons into the backstretch and steadily advanced on Madam Cheval heading to three-quarters in 1:23.1 before thrusting to the lead upon straightening for the finish. Nezuko Kamado S extended for the finish and clinched the win by a nose as Custom (Jason Bartlett) bolted from last down the center of the track to settle for second. Southwind Chaska held the last berth into the final in third.

“I thought I’d be first up no matter how I shook that race,” Scott Zeron said after the race, “and I was very happy with even being first-up, just giving her every chance to win. The only thing I didn’t want to do was rush her really, really hard first two steps out of the gate. Timmy’s horse [Madam Cheval] was giving a hell of a run in the last turn and I was still laboring off of him. And then when his started to tire a little bit it gave mine that second wind to just dig on by and she felt good up there. Hats off to Jason’s horse [Custom] she raced phenomenal from behind.”

Marcus Melander trains Nezuko Kamado S for owner-breeder Courant Inc. The filly by Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos IT has now won seven races from 11 starts this season and 13 races from 22 starts in her career, amassing $1,143,869. She paid $3.80 to win.

Supplemental entry Little Road (Brady Brown) ripped from a pocket trip to a 1:53.3 victory in the second Breeders Crown elimination for sophomore trotting fillies.

Brown asserted his charge from the pylon draw and clicked past a :28.1 first quarter before Victorianas Secret (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) ranged forward out of third to grab the lead. Little Road drafted comfortably behind the favorite to a :57 half but lost ground in the backstretch once the tempo quickened with Setyoursightshigh (Dexter Dunn) blitzing the leader out of fourth. Setyoursightshigh reached the Victorianas Secret’s throat to three-quarters in 1:26.1 and kept pressing the leader through the turn while Little Road waited for the open stretch. Brown dove his charge inside in the lane and surged by his rivals late to score a half-length win over Setyoursightshigh while Victorianas Secret held third.

A homebred filly for trainer Roger Hammer by Fordham Road out of the Great George Two mare A Little Laid Back, Hammer decided to pay the $72,000 supplement fee to make Little Road eligible for the Breeders Crown after a sophomore campaign where she’s earned nearly $300,000 including a victory in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final in early September.

“She made the money this year and it was the first horse that I raised to have a shot at the Breeders Crown,” Hammer said after the race. “I wanted to give her a shot. She doesn't like the passing lane that well. She's better when you pull her to the outside and come with her, but I figured with where she's sitting I'm into the final, if nothing happens. It'd mean a lot [to win a Breeders Crown].

"This week, she'll go home tonight and she'll train lightly on Thursday,” Hammer also said, “then come back out on Saturday for the retention barn. I hope she's ready again.”

Little Road has now won 16 races from 25 starts and earned $373,150 in her career. She paid $9.40 to win.

Kentucky Filly Futurity champion She’s Moni (Yannick Gingras) hauled from the outermost draw in the third elimination and held her ground for a 1:53.2 win in the third elimination.

Gingras hustled his charge to seize command from Carve (Andy McCarthy) passing a :28 first quarter and immediately hit the brakes to steal a breather to a :58 half. She’s Moni gradually accelerated in the backstretch and readied for an attack once Busy Miss Lissy S (Dexter Dunn) tipped out of fourth to march up the rim. She’s Moni continued to cruise towards three-quarters in 1:26.1 but endured an unrelenting bid from Busy Miss Lissy S coming for home, and she managed to keep that rival at bay by a neck to the finish. Storybook Love (Todd Ratchford) zipped up the open stretch to take third.

“I always thought that she was my best filly,” trainer Nancy Takter said. “She was my best filly last year training down. Unfortunately, she had a little injury that we had to take care of and give her time off. So she came back from that and she hasn’t had any issues from that all year. It was a matter of just getting her into racing and making up for lost time, not having a lot of starts at 2. She always had the ability. She’s a very gifted filly, probably one of the most gifted I’ve been around.”

She’s Moni, a homebred filly for owners Brittany Farms LLC and Marvin Katz, won her fifth race from 11 starts this season and her sixth race from 12 starts overall, banking $443,606. The filly by Walner-Thats All Moni paid $4.40 to win.

Following the third elimination, Scioto Downs conducted the post position draw for the Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Trot final. Nezuko Kamado S, Little Road and She’s Moni earned draw protection between posts 1 through 6 by winning their eliminations. Below is the field:

$664,500 Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Trot Final (G1)

PP-Horse Name-Driver-Trainer

1-Storybook Love-Todd Ratchford-Matt Bax

2-Victorianas Secret-Ronnie Wrenn Jr.-Vernon Beachy

3-She’s Moni-Yannick Gingras-Nancy Takter

4-Nezuko Kamado S-Scott Zeron-Marcus Melander

5-Little Road-Brady Brown-Roger Hammer

6-Setyoursightshigh-Dexter Dunn-Marcus Melander

7-Custom-Jason Bartlett-Petter Engblom

8-Southwind Chaska-Dexter Dunn-Jim Oscarsson

9-Busy Miss Lissy S-Dexter Dunn-Ake Svanstedt