Video: How the Breeders Crown eliminations work

In thoroughbred flat racing, everything is up to the Breeders' Cup. And in American harness racing, it all comes down to the Breeders Crown.

The Breeders Crown is an end-of-year celebration and championship event for harness racing. Every year, a different venue plays host to the top standardbred racehorses around the world and race collectively for approximately $6 million every year.

Like how the Breeders’ Cup has varying races for each division of distance, sex and age, the Breeders Crown is separated into 12 finals – one for each age, sex and gait of standardbred.

Woodbine Mohawk Park in Campbellville, Ontario, hosts this year’s Breeders Crown. Their Friday and Saturday race cards will feature several eliminations for Breeders Crown events to determine the finalists for the power-packed cards on Oct. 28 and Oct. 29. Much like the Breeders’ Cup too, the 2-year-olds will race on Friday and the 3-year-olds and older will race on Saturday.

The Breeders Crown is a makeshift tradition of Harnessland which began in 1984, coinciding with the inaugural Breeders’ Cup at Hollywood Park. Back then, the Breeders Crown used to be a series of races with finals at various racetracks in the same year for different breeds.

All divisions of standardbreds did not race at the same venue for the Breeders Crown until the 2010 edition when all 12 races were contested on the same night at Pocono Downs. Since 2010, one racetrack has hosted all 12 Breeders Crown events.

As comes with cultural traditions, Ray Cotolo – the mayor of Harnessland – is preparing for the opening ceremonies of the prestige championships next weekend. Watch and learn more in Ray Cotolo’s Harnessland:

Coverage of the Breeders Crown at Horse Racing Nation is made possible through a sponsorship by the Hambletonian Society and Woodbine Entertainment.