Closing Day At The Red Mile
A blockbuster card of racing wrapped up an incredible Fall meet at The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky on Saturday, and Trot Insider has recapped all of the action
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The matinee program featured the Allerage Farms Finals, the Bluegrass Series for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings, the International Stallion Stake for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings and the Tattersalls Pace for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Here’s a complete recap of today’s events:
Tattersalls Pace – Three-Year-Old Pacing Colts and Geldings - $604,000
Rock N Roll Heaven extended his winning streak to seven-in-a-row for driver Dan Dube after shrugging off a late challenge from arch rival One More Laugh (Tim Tetrick) in the rich Tattersalls Pace.
Dube floated to the lead with Rock N Roll Heaven, who led to the quarter pole in :27.2 before giving way to Razzle Dazzle (John Campbell). Once he moved over to the pylons, Razzle Dazzle tore through middle fractions of :53 and 1:20.4. Dube angled Rock N Roll Heaven off Campbell’s helmet turning for home and used a :27.2 final frame to fend off a hard-closing One More Laugh for the win in 1:48.1. Taking home third prize was Dreamlands Art (Dave Palone).
“He’s a remarkable individual, it’s a reflection of the pedigree and a reflection of the fact that he wants to win,” said trainer Bruce Saunders. “He has a couple of dances left – the Progress and the Matron at Dover and there’s the Messenger at Yonkers. They’d love to see us there [Messenger at Yonkers] but it will depend on the well being of the horse.”
Frank Bellino of Bronxville, NY holds the papers on the multi-talented son of Rocknroll Hanover-Artistic Vision, who has racked up eleven sub-1:50 victories. After a 4-for-9 rookie season, the colt has answered back with a 13-2-1 record from 18 trips to the track this season. The front-runner for Horse of the Year in North America saw his lifetime earnings skyrocket to $2,449,813 with the victory.
Bluegrass Series – Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts and Geldings - $121,500
Lucky Chucky and driver John Campbell turned in a dazzling performance to knock off last weekend’s Kentucky Futurity champ, Wishing Stone (George Brennan), in a career-best clocking of 1:50.4.
Wishing Stone marched right to the lead from post eight, and he had seven foes stacked up behind him at the quarter pole in :27.1. Lucky Chucky, who got away fourth, gunned his way to the lead across the backstretch and he crossed down to the rail right at the half-mile marker in :54.3. He rolled the field to the three-quarter pole in 1:23.1 and then used a :27.3 final frame to seal the deal in 1:50.4. Wishing Stone was the best of the rest, and it was a long distance phone call back to the third-place finisher, Hes A Demon (Jody Jamieson).
“Everybody associated with the horse has so much admiration for him because always gives everything he has every time he comes to the track,” said driver John Campbell. “He’s got a bit of a hitch in his giddy up, but I don’t feel it from back here.
“I think he’s done for the season,” added Campbell. “You can’t go out any better than he did today.”
The Chuck Sylvester-trained son of Muscles Yankee-Aerobics improved his sophomore record to 5-3-1 in 11 starts while pushing this year’s earnings to $1,447,324 with the win. The career winner of $2,119,958 is owned by SGS Partners and Perretti Racing Stb LLC of New Jersey along with Lindy Racing Stable of Connecticut.
International Stallion Stake – Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts and Geldings - $145,000
Feel Like A Fool tore up The Red Mile oval in 1:49.4 in last week’s Bluegrass Series assignment for the team of driver Brian Sears and trainer George Teague, Jr., and it was more of the same in this afternoon’s follow-up performance in the International Stallion Stake.
Sears got away fourth with the son of Art Major-Fool That I Am while Four Starzzz Z (Ron Pierce) and Mystic Desire (Tim Tetrick) battled to the quarter pole in :27.3 before the latter cleared to the lead. Sears punched the accelerator shortly past the opening marker, and in he brushed to the lead right at the mid-way point in :55.1. Once in command of the pace, he rolled the field to the three-quarter pole in 1:22.2 before tacking on a :28.2 final frame en route to the triumph over Fashion Delight (Dave Miller), who applied first-over pressure in the late stages of the mile. Sir Ziggys Z Tam (Patrick Lachance) rounded out the top three finishers.
The $30,000 bargain purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale bumped his bank account to $464,296 with the win. He has manufactured a 5-3-1 record in nine trips to the track for the partnership of Kovach Stables LLC and George Teague Jr Inc of Delaware along with Ted Gewertz of New York.
The Allerage Farms – Open Pace - $144,100
Dial Or Nodial pulled off an 11-1 upset thanks to his 1:49.2 triumph for the team of driver George Brennan and trainer Jim Campbell.
Brennan left from post seven and landed into the pocket with Dial Or Nodial, who was afforded the luxury of shadowing Dali (Jody Jamieson) through fractions of :27.4, :55.1 and 1:22. Race favourite Won The West (Dave Miller) came first-over around the final turn, but he never mounted a serious challenge. Dali began to tire when he entered the lane, and when he drifted off the rail Brennan took full advantage of the breach and hustled Dial Or Nodial through it. Dial Or Nodial drew clear to an easy win in 1:49.2 over a late-closing Foiled Again (Yannick Gingras) and Better Sweet (Brian Sears). Won The West had to settle for fourth.
The victory was the fourth of the season for the homebred, who is now a 15-time winner for owners Arlene and Jules Siegel of New Hope, PA. The four-year-old gelded son of Western Ideal-Smart Dialing pushed his earnings to $974,207 with the win.
International Stallion Stake – Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts and Geldings - $145,000
Big Bad John had to share the spotlight in the winner’s circle when he dead-heated for win in last week’s assignment in the Bluegrass Series, but victory lane was all his following his 1:50.4 score for driver Dave Palone in this afternoon’s effort in the International Stallion Stake.
The son of Western Hanover-Trulyawork Of Art engaged in battle to the quarter pole in :28.2 with Lizard King (Dave Miller) before being released to the lead. It was a short-lived lead, however, thanks to a bold backstretch move by race favourite Lookinforadventure (Dan Dube). Once in command, Lookinforadventure supplied middle splits of :55.3 and 1:23.3 before being confronted once again by Big Bad John. Palone rallied the Ron Potter trainee to the outside, and the colt edged away in the final strides en route to the 1:50.4 score. Lookinforadventure was a determined runner-up, with Lizard King rounding out the top three finishers.
Winchester Baye Acres Inc of Ocala, FL owns the talented youngster, who now boasts a 7-2-0 record from nine trips postward. The lion’s share of the purse was his biggest payday to date, and it helped his lifetime earnings swell to $222,750.
The Allerage Farms – Open Trot - $143,500
Lucky Jim rebounded from his debacle in this year’s Breeders Crown Final at Pocono Downs by turning in a 1:51.1 triumph for the husband and wife duo of driver Andy Miller and trainer Julie Miller.
The five-year-old son of S Js Photo-Hawaiian Sierra got away fourth in the group of seven, while Breeders Crown winner Enough Talk (Ron Pierce) took the field through fractions of :27.2, :55.1 and 1:23.4. Miller tipped Lucky Jim off the rail going into the final turn, and by the time the field had reached the head of the stretch Lucky Jim was eyeballing the heavily-favoured pacesetter. Lucky Jim put away Enough Talk and then fended off a late rush from the eventual runner-up, Hot Shot Blue Chip (Dave Miller). All Cantab (Jody Jamieson) tagged along to finish third, while Enough Talk faded to finish fourth.
Lucky Jim, who went 17-for-18 last season, improved his 2010 record to 6-4-0 in 13 starts with the win. He has stashed away $1,673,735 in earnings for the Punxsutawney, PA partnership of David Prushnok, William Gregg and John Prushnok.
Bluegrass Series – Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts and Geldings - $121,500
Break The Bank K and driver Brian Sears needed every inch of the racetrack to tackle the tempo-setting Il Villaggio (Jody Jamieson) in an impressive clocking of 1:51.3 – a career best for the Trond Smedshammer pupil.
Il Villaggio rocketed to early command from post six and found himself on the hook for fractions of :28, :55.1 and 1:23.1 before being confronted by Break The Bank K. Sears had the son of Revenue S-American Misty positioned fourth going into the final turn before edging to the outside and going on the offensive. Break The Bank K chipped away at the lead and eventually inched past Il Villaggio in the final strides. Il Villaggio held on gamely to finish second, with Winning Fireworks (Jim Morrill, Jr.) grabbing the show dough.
The victory was the fifth of the season for Break The Bank K, who is now an 11-time winner to date for owner/breeder Robert Key of Leechburg, PA. The lion’s share of the purse boosted the colt’s cash stash to $1,023,950.
The Allerage Farms – Fillies & Mares Pace - $77,000
Southwind Tempo used her patented closing kick to perfection for driver Tim Tetrick en route to hauling down a dead-game Chancey Lady in a World Record clocking of 1:48.2 for older pacing mares. The performance took two fifths of a second off the former mark of 1:48.4 which was held jointly by Frightening P (June 21, 2002 at the Meadowlands) and Hana Hanover (August 22, 2009 at the Meadowlands).
Chancey Lady (Andy Miller) hammered her way through fractions of :26.4, :53.1 and 1:20.3 before kicking away by a couple of lengths in deep stretch. It wasn’t enough cushion, however, to get away from Southwind Tempo who ripped off cover and sprinted past the tempo-setter. Chancey Lady held on gamely to finishing second in the historical mile, with Ginger And Fred (Brian Sears) coming on late to finish third.
Jeff Webster conditions the six-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight-Tsunami Hanover for the partnership of Jerry Silva of Long Beach, NY and Let It Ride Stables Inc of Delray Beach, FL. It was her fifth win of the season for the 38-time winner who has banked $2,445,541 to date.
The Allerage Farms – Fillies & Mares Trot - $74,000
Buck I St Pat kicked off the card with an electrifying mile of 1:51.1 for the duo of driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Ron Burke. Fresh off her score in the $250,000 Breeders Crown Final at Pocono Downs, the seven-year-old daughter of Jailhouse Jesse-Name It Something had no problem delivering as the 1-5 favourite.
Tetrick got away fifth with the mare while Windsong Soprano (Ron Pierce) threw down fiery fractions of :27.3 and :55 before being prompted around the final turn by Southwind Wasabi (Yannick Gingras). They sprinted past that panel in 1:23.3 with Southwind Wasabi eventually edging away from Windsong Soprano. Buck I St Pat tracked cover from second over behind the hot speed, and she wound up trotting past stablemate Southwind Wasabi when she made a miscue in deep stretch. Buck I St Pat halted the teletimer in 1:51.1, with Windsong Soprano coming back on to finish second and Autumn Escapade taking home third prize.
The victory was the eighth of the season in 18 tries for Buck I St Pat, who is now a 48-time winner in her career. The homebred has banked $2,075,825 for her breeder, Ron Fuller of Ohio, and the partnership of Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold and Abraham Basen.