Nike Franco wins US Breeders Crown Elimination

The Spreydon Lodge bred Nike Franco's wonderful North American run of form continued over the weekend with the classy seven-year-old taking out her Breeders Crown Elimination at Hoosier Park on October 20 - making her the continent's richest older female pacer for the year to date.

Fresh from her Allerage Mare Pace victory at The Red Mile a fortnight ago, Nike Franco was a short priced favourite to win her elimination on Friday (US time) and duly delivered, leading from the quarter pole to score a two and a quarter length win over Bedroomconfessions in a comfortable 1:51.4.

The winner of 29 of her 52 starts to date, Nike Franco has banked $722,580 in career earnings and is North America's highest earning older pacing mare for 2017 with $357,337 in winnings this season alone.

A three-time Australian Group 1 winner Nike Franco is a leading contender for US Aged Pacing Mare of the Year honours already given her stakes race victories this year but victory in this weekend's Mares Open Breeders Crown Final would surely seal it.