Croghan has 5 Crown hopes

Veteran trainer Ross Croghan is planning a massive assault on the upcoming Breeders Crown events for older horses at the Meadowlands, with five starters in three of the four events. Coming into this season, Croghan, who turned 53 on July 3, was fourth in all-time wins and fifth in earnings at the Meadowlands. The one thing he does not have is a Breeders Crown championship.

“It would be nice to get at least one,” Croghan said from his New Jersey barn Wednesday morning. “The biggest thing is that we are in the races. If you are not there, you can not win.”

A native of Sydney, Australia, Croghan has been a fixture in New Jersey since 1993. He has consistently ranked among the top 10 trainers at the Meadowlands since 1995.

While as a listed trainer he is 0-12 in Crown finals with one third-place finish, his filly trotter Pick Me Up, who raced several starts in Canada for trainer Darren McCall, won the 2002 Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Trot at Woodbine.

Croghan will be sending out supplemental entry Easton Alliance N and 2004 Breeders Crown champion Restive Hanover in the $331,500 Breeders Crown Mare Pace. In addition, he has a pair of late bloomers in the $800,000 Horse Trot, Corleone Kosmos and Lawman, and Ticket To Glide will attempt to upset favored Peaceful Way in $250,000 Breeders Crown Mare Trot.

Croghan has confidence in both of his Horse Trot entrants; he would just like to see his Lawman get a little bit of racing luck.

“He can’t seem to be able to do anything but draw outside,” Croghan said. “Even in the prep race this week. But he has gone from inconsistent to consistent and if we could draw well, he might do very well.”

Croghan’s best Breeders Crown hope might lie in Corleone Kosmos. The four-year-old has already scored five victories this season and according to Croghan is still in the process of maturing.

“When Tommy (Tom Haughton) sent him up to me last year, he was still a big overgrown baby,” he said. “When he came back this year, he has shown tremendous maturity and consistently is getting better. He has great physical talent and could become a real dominant trotter.” (from Breeders Crown release)

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