The Grand Circuit stars were out in full force on Friday, Oct. 30 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, with four six-figure stakes races for three-year-olds, capped off by Al Papi putting on a dazzling display with a 1:47.4 stakes record following an all-out war with stablemate Melillo in the $225,352 Monument Circle (Grade 2) for three-year-old pacing colts.

Leaving from the second tier in post 10 with regular pilot Yannick Gingras aboard, Al Papi was away third from the outset after Melillo (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) crossed over in front of Swiss Lights (Trace Tetrick) to cut the opening quarter in :26.2. 

Melillo tapped the brakes on the backstretch, backing things down to the half in :54.4 before Gingras right-lined Al Papi and began his first-over charge. The pace quickened around the final turn, with Al Papi racing a half-length back to the outside of Melillo at three-quarters in 1:21.4.

Speeding into the stretch, Al Papi looked Melillo in the eye as the Ron Burke trainees began to separate from the rest of the field. Trading haymakers the length of the lane, Al Papi delivered the knockout blow late to edge out Melillo by a neck on the wire in 1:47.4. Swiss Lights was third, 3-3/4 lengths back of the top pair.

Al Papi's winning time obliterated the previous stakes record of 1:48.3, established by Cattlewash in 2020 and matched by Bulldog Hanover in 2021.

The double millionaire homebred son of Papi Rob Hanover-Baron Remy is owned by Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, Larry Carr of Boca Raton, Florida and Weaver Bruscemi of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Al Papi has now won six of his 18 starts this season, earning more than $1.66 million on the year

Al Papi will be pointed to Dover Downs for the Matron Stakes and Progress Pace to conclude his sophomore campaign. 

Al Papi paid $4.40 to win as the 6-5 favourite.

The stakes racing kicked off with fireworks as well, as Big Ranger crushed as the 1-9 favourite in a stakes record performance in the $281,690 Carl Erskine Memorial (Grade 2) with Tim Tetrick in the sulky for trainer Annette Lorentzon.

Working from post six in the field scratched down to seven, Big Ranger settled mid-pack in third early behind Swan Affect (Brandon Bates) while Captain Naughty (Jordan Ross) controlled the tempo to the first turn in :27.2. The field remained unchanged to the halfway mark in :56.2. 

Big Ranger peeled off the cones moving into the final turn, rallying along the outside zooming past Captain Naughty to lead and beginning to separate at three-quarters in 1:25. Leaving no doubt on the stretch, Big Ranger sped home in :26.2 to open up by 6-1/4 lengths on the wire and tripping the timer in 1:51.2. AI (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) rallied for second, with Twin B Seven Sins (Kyle Husted) getting up for third.

The previous stakes record in the Erskine was 1:51.4, established by Dont Letem in 2019.

Big Ranger has won nine of his 14 races during his three-year-old campaign. The In Range-Big Blue Bird colt bred by Spring Haven Farm went over the million-dollar mark in seasonal earnings for owner Madison Global of Dundee, Ohio.

Big Ranger returned $2.20 to win at the betting windows.

In the $176,056 USS Indianapolis Memorial (Grade 3) for sophomore pacing fillies, Loua Dipa provided trainer Ron Burke with another stakes victory on the card as a pocket-rocket winner with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. aboard.

Away from post five, Loua Dip was the quickest off the wings, blitzing to the lead through a hot opening quarter of :25.4 in front of the pocket-sitting Topville Lucky (Todd McCarthy). Shes A Bulldog (Yannick Gingras) moved from third on the backstretch, covering up her stablemate and taking charge to the halfway point in :55.1. Shes A Bulldog and Lou Dipa began to pace away from the remainder of the field on the far turn, racing one-two to three-quarters in 1:22.3. 

Lou Dipa ripped out of the pocket at the head of the lane, moving alongside the favoured Shes A Bulldog as the two went to battle in the final stages. Powering clear late, Loua Dipa was home in :26 to out-sprint Shes A Bulldog and cross the line two lengths clear in a stakes record-equalling 1:49. Somemore Blue (Marcus Miller) rallied from last to be third, 7-1/2 lengths back of the winner.

A Dan Patch Award winner at two, Loua Dipa has won seven of her 13 starts at age three for seasonal earnings of $735,878. The millionaire daughter of Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper is a homebred for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi.

Loua Dipa paid $5 to win as the 3-2 second choice.

Returning to form at the right time, supplemental entry Fresh Face Yankee played the role of spoiler for driver and trainer Jay Cross in the $197,183 Crossroads Of America (Grade 3) for three-year-old filly trotters.

Near the middle of the pack in post six, Fresh Face Yankee navigated the early breakers off the wings and settled seventh on the first turn with Emmas Mystery Ccl (Jyle Husted) emerging on top to cut the opening quarter in :27. Leading Lady (Dexter Dunn) transitioned to the helm at the half-mile pole in :55.4. Fresh Face Yankee took her time in sixth through the three-quarters as Emmas Mystery Ccl flipped back in front in 1:25.

Turning for home, four fillies were in with a shot as Emmas Mystery Ccl came under fire from Help Cum Laude (Atlee Bender), with For Dayze (John De Long) and Fresh Face Yankee beginning to tower up on the outside. Fresh Face Yankee surged in the final stages widest of all with a :26.4 last quarter to tag For Dayze at the wire by a neck in 1:52.4. Help Cum Laude was third just three-quarters of a length back at 47-1, with Emmas Mystery Ccl finishing a close fourth.

The Crescent Fashion-Swan Yankee filly Fresh Face Yankee is owned by Timothy Smith of Spencerville, Indiana. A multiple Indiana Sires Stakes winner, the filly bred by Fashion Hill Farm earned her ninth victory of the year in 13 tries, pushing her seasonal earnings to $367,295.

Fresh Face Yankee paid $27.40 to win.

The week of racing at Hoosier Park concludes on Saturday, Oct. 31 with a 12-race program set to get underway at 5:30 p.m. Hoosier drops down to a three-day race week beginning on Thursday, Nov. 5, racing a Thursday through Saturday schedule for the first three weeks of November.

(With files from Hoosier Park)