The Allerage Farms Open events on the Kentucky Futurity undercard at The Red Mile on Sunday, Oct. 5 produced a pair of track records by favourites Periculum and Twin B Joe Fresh.

Periculum overpowered stablemate Aetos Kronos S late in a duel to the finish of a track record 1:49.3 mile in the $222,222 Allerage Open Trot (Grade 3) for trainer Marcus Melander.

Leaving from post two, driver Scott Zeron floated Periculum into sixth behind Aetos Kronos S (Dexter Dunn) and French Wine (Jason Bartlett) while Logan Park (Doug McNair) motored off the car for the lead to a :26.4 first quarter. Logan Park muscled up the backstretch under minimal challenge to a :55 half, where Aetos Kronos S pulled off the pegs and committed for an uncovered blitz with French Wine and Periculum following suit on the rim. Aetos Kronos S pushed past tiring Logan Park through three-quarters in 1:23.1 and set down on a straight path for home as French Wine and Periculum fanned off cover. Periculum built momentum to the centre of the track and reached forward in the last eighth to edge a neck in front of Aetos Kronos S at the finish. French Wine settled for third between horses, beaten under a length.

“I gave myself a few options heading into the first turn in case Dexter wanted to power-move [Aetos] Kronos and then I had French Wine in front of me, so I just weighed the options and ended up in a good situation," commented Zeron after the race.

The 1:49.3 clocking by Periculum matches his lifetime-best taken at The Meadowlands in the John Cashman Memorial on Hambletonian Day and lowers the track record for aged trotting stallions from 1:50.1, set in early September 2020 by Paul Kelley trainee The Veteran in an overnight race. 

The win is his fifth of the year from nine starts and the 16th in his career from 59 starts, pushing his career earnings over $2.4 million. Melander trains the six-year-old stallion by Muscle Hill out of Amour Heiress for owners Brixton Medical Inc. of Matawan, New Jersey and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd. of Vero Beach, Florida. Periculum was bred by Order By Stable AB.

Sent postward as the 3-5 favourite, Periculum paid $3.58 to win.

Twin B Joe Fresh and driver Dexter Dunn led every step in the $88,889 Allerage Mares Open Pace and withstood a late bid from Sylvia Hanover to post a track record win in 1:47.3. 

Dunn sent Twin B Joe Fresh to the top and cruised through a clip of :27.1, :54.4 and 1:21.4 while peeling away from Sylvia Hanover (Tim Tetrick) when accelerating through the last turn. She spun for home on a 2-1/2-length lead that gradually diminished as Sylvia Hanover gathered speed in the last eighth. Twin B Joe Fresh held firmly for the win by a half-length with Yankee B Something (Andy McCarthy), the only other starter in the race, well behind in third.

"Good old 'Sylvia,' she made us work for it," said winning trainer Chris Ryder after the race.

Twin B Joe Fresh's 1:47.3 victory lowered the track record for older pacing mares of 1:48 set in October of 2020 by Nancy Takter trainee Kissin In The Sand.

“I can’t say what she’s earned; she’s earned a lot of respect," said Ryder. "Occasional people I run across drive three, seven hours to come and watch her race, so what bigger compliment can a horse get than that? We’re just thrilled that she came through and put on a show. What can I say? She’s just a fantastic experience.”

Last year’s Dan Patch Horse of the Year, Twin B Joe Fresh notched her sixth win from nine starts this season and her 36th victory from 49 starts in her career, pushing her earnings over $3.4 million. Dunn and Ryder share ownership of the five-year-old mare with Peter Trebotica of Bordentown, New Jersey and Barry Spak of Thornton, Pennsylvania. The daughter of Roll With Joe-Fresh Breeze was bred by Brittany Farms.

Ryder indicted another season of racing could be in store for Twin B Joe Fresh.

“As long as she stays as good as she is, I believe we’ll race next year,” said Ryder. “It’s not official, but it’s looking that way.”

Sent off as the 1-9 favourite, Twin B Joe Fresh paid $2.24 to win.  

Dunn and Melander teamed up for an Allerage victory, as Date Night Hanover kept her composure chasing Warrawee Michelle in a far-turn sprint and regrouped for a stretch rally to down the favourite in the final strides of a 1:49.2 mile in the $111,111 Mares Open Trot.

Dunn situated Date Night Hanover behind Warrawee Michelle (Ake Svanstedt) to race fourth through a :27.4 first quarter cut by Nelsonbriteagle NO (Todd McCarthy). Svanstedt lifted Warrawee Michelle out of third up the backstretch and brushed to the lead over her stablemate while Date Night Hanover tracked her move but stalled into a :55.4 half. Warrawee Michelle maintained her speed through the turn and a gap developed behind for Dunn to tuck Date Night Hanover into as he held her together in the sprint to three-quarters in 1:22. Dunn then tipped Date Night Hanover outside for a last-ditch charge and sprinted in tandem with Warrawee Michelle through the last eighth before nudging a nose in front at the beam for the win. Nelsonbriteagle NO gave pursuit in third just over two lengths behind.

“I was more wondering whether I got up or not,” said Dunn when asked about the mile time. “It was pretty tight on the finish. Ake’s mare [Warrawee Michelle] is obviously a great mare and was fighting back really hard at this girl, but this is by far her favourite track. She’s got a great record here and she put in a great effort today.”

Melander trains Date Night Hanover, a four-year-old Chapter Seven-Dont Wait Up mare bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, for owners Jeffrey Snyder of New York City, New York and Onda Racing Stable of Jersey City, New Jersey. Date Night Hanover earned her third win from 11 starts this year and her 12th victory from 39 starts in her career, lifting her earnings to $1.16 million.

She was sent off as the 4-1 third choice in the betting and paid $10.64 to win.  

Ken Hanover, driven by David Miller, swarmed tiring Captain Albano in the last turn and maintained his speed to the finish of a 1:48 mile to win the $202,083 Allerage Open Pace (Grade 3).

Captain Albano (Todd McCarthy) rolled forward on the outside through a :27.2 first quarter but struggled to clear command from Captain Luke (Dexter Dunn) up the backstretch. McCarthy eventually planted Captain Albano on the point just before a :54 half, where Miller gave Ken Hanover his cue to attack out of fourth. Ken Hanover swooped by Captain Albano past three-quarters in 1:21.3 and paced sturdily to the finish for a half-length win with a :25.4 final kicker. Abuckabett Hanover (Scott Zeron) ripped from last to take second with Admiral Hill (Yannick Gingras) also closing to take third and Muskateer Hanover (Tim Tetrick) pushing between horses for fourth over fading favourite Captain Albano.

“Right off the gate there were two or three of them pushing out of there and I was able to catch a seat,” said Miller in a post-race interview. “But [a quarter] in :27.2, I was like ‘that’s not enough.’ Toddy had to work to get to the lead. My horse, he just felt really good today. He’s been a really good horse since he was two. He’s gotten way better, way stronger the older he’s gotten.”

Roland Mallar trains Ken Hanover, a five-year-old son of Captaintreacherous out of KJs Justine, and co-owns the stallion with Patrick Leavitt of Buxton, Maine, William Jordan of Fryeberg, Maine and Dennis Osterholt of Boyton Beach, Florida. Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Ken Hanover won for the seventh time from 12 starts this season and picked up his 20th career victory from 55 starts to push past $1.2 million in earnings. 

He paid $11.34 to win as the 9-2 second choice.

The Allerage stakes were sponsored by Armitage Farms, Sugar Valley Farms, Wiesman Farms and Jeff & Paula Gural.

(With files from The Red Mile; photo clockwise from top left, 2025 Allerage Farms Open winners Periculum, Twin B Joe Fresh, Ken Hanover and Date Night Hanover)