Huntsville and Downbytheseaside were the quickest winners of the four divisions of the $262,000 International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Saturday, October 8, winning in 1:49 to equal the world record set by Sweet Lou at Woodbine Racetrack in 2011.

Sweeping to command after Rock The Boat set a :27 quarter, Huntsville led to the half and three-quarters in :55.2 and 1:22.1. R J P, tracking Huntsville’s backside brush, found room to tuck into the pocket at the top of the stretch, while Fear The Dragon chased Huntsville from first over. He took second from R J P while driver Tim Tetrick encouraged Huntsville to pace to the line, finishing about three lengths clear of Fear The Dragon.

Hunstville, by Somebeachsomewhere out of the Western Hanover mare Wild West Show, won his fourth consecutive race and his fifth race overall this season from eight starts, pushing his earnings to $293,234. Trainer Ray Schnittker shares ownership with partners Ted Gewertz, Charles Iannazzo, and Steven Arnold. Huntsville paid $2.80.

Downbytheseaside rushed to the top, taking the lead from Eddard Hanover after a 27:4 first quarter. He blazed through the rest of the mile, pacing a half in :53.4 and three-quarters in 1:22.3. Boogie Shuffle attempted to pursue the leader from first over, while Eddard Hanover slid by rivals towards the pylons. Downbytheseaside remained in front by about two lengths over Boogie Shuffle and Eddard Hanover.

Sent off as the 3-5 favourite, Downbytheseaside, by Somebeachsomewhere out of the Allamerican Native mare Sprig Hanover, won his sixth race in 10 starts, pushing his earnings to $239,706 for owners Country Club Acres Inc., Joe Sbrocco and Richard Lombardo. He is trained by Brian Brown and was driven by David Miller. Downbytheseaside paid $3.20 to win.

“I was a little worried; I knew we were going too [fast] at the quarter,” David Miller said. “Rolling up the backstretch, when [the half] flashed up :53, I was like ‘Oh boy, that’s not good.’ He’s a strong horse. He did settle down for the third quarter, but then he had [Scott] Zeron [on Boogie Shuffle] come at him. He had enough to fight him off. It was impressive.

“Brian told me the first time I drove this horse that this was his best horse and I told him he was crazy,” David Miller also said.

“He has been getting a little bit grabbier every week,” Brian Brown said, “so we tried to change some things. I was more worried at the half than David was, but I was surprised that the horse had that much fight in him.”

Drafting behind a blazing pace set by Filibuster Hanover, Dragnet Alert tipped off the rail and swung down the center of the track to upset at 18-1 in 1:49.2, a world record for two-year-old pacing geldings that tops the previous mark of 1:49.3 set by Sheer Desire in 2008 at The Red Mile.

Setting fractions of :27.2, :54.2, and 1:21.4, Filibuster Hanover held an uncontested lead. Odds On Delray, the 1-2 favourite, sat in the pocket while Dragnet Alert raced third. At the top of the stretch, Odds On Delray edged off the pylons and was tracked by Dragnet Alert. Midway through the stretch, Dragnet Alert moved towards the center of the track and passed Odds On Delray, who took second, and Filibuster Hanover held on to third.

By Dragon Again out of the Jennas Beach Boy mare Jettin Jenna, Dragnet Alert won his second race in seven starts, lifting his earnings to $58,463 for owner Crawford Farms Racing. He’s trained by Chris Oakes and was driven by Brian Sears. The gelding paid $29.80 to win.

“We bought him in early July,” Albert Crawford said. “Chris [Oakes] gave us a call; he spotted the colt and really liked him. He asked if we were interested and we were.”

“I thought he had this type of speed,” Chris Oakes said. “He was coming quarters of :26.2 at The Meadows, which is pretty solid; it’s not a real fast track. When I got the colt, he was sick, so I had no choice but to quit with him for over a month, and he’s coming around nice now.”

Chip Walther paced down the center of the track to win the other ISS division in 1:50.3 at 41-1.

Blood Line pulled first over from fourth around the first turn, taking the lead from Normandy Beach after a :28.1 first quarter. He led through a half in :55.4 and was challenged at three-quarters in 1:24 by Point Somewherelse from first over. Blood Line tried to hold control through the stretch, but was passed by Normandy Beach sliding up the rail, Mcthriller towards the center of the track, and Chip Walther from Mcthriller’s inside. Chip Walther grabbed the front, while Normandy Beach finished second and Mcthriller was third.

The Erv Miller-trained colt by Art Major, out of the Western Terror mare Bittorsweet Terror, won his second race in 11 starts, lifting his earnings to $63,111 for owners Ervin Miller Stable, Paymaq Racing, Nick Surick Stable, and Louis Willinger. Driven by Marcus Miller, he paid $84.80 to win.

“The other night, when the track was off, Marcus and Nick were pretty confident that the horse would race good,” Erv Miller said. “But the horse has been getting better in the last three weeks; he had a bit of a bad go in New York. Getting onto the mile track really helped him.

“He’s one of those horses that when he’s good he’ll go by somebody. He may not be good enough, but when he was following the horse that kept carrying him I thought he’d be pretty good.”

'Zane' Springs 93-1 Red Mile Surprise

Flying up the pylons as even-money favourite Loreenas Ruffian drifted on the lead, Zane Hanover sprinted to a 1:50.4 win at 93-1 in the first of four divisions of the $260,000 International Stallion Stakes (ISS) for two-year-old pacing fillies at The Red Mile on Saturday, October 8.

Robin J grabbed the lead from Loreenas Ruffian, who then circled to take control after a :27.4 quarter. She led through splits of :55.2 and 1:23.3 before drifting off the cones in the stretch. From off cover, Thats The Ticket tried to storm down the center of the track, while Robin J slid by Loreenas Ruffian to her inside along with Zane Hanover, who emerged to the lead and drew clear to win. Thats The Ticket got up for second, and Robin J finished third.

Winning her first race in nine starts, Zane Hanover, by Somebeachsomewhere out of the American Ideal mare Zellweger Bluechip, has earned $43,382 for owners Paymaq Racing, George Golemes and D. R. Van Witzenburg. The filly is trained by Ervin Miller and was driven by Marcus Miller. She paid $189.80 to win.

“I think this is a prime example that shows what The Red Mile can do for a horse,” Erv Miller said. “We had been up [in Pennsylvania] on the five-eighths racing and not really getting her stretched out, but we got her a little stretched out last week and she seemed all week like she was getting better.”

Sent to the top after the half, Someomensomewhere maintained control as she advanced to a 1:52.4 win in the second ISS division.

Miss Jones led through a :28 first quarter before yielding to Someomensomewhere as she brushed to the lead before the half. Unchallenged in :57.3, Someomensomewhere was soon pressured by Rockette from first over into the far turn. Past three-quarters in 1:26.4, Someomensomewhere turned away Rockette, who held onto second as Caviart Cherie slid into contention to take third.

Someomensomewhere, by Somebeachsomewhere out of the Western Hanover mare Omen Hanover, has won two races in nine starts while earning $102,771 for the Nick Surick Stable LLC and KDM Stables Corp. She is also trained by Erv Miller and was driven by Marcus Miller. The winner returned $5.40 at the betting windows.

“I trained the mare Omen Hanover and my owner bred her,” Nick Surick said. “Then I bought her here last year with Erv and [KDM Stables] wanted back in, so Erv trained her. She has been really good. She tailed off in Pennsylvania at the end, but Erv said she was bleeding a little bit. Marcus has driven her great in every start; never put her in a bad spot. She was just never finishing. Now she’s finishing with the good drives.”

“We were really going slow and she was just getting into gear; she wanted to go faster than I wanted her to into that wind,” Marcus Miller said. “I just had to let her settle down and it was cruise control from there.”

Off a second-place finish in a $73,000 Bluegrass split last week, Idyllic Beach took control after the half and was wrapped up before winning in 1:52.2 over Big City Betty and World Apart.

Caviart Ally was sent to the top through a :27.3 first quarter. She was rough-gaited when met with the backstretch headwinds and took the pocket when Idyllic Beach rushed first over to the front. Leading through a :57 half and three-quarters in 1:25.2, Idyllic Beach strolled to the the line, finishing about two lengths clear of Big City Betty.

Idyllic Beach, by Somebeachsomewhere out of the American Ideal mare Idyllic, won her seventh race in 10 starts this year, lifting her earnings to $500,132 for owners Christina Takter, John Fielding, Brixton Medical Ab, and Marvin Katz. She’s trained by Jimmy Takter and was driven by Yannick Gingras. The filly paid $2.40 to win.

“I wanted to race her from the back today,” Yannick Gingras said. “She has raced on the front so many times, but Andrew [McCarthy]’s filly [Caviart Ally] was jumping shadows on the backstretch and we weren’t going [fast], so I had to make a move. She was much the best in here.”

Roaring To Go won the final ISS split in 1:51.1 going wire-to-wire. She was unchallenged through fractions of :28.3, :55.3 and 1:23.2 before Planet Rock, moving first over around the far turn, gained ground into the stretch. Awash tipped off her cover and chased Roaring To Go from the center of the track, managing to take second from Planet Rock.

By Art Major out of the Western Ideal mare Lionness Hanover, Roaring To Go won her sixth race in 12 starts and has amassed $242,636 in career earnings for owner Frank Chick. She’s trained by Kevin Lare and was driven by Brett Miller. The filly paid $3.00 to win.

“She’s not a half-mile track specialist and in New York Sires Stakes that’s pretty much what you have to be,” Kevin Lare said. “Brett has done a great job with her, getting her over the half-mile track all year, and we thought the bigger track would help her out. I was very impressed with her, going the second quarter in :27 flat. I was a little nervous into the headwind, but Brett said she was kind of waiting on him and once she heard him, she took off again.

“She has the Breeders Crown left, but then after that I think she’s done for the year. [Frank Chick] has talked about the Matron, but I’ll leave that up to Frank.”

Live racing will conclude on Sunday, October 9, which includes the $100,000 Allerage Filly and Mare Pace, $101,000 Allerage Open Trot, $138,000 Allerage Open Pace, two divisions of the $213,500 Glen Garnsey Memorial, two divisions of the $416,000 Tattersalls Pace, two eliminations and two heats for the $312,000 Kentucky Filly Futurity, and the $431,000 Kentucky Futurity, where Marion Marauder races to be the ninth winner of the Trotting Triple Crown. Sunday’s card also features a mandatory-payout Pick 5 carryover of $5,289.36. First-race post for The Red Mile’s closing card is 1 p.m.

(With files from The Red Mile)