Bugaboo Lou became a thorn in the side of 1-9 favourite Confederate through a fast clip. And despite the hot fractions and the persistent pressure, Confederate pummelled his peers to post a 1:48.2 victory in the second of two divisions for the $236,000 Tattersalls Pace at The Red Mile on Sunday, Oct. 8.

Starting from post nine, Confederate floated forward looking for seats unavailable, which forced Tim Tetrick to move for the lead after a :26.4 quarter. Bugaboo Lou led the field up the backstretch and refused to yield control to Confederate until Confederate overpowered him past a :53.3 half.

To the far turn, Bugaboo Lou could not settle and bullheadedly slung outside to re-engage with Confederate, who – with the keen yet weary challenger to the outside – snagged a breather to three-quarters in 1:21.3. Through the wide journey in the breeze and the constant pressure, Confederate still shot away to dominate his rivals by two lengths at the line for his eighth straight victory. For Once Inmy Life, a 113-1 shot, snagged second from pocket-sitter Hungry Angel Boy in third with Ants Marching taking fourth. And the rematch waiting to be, was not, since Its My Show, placed second-over to the final turn, levelled off in the stretch and finished seventh.

“[Bugaboo Lou] was just really grabby,” said Tetrick. “We went a big half there, [:]53, for today especially. The track really hasn’t been playing to the front until the last couple, but good horses overcome the struggles and the problems they come up with. And this horse just keeps proving it every day. My horse still felt really strong. I touched him once and he just came out of his skin. I freaking love him. He’s one of my favourite horses in the world.”

A colt by Sweet Lou, Confederate has now won 15 times from 18 tries and accrued more than $1.7 million for owner/breeder Diamond Creek Racing.

The victory came after Confederate suffered a slight laceration on his knee, which required some stapling earlier in the week.

“We didn’t have a great week,” said trainer Brett Pelling. “We had a little hiccup earlier in the week, and God bless him, he proved it to me. I raced him today because he’s a great horse and great horses come through, and that’s what he did. I’m very proud of him.”

Confederate paid $2.32 to win.

Diamond Creek took the other Tattersalls Pace division with Cannibal, who pounced but then clung to victory in 1:50.

Driver Yannick Gingras settled Cannibal into fourth as Admiral Hill led the field to a :27.1 first quarter with Seven Colors ready to roll from the pocket. Seven Colors took over command up the backside and clicked by a :55.2 half with challenges awaiting to the far turn.

Ken Hanover, the slight 8-5 favourite, edged first-over from third and supplied cover to Cannibal moving to three-quarters in 1:23.1. Seven Colors folded from the challenge as the field clumped into the lane with Ken Hanover grabbing a short lead. And then Cannibal kicked off cover to seize control in the closing strides, in which he nearly got usurped by El Rey firing through a seam to the inside. Cannibal kept fast-closing El Rey at bay by a neck while Combustion split through traffic to take third and Ken Hanover settled for fourth.

“He’s just a beautiful horse – that’s what makes him the horse he is, he’s so handy,” said Gingras. “I’ve left with him 10 weeks in a row and today I figured the strategy would be a little bit different. He’s just so easy going but his handiness is what’s making him the horse he is. This guy, don’t count him out – he loves following speed and he’ll give you a run in the stretch. I’m not saying he can go with Confederate, I don’t know if many horses can, but this horse is a very nice horse, too.”

Cannibal collected his 14th win from 22 starts and has now earned $632,978. Nancy Takter trains the Sweet Lou colt.

Cannibal paid $5.44 to win.

Each division of the Tattersalls Pace was sponsored by Cameo Hills Farm.

Last week, Sylvia Hanover one-upped Twin B Joe Fresh with a 1:48.1 effort in their Bluegrass Stakes matchup at The Red Mile. In separate $115,000 dashes for the Glen Garnsey Memorial for three-year-old pacing fillies on Sunday, Sylvia Hanover and Twin B Joe Fresh exercised their class to take their respective divisions.

Sylvia Hanover steamrolled through the final turn and used a :25.4 final quarter to win the first division of the Glen Garnsey Memorial in 1:49.4 for driver Bob McClure and trainer Mark Steacy.

Sent off as the 1-10 favourite, Sylvia Hanover settled into third through a :27.2 first quarter posted by McSeaside with 30-1 shot Sweet Amira sitting second. McSeaside attempted to ration her speed through a :56.2 half and accelerated through the final turn to three-quarters in 1:23.3 as Sylvia Hanover got moving off the pegs. McSeaside stood no match for Sylvia Hanover’s charge turning for home, and the Steacy pupil scurried two lengths clear to the finish with Sweet Amira grabbing second. Always B Naughty closed for third and McSeaside held fourth.

“She’s just a very deep horse, a very fast horse and a very special horse,” said McClure. “Is there something she can’t do? She doesn’t want to blast through the mile and cut it that way, but she seems to like chasing horses and knows her job, loves her job and if she stays healthy, it’s going to be a fun ride.”

A daughter of Always B Miki, Sylvia Hanover has now won 17 times from 20 starts and has banked more than $1.4 million for Quebec-based owner Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc.

“She takes care of herself and is pretty laid back to the point we’re kind of worried about it,” said Steacy, who right before the race sprinted onto the track to grab a plastic bag blown onto the track by the wind. “She’s so easy on herself that she keeps herself good.”

Sylvia Hanover paid $2.20 to win.

Driver Dexter Dunn shut down Twin B Joe Fresh midway through the stretch as she gallivanted around the track to a 1:49.2 victory in the second Glen Garnsey Memorial division for trainer Chris Ryder.

Strong Poison pushed for the lead to a :28.1 first quarter but yielded command to Twin B Joe Fresh moving up the backstretch. Strong Poison remained keen on Dunn’s helmet through a :55.4 half and 1:23.3 three-quarters, but Dunn gave Twin B Joe Fresh her cue to roll into the stretch and she spurted clear in a matter of strides. Building a sizeable cushion to the finish, Twin B Joe Fresh coasted home with Strong Poison cutting into the margin to finish second, beaten three-quarters of a length. Hungry For Love finished third, another six lengths behind, and Beach Cowgirl grabbed fourth.

“I was waiting to see what was going to happen,” Dunn said of his tactics in the race. “She’s been pretty good out of a hole, so I was sort of aiming at that. Yannick [Gingras, driving Strong Poison] was heading towards the front, but he didn’t want to be there so he kind of caught me into coming around.

“[Twin B Joe Fresh]’s such a versatile filly that she gives me options. I was just going for flow and making my mind up as the race unfolded.”

A daughter of Roll With Joe, Twin B Joe Fresh tabbed her 17th win from 23 starts and now has earnings of nearly $1.3 million for owners Dunn, Ryder, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak. 

Twin B Joe Fresh paid $2.14 to win.

Each division of the Glen Garnsey Memorial was sponsored by the Downbytheseaside Syndicate and Diamond Creek Farm.

(With files from The Red Mile; Photos by Amanda Stephens, clockwise from top left: Confederate, Cannibal, Twin B Joe Fresh and Sylvia Hanover)