Condren's Crown hopefuls

Steve Condren, whose 50th birthday won’t arrive until next July, well after he is back north after wintering in Florida, continues to be one of the most consistent sulky practitioners in the sport. Saturday night at Woodbine, Condren will be center stage as he makes four appearances in the eight-race Breeders Crown extravaganza.

For Condren, who got his first victory in 1977 at Orangeville Raceway with Farm Tarra and won the last race ever contested at Greenwood Raceway with Kirk Henley on December 31, 1993, the big moment on Saturday will be when he sits behind the horse that he co-owns.

“She is a very wonderful filly,” Condren said of Pure Ivory, the 3-year-old daughter of Striking Sahbra who has earned more than $1 million and finished third to Passionate Glide in last year’s 2-Year-Old Filly Trot at the Meadowlands.

Pure Ivory, out of the Balanced Image mare Image Control, is owned by Condren, Jerry Van Boekel, Harry Rutherford and Christina Maxwell, will compete in the $500,000 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Trot. Brad Maxwell trains the filly.

“All Passionate Glide has done is gone out and beat everything they can throw against her,” Condren said. “We haven’t raced against her since the Breeders Crown last year. I hope (Pure Ivory) can give a good effort Saturday night. We got a little bit of a break post wise. We are going to start side by side next to Passionate Glide. To say I think we can win, I might be a bit foolish; I just want her to give her best effort.”

Condren has won two Breeders Crown events: in 1995 with Armbro Officer and in 1996 with Before Sunrise.This year, he has six wins for purses of $100,000 or more, including five with Pure Ivory.

Condren has three other drives on Breeders Crown card, but he believes his best hope is Pure Ivory.

In the first of the eight races Saturday night, Condren will drive the Chris Ryder-trained Libra Vita in the $600,000 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Colt Trot.

He is a nice colt, but he is an outsider,” Condren said. “The best thing for him is that he got the rail. He will need it.”

The horse that might have been his best shot was Constance Hall, for trainer Bob McIntosh, in the $600,000 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trot.

“Constance Hall drew horrible (post nine),” Condren said. “She is very good racing up here, but the big girls will be here Saturday night.

In the $600,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace, Condren will handle the lines for Running Book, a son of Real Desire, for trainer Nat Varty.

“I wish he had one more start coming in,” Condren said. “But there are a lot of nice colts in there and while it will help to have a rail, I’m not sure he’s had enough seasoning.” (From BC release)

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