Odds-on favourite Go Dog Go and driver Scott Zeron perched behind tempo-setter Gimpanzee Dancer and pounced in the stretch for a simple 1:50.3 victory in the $49,296 opening round of Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) for four-year-old trotting males on Tuesday, July 28 at The Red Mile.

Gimpanzee Dancer (Andy McCarthy) motored out of post six to the top with Go Dog Go, leaving from the pylon post, securing the pocket to a :26.4 first quarter. Left with no challengers through a :56.1 half and 1:24.1 three-quarters, Gimpanzee Dancer prepared for the attack of Go Dog Go in the ensuing stretch sprint but could not repel the Carter Pinske trainee. Go Dog Go spurted past Gimpanzee Dancer and coasted to the beam a two-length winner with Big Shoes (Todd McCarthy) chasing in third.

A stallion by Greenshoe out of Primary Target, Go Dog Go competes for owners Wiesman Farms of Middle River, Maryland and Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont. Go Dog Go won for the third time from eight races this season and is now 10-for-30 in his career, with earnings totalling $981,560. He paid $3.28 to win.

Trainer Carter Pinske also took the opening round of the KYSS for four-year-old trotting mares with Grand Reserve while also having three of the four distaffers competing in the non-betting race before the pari-mutuel card. Andy McCarthy grabbed the lead with Grand Reserve and took her peers around the track through a clip of :28.3, :57.1 and 1:24.3 to clock a 1:52 mile over pocket-chaser Aperfect Annie (Marvin Luna). The Ron Burke-trained Winnpanzee (David Miller) clinched third from Best Friends Girl (Todd McCarthy). 

Grand Reserve, a daughter of Walner-Bella Glos, competes for owner Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. of Hudson, Que. She earned her second win from 10 starts this season and her fifth from 33 starts in her career, pushing her bankroll to $238,647.

Live harness racing at The Red Mile resumes on Sunday, Aug. 2 with KYSS action slated for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings headlined by the $80,000 USD Kentucky Championship Series. First-race post time on Sunday is 5:05 p.m. 

(With files from The Red Mile; photo of Go Dog Go winning on July 28)