Gingras Hits Grand Slam In KYSS Finals
Driver Yannick Gingras visited the winner’s circle six times as he swept the remaining $50,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) consolations and collected victories in four of the eight $250,000 KYSS Finals on Sunday, Sept. 15 at The Red Mile.
Gingras swept the early double as he wired the KYSS consolation for three-year-old trotting fillies with Fade Into You and held on by a neck to win the KYSS consolation for two-year-old trotting fillies with Bange Bi.
Fade Into You, a Ron Burke-trained daughter of Cantab Hall, led the field unpressured through a :28.2 first quarter and a :58 half. Ma Was Right then charged first over from third and forced the pace to quicken passing three-quarters in 1:24.2, but faltered through the stretch. Fade Into You finished two-and-three-quarter lengths in front of pocket-sitter Mother Teresa to stop the clock in 1:54.4. Nomo Volo finished third.
Owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Phillip Collura, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Fade Into You won her third race from 17 starts this season and her fourth from 27 overall, earning $191,268. Bluestone Farms LLC and Fredericka Caldwell bred the $3.80 winner.
Bange Bi, trained by Trent Stohler, sat third to the quarter as Jasmine Volo and Shape Shifter battled through a :28.4 opening panel. Gingras then brushed the Manofmanymissions filly to the top and withstood a first-over bid from 3-2 favorite Heaven after a :57.3 half and through three-quarters in 1:27.2. She clung to command through the stretch but managed to keep a neck in front of Creature Of Habit, who kicked from second over to finish second in a 1:55.2 mile. Delovely Hall came from third over for third.
Owned by Trent Stohler Stable Inc., Stately Gaits Stable, James Bafia and Hen-Shaut Stable, Bange Bi won her second race from five starts, earning $38,400. M. Biasuzzi Stable Inc. bred the $7.40 winner.
Asiago took the lead, yielded the lead and surged back to the lead to win the KYSS final for three-year-old trotting fillies in 1:50.4.
Driver Yannick Gingras floated Asiago off the gate while Refined and French Cafe battled on the lead to a :27.2 first quarter. Gingras then tipped the Muscle Hill filly from the pylons and circled to the lead while tracked by Strip It Down As. Strip It Down As overtook Asiago on the front after a :54.4 half and continued to lead past three-quarters in 1:22.3, but failed to turn away Asiago in the stretch as the Per Engblom trainee pounced from the pocket to a three-and-a-quarter length victory. Strip It Down As settled for second while Refined finished third.
Bred by James Wilhite Jr., Asiago won her sixth race from 14 starts this season and her seventh from 24 overall, earning $387,985. She competes for owners Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld, Sam Goldband and Black Horse Racing and paid $4.20 to win.
Gai Waterhouse converted a pocket trip into a victory to down Baby Your The Best in the KYSS Final for two-year-old pacing fillies.
Baby Your The Best, sent the 1-9 favorite, sat third as Gai Waterhouse led to a :27.4 opening quarter. She then angled off the pylons from third and brushed to the lead before a :54.4 half and faced no pressure circling the final turn towards three-quarters in 1:23.3. Gai Waterhouse gunned from the pocket through the stretch, edging to a three-quarter length victory in a 1:50.3 mile with Baby Your The Best second. Blood Red, stalking the top two, held third.
Conditioned by Domenico Cecere for owner Lindy Farms of Connecticut, Gai Waterhouse won his second race from four starts, earning $155,000. Brittany Farms LLC and Melvin Hartman bred the daughter of Western Ideal, and Yannick Gingras sat in the bike. She paid $10.40 to win.
Gingras collected his third KYSS Final when Ms Savannah Belle bested her competition to win the two-year-old filly trot in 1:52.4.
Sent the 1-2 favorite, Ms Savannah Belle sat fourth to a :27.3 first quarter set by Shishito, who then yielded command to Ms Savannah Belle moving to a :56.2 half. Crucial came first over from fourth entering the final turn and ranged towards the leader nearing three-quarters in 1:25.3 but stalled through the stretch as Ms Savannah Belle held firm to win by a length and a quarter. Shishito reclaimed second from Crucial, who faded to third.
A homebred daughter of Muscle Hill for Al Libfeld, Ms Savannah Belle won her third race from six starts, earning $179,658. Per Engblom trains the $3.00 winner.
Gingras capped the card by sending Ready For Moni to the top midway through the mile and holding control in progress to a 1:54.1 victory in the KYSS Final for two-year-old trotting colts.
Expectations left for the lead from the outermost post while pylon-starter Rays The Limits moved into second and odds-on favorite Ready For Moni sat third passing the first quarter in :27.4. Gingras then revved the Ready Cash colt from third to the outside and advanced to the top past a :55.4 half. Ready For Moni decelerated rounding the final turn, forcing Ontopofthehill to angle off the pylons and rush towards the leader nearing three-quarters in 1:25.4. Ready For Moni then accelerated into the stretch and faced little challenge when hitting the finish one-and-a-half lengths better than pocket-sitter Expectations. Rays The Limits took third.
Owned by John Fielding, Lindy Farms of Connecticut, Herb Liverman and Bud Hatfield, Ready For Moni won his fourth race from five starts, earning $161,500. Per Engblom trains the Moni Maker Stable-bred colt who paid $3.60 to win.
Catch The Fire cleared control past the quarter and withstood a far-turn challenge before kicking three-lengths clear to win the KYSS Final for two-year-old pacing colts in 1:49.4.
Moneyman Hill motored to the lead while Roll With Jr moved into second and Catch The Fire third. Past the first quarter in :26.3, Catch The Fire dashed from third and took control prior to a :54.2 half as Sea Of Life—moving first over before the half—drew closer to the front. Sea Of Life reached the leader’s wheel coming to three-quarters in 1:23 but promptly retreated while Catch The Fire scooted away from his competition to win. Roll With Jr snagged second while Put To Right, rallying from last, finished third.
Owned by Ct Stables LLC, Catch The Fire won his fourth race from nine starts, earning $237,333. Dr. Fred Kruszelnicki bred the Captaintreacherous colt while Mike Wilder sat in the sulky for trainer John Ackley. He paid $3.40 to win.
Greenshoe cruised to a 1:50.3 victory under minimal encouragement in the KYSS Final for three-year-old trotting colts.
Chin Chin Hall protected position from the pylons and took control to the first turn while Thunder tucked into second and Greenshoe, the 1-9 favorite, third. Driver Brian Sears sent the Marcus Melander trainee for the front past a :28.2 first quarter and swept to command before a :55.4 half. He continued to lead past three-quarters in 1:24.1 as Super Schissel applied slight first-over pressure moving to the top of the stretch. Greenshoe strolled to the finish two lengths better than Chin Chin Hall, who took second, with Super Schissel another two lengths behind in third.
Winning his eighth race from 10 starts this season and his 10th from 14 overall, Greenshoe has accrued $968,223 in earnings for owners Courant Inc., Hans Backe, Lars Granqvist and Morten Langli. Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz bred the Father Patrick colt who paid $2.10 to win.
Bettors Wish bolted to the top from post 10 and sped clear of his competition to take the KYSS Final for three-year-old pacing colts in 1:48.1.
Sent the 3-5 favourite, Bettors Wish parked through the first turn as Cant Beach That, from post 9, also shot for the top and beat the odds-on choice to the pylons. Bettors Wish pushed past Cant Beach That to lead the field following a :26.3 first quarter. He then maintained his speed through a :54.1 half and through three-quarters in 1:21.3 to kick three-lengths clear of Can’t Beach That settling for second. Pyro gave pursuit from third.
Bred by Brittany Farms LLC, Bettors Wish won his ninth race from 13 starts this season and his 14th from 25 overall, earning $1,381,600. Chris Ryder conditions the Bettor’s Delight colt and co-owns with Bella Racing, Ltd., Fair Island Farm Inc. and Bettors Wish Partners. He paid $3.40 to win.
Beautyonthebeach completed her KYSS sweep with a 1:49.2 victory as the 1-9 favourite in the KYSS Final for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Hydration hustled to the lead moving to the first turn while Beautyonthebeach and Summer Charm charged from outside posts towards the front. Beautyonthebeach cleared command past a :26.4 first quarter while Summer Charm took the pocket from Hydration yielding in third. Hydration then pulled first over into the final turn—with Blue Ivy in tow—and marched to the pacesetter’s side through three-quarters in 1:22.3. However Hydration lost steam entering the stretch and Beautyonthebeach retook command and held off all late challengers to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths. Summer Charm settled for second while Blue Ivy kicked off cover for third.
Owned and bred by James Avritt Sr., Beautyonthebeach won her fifth race from 12 starts this season and her 10th from 25 overall, earning $474,873. Doug McNair sat in the bike behind the Somebeachsomewhere filly for trainer Gregg McNair and paid $2.10 to win.
Stakes action resumes at The Red Mile when the Grand Circuit makes its annual stop to the Lexington oval starting on Thursday, Sept. 26 with Bluegrass Stakes encompassing the racing weekend. The Grand Circuit meet concludes on Sunday, Oct. 6 with the 127th edition of the Kentucky Futurity among other undercard stakes.
(Red Mile)