This Breeders Crown is Taylor made

TORONTO - It is no surprise to find Howard Taylor's name among the owners of horses racing in Saturday's 12 Breeders Crown championships at Woodbine Racetrack. But even Taylor himself is surprised by the number of times his name appears.

Taylor, a Philadelphia attorney and longtime harness racing horse owner, owns pieces of eight Breeders Crown contenders, including 8-5 morning line favorite Control The Moment in the $600,000 event for 2-year-old male pacers.

"Frankly I'm shocked," Taylor said. "I'm sitting here talking about it now and it still has not sunken in."

Control The Moment, trained by Brad Maxwell, is undefeated in eight races this season. On Sept. 5, the Canadian-based colt won the $513,750 Metro Pace at Mohawk Racetrack.

Also among Control The Moment's owners is Phoenixville's Ed Gold, who was a partner with Taylor on previous Breeders Crown champions Buck I St Pat and Economy Terror.

"Every time we are partners it seems to strike gold," Taylor said. "This horse is exciting. Especially since Brad didn't think he was much of anything until he qualified and then he called me up saying he thought he was really special."

Taylor's other Breeders Crown hopefuls are mare trotters Handover Belle and Daylon Miracle, mare pacer Lady Shadow, 3-year-old colt pacer In The Arsenal, 3-year-old colt trotter Crescent Fashion, 3-year-old filly trotter I'm So Fancy, and 3-year-old filly pacer Southwind Roulette.

"I could never have imagined it would work out this way," Taylor said. "I'm just very fortunate to have the right horses at the best time. Of course I would like to win, but I also know what kind of horses they are up against. I'm just going to enjoy being able to be there with my wife and watch them race."

Saturday's Breeders Crown card, with total purses of $5.8 million, begins at 6:30 p.m. at Woodbine.

Among the top contenders in their Crown divisions are past champions including 3-year-old gelding trotter Pinkman, who earlier this year won the Hambletonian, 3-year-old filly trotter Mission Brief, who finished second in the Hambletonian, 11-year-old pacer Foiled Again, who with more than $7 million in lifetime earnings is the richest horse in harness racing history, and 5-year-old mare trotter Bee A Magician, who was the 2013 Horse of the Year.