Less than 24 hours after Odds On Mr Mamba established a new world record for two-year-old male pacers on a mile track, the 2025 Shes A Great Lady champ Loua Dipa etched her name in harness racing's record books to become the sport's fastest two-year-old pacing filly.

The record mile came during International Stallion Stakes action at the Red Mile on Friday, Oct. 3. In the afternoon's sixth race, a $98,611 ISS division, Loua Dipa and driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. charged first-up down the backstretch from fifth with a swift brush to the front and the filly cleared Carnation (Tim Tetrick) before a :54.1 half. Loua Dipa didn't face a serious threat after that, hitting the third quarter in 1:22.1 before sprinting home under a hand drive in :25.4 to trip the timer in 1:48 with an 8-1/2-length advantage on closest rival Hope Hill (Dexter Dunn). Fabulous Hanover (Scott Zeron) rounded out the top three.

"I wanted to end up on the front by the half and it worked out," driver Wrenn said post-race. "I just wanted to win the race, time wasn't important, but she felt really strong so I let her pace through the wire and she did it pretty easy."

The time of the mile eclipsed the previous record of 1:48.3 shared by Warrawee Ubeaut and Looksgoodinloulou. It's worth noting that the two previous world champions and the new world record holder are all Sweet Lou fillies trained by Ron Burke, with Loua Dipa and Looksgoodinloulou hailing as full siblings.

A homebred owned by Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania and Weaver Bruscemi of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Loua Dipa (Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper) now sports a summary of 7-1-1 in nine career starts with $523,103 in earnings.

Loua Dipa paid $2.10 to win.

Trainer Ron Burke collected another win with the first $98,611 division for freshman pacing fillies when 8-5 favourite Im A Lou Lou and Tim Tetrick pulled away for a career-best 1:49.3 win.

Im A Lou Lou landed in fourth to a :27.2 first quarter cut by Gracious (Todd McCarthy) and waited until after Rocksy (Andy McCarthy) circled from third towards the lead to angle outside for a first-over push. Im A Lou Lou advanced on the rim through a :55.1 half and loomed to match strides with Rocksy at three-quarters in 1:23.1. She then pushed by Rocksy with ease spinning for home and spurted away to a 3-1/2-length win in a :25.4 final frame. Gracious pounced from a pocket ride for second with Bettor Be A Star (Patrick Ryder) taking third from a ground-saving trip.

“We really loved her last year; she trained down great,” said Larry Karr of Randolph, New Jersey who co-owns Im A Lou Lou with Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services Inc. of Mt. Vernon, Ohio and Phillip Collura of Mountain Top, Pennsylvania. “She was racing great the whole year so far until the Shes A Great Lady – she actually got some minor stomach issues. Ronnie [Burke] took her down here, did some minor vet work to her and she trained super this week. Now we’ll just get her ready for Breeders Crown.”

The Sweet Lou-Benear filly, a $118,056 yearling purchase from the 2024 Standardbred Horse Sale bred by Add Inc. of Calgary, Alta., improved her career summary to 3-2-2 in eight starts and now has earnings totalling $292,982.

Im A Lou Lou paid $5.24 to win.

Andrew Harris pupil Topville Lucky and Dexter Dunn wrapped the stakes action for freshman pacing fillies when notching her fifth win in a row while taking her $100,000 division with a 1:49.1 career-best effort.

Dunn placed the Sweet Lou-Warrawee Winx filly on top out of post eight to a :27.1 first quarter and kept her peers in tow to a :55.1 half. On Heir (Andy McCarthy) made the first move to challenge the leader entering the far turn and progressed up to Topville Lucky’s wheel moving to three-quarters in 1:23.1. Topville Lucky accelerated off the turn and put away On Heir while striding home to a 2-3/4-length win. On Heir held second from Seaside Shuffle (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) rallying from second-over for third.

“She’s just been a great filly,” said Harris after the race. “I’ve got to thank Bill [Pollock] and Bruce [Areman] for stepping up to the plate and taking a shot on her because she’s a real delight to have.” 

Bred by Jeremy Yoder and purchased for $37,500 from the Harrisburg sale, Topville Lucky completes her freshman season with a six-for-seven record and earnings topping the $500,000 mark. 

Harris confirmed that this race was her final start of the season.

Topville Lucky paid $3.04 to win.

Trainer Matt Burkholder doubled up in the International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old trotting males, which included a world-record-equalling performance by Silverstein in the second of four divisions.

Driver David Miller looped Silverstein, the even-money favourite in his $101,388 division, out of the pocket to the lead after a :27.4 first quarter and strolled unchallenged to a :56.1 half, at which point 7-5 second choice Im Kronos S (Ake Svanstedt) angled outside to start a first-over bid moving for the last turn. Im Kronos S marched forward and pressed Silverstein to three-quarters in 1:25.2, but Silverstein turned away that rival and strode confidently to the finish for a two-length win in 1:51.4. Highball Hanover (Andy McCarthy) split horses late to take second from pocket-chaser Inexpressable (Scott Zeron) in third while Im Kronos S settled for fourth.

The 1:51.4 mile by Silverstein matches the world record for two-year-old trotting geldings set at The Red Mile last year by Memento Mori in a division of the International Stallion Stakes. It's just three-fifths of a second off the record for freshman trotting colts established by Southwind Tyrion in 2020 and just over a second shy of the overall trotting mark for two-year-olds set by the filly Mission Brief in 2014 at The Red Mile.

Burkholder conditions Silverstein, a Chapter Seven-Shining Brightly gelding, for owner Dark Horse Farm of Vienna, Ohio. Purchased for $108,108 from the 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, The Brittany Farms-bred rookie won for the second time from 10 starts to go along with seven other top three finishes and has now banked $413,991. 

Silverstein paid $4.08 to win.

Burkholder opened the day of racing with a 1:53 victory by even-money chalk Requiem and driver David Miller in the first $100,000 division for freshman trotting males.

Requiem floated for the lead out of post six to a :28.1 first quarter and managed to maintain a steady tempo with no challengers moving for a :57.3 half. Midwind Chimp (Mattias Melander) flushed off the pegs to lead the overland charge through the last turn, though Silverstein stayed resolute on the lead after three-quarters in 1:26 and held firmly through the stretch for a measured win by a neck. Neighver Punt (Dexter Dunn) took a late shot off a pocket ride but settled for second with Kibbie J (Todd McCarthy) rallying from near last for third.

“He’s a real handy horse,” said Miller after the race. “He can race either way, has a lot of great qualities and can leave the gate pretty quick. Nobody covered him up, so we kind of took our time. My horse felt strong in the last turn and did it all the way to the wire.”

Requiem earned his fourth win from nine starts and has now banked $191,023 for owner Dark Horse Farm.

A Muscle Hill-Ostrich Blue Chip colt, Requiem was bred by John Schmucker and Sunset Stables of Grabill, Indiana and Whiskeyontherocks Racing of French River, P.E.I. He was a $60,811 Lexington yearling acquisition.

Requiem paid $4.02 to win.

Nix Nacken and driver Mattias Melander stormed for the finish late and snatched victory in the last stride of a 1:52.2 career-best mile in the second $101,389 division for trotting males.

Melander took back and sat sixth in the eight-horse field off a contested :27.2 first quarter, in which 3-5 favourite Ardonne (Scott Zeron) pushed outside to take the lead from Zephyr Kemp (Dexter Dunn). Dollar Draft (Andy McCarthy) then lifted out of third past a :55.2 half and swooped by Ardonne to take the lead into the last turn. Lethal Legacy (Todd McCarthy) inherited the first-over seat while Nix Nacken followed on that cover through three-quarters in 1:23.4 before tipping for clearance in the stretch. Dollar Draft ripped away to a three-length lead in the stretch that gradually diminished as Nix Nacken extended stride. Nix Nacken landed on his late assault for a head victory on Dollar Draft at the beam. Zephyr Kemp gave pursuit from third.

Marcus Melander trains Nix Nacken, a gelding by Muscle Hill out of Nixie Volo, for owner Courant Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida. Bred by Kentuckiana Farms and Eddie Gran and sold for $351,351 at the Lexington sale as a yearling, Nick Nacken has won three races from eight starts and has now earned $172,381 in his career.

He paid $6.94 to win.

David Miller completed a near sweep of the stakes action for freshman trotting males when powering over the top with 12-1 shot American Power to score a 1:53.1 win in the last $101,388 division.

Miller waited for a path into the fold as horses shuffled persistently for the lead through a :28.4 first quarter and :56 half. Oversear (Scott Zeron) completed a steady grind on the rim to take the lead as the field entered the far turn, but he promptly faced a first-over challenge from Minoan (Todd McCarthy) on the march to three-quarters in 1:23.3. Miller secured a third-over seat with American Power through the turn and wound his charge to the centre of the track as his weary peers straggled for the finish. American Power surged by his competition and slid clear to a two-length win with Never Say Die (Dexter Dunn) grabbing second. Minoan settled for third.

A colt by Walner out of 2017 Hambletonian Oaks winner Ariana G, American Power collected his second win from eight starts this season and has now earned $74,179. Marcus Melander trains the colt for owner M Biasuzzi Stable Inc. of Pompano Beach, Florida. Bred by Marvin Katz of Toronto, Ont., and Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont., American Power sold for a $405,405 price tag at the Lexington sale.

American Power paid $26.36 to win.

The International Stallion Stakes were sponsored by Cornerstone Stock Farm, Tall Dark Stranger Syndicate, Hanover Shoe Farms, Six Pack Syndicate, Deo Volente Farms and Walner Syndicate.

Racing resumes at The Red Mile on Saturday, Oct. 4 with three divisions of the International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings and three divisions of the International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies. Saturday’s card has a $7,500 guarantee on the Early Pick 4, which begins in race six. Every Pick 4 at The Red Mile, as well as the 50-cent Pick 5, has an industry-low takeout of 12 per cent. First-race post time at The Red Mile is 1 p.m.

(Standardbred Canada & The Red Mile)