Pinkman and driver Yannick Gingras closed out The Red Mile's Grand Circuit meet on Saturday afternoon with a 1:51.2 triumph in the $527,000 Kentucky Futurity, completing a Jimmy Takter sweep of the main events for the second straight year.
Takter, with five entries in the Triple Crown event, was looking to sweep the Futurity stakes again after Wild Honey won the filly companion event two races earlier. Previously, the Takter-trained Nuncio had defeated his stablemate Father Patrick in the 2014 edition while Shake It Cerry won the filly division.
“I’ve got great staff and good people behind me and great owners so they make it a heck of a lot easier,” said Takter of managing his multiple entries on the day.
Supplemental entry Crazy Wow from the Ron Burke stable left for the lead in this year's Kentucky Futurity, but was parked out by Takter and The Bank through a 27-second opening panel. After a brief tuck, Crazy Wow was back out down the backstretch and eventually cleared to command nearing the half-mile mark of :54. Gingras then sent the Hambletonian and Canadian Trotting Classic champion, Pinkman, first over after getting away third from the nine-hole and challenged Crazy Wow as they raced by three-quarters in 1:23. Those two battled head-to-head into the stretch, with Pinkman pulling ahead down the lane to win by one length. Longshot Crescent Fashion closed from the outer flow to finish second ahead of French Laundry from the Takter stable.
“He surely is game,” said Gingras in a post-race interview. “He always puts up a hundred percent effort, even at Yonkers [in the Yonkers Trot], he didn’t like the track, but it's not like he wasn't trying. He’s a winner and he wants to get it done.”
Pinkman now boasts 11 wins in 15 starts this year, with his annual income rising over $1.8 million.
“He’s just a fantastic horse and I’m so proud of him,” said Takter, adding that the trotter's next stop will be the Breeders Crown.
The Explosive Matter gelding is owned by the same connections on Wild Honey -- Christina Takter, John and Jim Fielding, and Herb Liverman -- along with Joyce McClelland of Zanesville, Ohio.
$450,000 Tattersalls Pace Three-Year-old Colts
Artspeak turned in a career-best 1:47.4 performance in the Tattersalls Pace, giving Scott Zeron another Grand Circuit stakes win on the day.
Zeron directed the Tony Alagna trainee to the front over Rock N Roll World and favourite Split The House to clock a 27-second first quarter. However, Split The House took over command with a backstretch brush then reached the half-mile marker in :53 and three-quarters in 1:20.1. Coming off the final turn, Artspeak tipped out and retook the lead with an eighth of a mile to go before holding off the oncoming Lost For Words. Rock N Roll World finished third.
“I really respect Split The House,” said Zeron. “He beat me one day when he followed me [in the New Jersey Classic at The Meadowlands], so I knew we were following a great horse there. I’ve always wanted my horse to be in a spot like that with some fractions and he delivered.”
“I was pretty enthused just in the post parade the way he felt today. To come back off of two heats [in the Little Brown Jug] and to be that strong and aggressive and go a lifetime mark of 1:47[.4], I'm really impressed.”
The Western Ideal colt is owned by breeders Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky and Toronto's Marvin Katz, along with partners Joe Sbrocco of Brecksville, Ohio and In The Gym Partners of Staten Island, New York.
"We’ve had a great meet,” said Alagna, The Red Mile's leading trainer of the Grand Circuit meet. “We’ve had a lot of horses step up. Our two two-year-olds [American Passport and Racing Hill] yesterday were fantastic to win plus the other ones that raced. We brought this horse down here hoping he could get the kind of mark he deserved and it worked out tonight; he got his [1]:47-and-change mark. You couldn’t be more pleased with him.”
$262,500 Kentucky Filly Futurity
Wild Honey defeated Mission Brief in the Futurity for three-year-old trotting fillies as she converted off a pocket trip and got by the 1-9 favourite late in the mile for the 1:50.4 triumph.
Trainer Jimmy Takter notched his third straight victory in the Filly Futurity following previous victories by Shake It Cerry in 2014 and To Dream On in 2013.
Leaving from post five, Mission Brief and driver Yannick Gingras worked to the lead over insider Wild Honey during the :27.2 first quarter. Content to follow the overwhelming favourite, driver John Campbell and Wild Honey tracked Mission Brief through middle splits of :54.4 and 1:23.2 before launching their attack down the stretch and prevailing in a career-best 1:50.4. The time of the mile was just two-fifths of a second off the divisional world record, held by Cee Bee Yes. Bright Baby Blues advanced first over from fifth to finish third.
“I was hoping to follow Mission Brief, there was no question,” said Campbell following the race. “I had my spot picked out when the sheet came out to try to get on her back. Once you get on her back, you know you don’t have to move. So on the lane, when I asked this filly, she just dug in and really trotted down through the wire strong.
“I think anybody can get along with her,” added Campbell. “She’s very easy to drive. She’s just a professional out there and she’s got a great attitude and a tremendous gait. So I can’t take much credit for that because I believe anybody could drive her.”
Wild Honey, this year's Hambletonian Oaks champion, paid $11.40 to win as 9-2 second choice.
The daughter of Cantab Hall is owned by Takter's wife Christina and partners John and Jim Fielding of Toronto, Ont. and Herb Liverman of Miami Beach, Florida.
“She’s just a tremendous horse,” said Jimmy Takter. “To beat a great horse like Mission Brief like that, that tells you a lot. This filly has been running in the shadow, of course, of Mission Brief's campaign, but she never gives up. This was a race I was hoping that she should get, you know, sitting right behind her. I know how game she is and that she never gives up. It takes a heck of a horse to fight her off. She’s just a fantastic animal.
“I was very happy also because John was driving her and got hurt going into the Hambletonian, and he missed his drive there, so it was sweet for him to come back and win the Futurity here,” added Takter.
$148,000 Allerage Farm Open Pace
Jk Endofanera emerged from the $17 million field down the stretch to capture the Allerage Farm Open Pace in 1:48.3.
Defending champion State Treasurer worked past brief opening quarter leaders Doo Wop Hanover and Limelight Beach through the :26.4 first panel and cruised through middle splits of :53.1 and 1:20.4 without facing any challengers. Foiled Again was flushed first over from fifth, but was still a few lengths off the leader coming off the final turn. However, J K Endofanera powered home off cover to prevail with driver Brett Miller breaking into a celebratory cheer from the sulky as they crossed the wire. McWicked closed from the backfield and edged out Bettors Edge in a photo for place.
Jimmy Takter trains the four-year-old homebred son of Art Major, who went over $1.9 million in career earnings, for the 3 Brothers Stables of New York, New York.
$134,000 Allerage Farm Open Trot
Il Sogno Dream captured his second straight stakes victory for his Canadian connections and came within one-fifth of a second of the world record for four-year-old trotting stallions with his Allerage Farm Open Trot triumph on Saturday afternoon.
Scott Zeron catch-drove the four-year-old son of Cantab Hall to the 1:50.2 triumph for trainer Chris Beaver and Ontario owners Bill Manes of Rockwood, Dan Manes of Erin, Leonard Christopher of Acton, and Randy Christopher of Rockwood.
Wind Of The North was the first to fire, but outsider Flanagan Memory took over command before the first quarter in :27.1. Magic Tonight then swept around the top two as the field headed down the backstretch towards the half-mile mark in :55. That's when Zeron made his move with Il Sogno Dream from fourth and they blew by the Elitlopp champion before the 1:23.2 third quarter station. Il Sogno Dream remained strong on top through the stretch while Master Of Law and Gural Hanover pursued and finished second and third, respectively, two lengths behind in a photo finish.
“The instructions were simple,” said Zeron of his first time being assigned to drive Il Sogno Dream. “They said, ‘If you have to be first up, that’s probably his best spot because he’s got that grinding speed and he can just carry it to the end.’ He was a pleasure to drive; he did everything right, perfect gaited. When I cleared to the front, he just swelled up and took off all on his own.”
The Dayton Trotting Derby and Allerage winner will return to Canada tomorrow morning to race in the Opens this Fall and will then head to Florida for the first part of the new year.
$114,750 Tattersalls Pace Three-Year-Old Fillies – 2nd Division
Divine Caroline gave driver David Miller his fifth win of the day thanks to her 1:49.2 triumph in the second division of the Tattersalls Pace.
The Show Returns fired to the lead in the rich tilt and laid down fractions of :26.3 and :54 before coming under heavy pressure around the final turn. Divine Caroline applied that pressure, and she eventually worked her way to the top at the three-quarter pole in 1:22.1. She used a :27.1 closing quarter to defeat Devil Child and Bedroomconfessions.
Joe Holloway trains the heavily-favoured filly for Val Dor Farms, Ted Gewertz, Rojan Stables and Michael Ouriel. The daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven-Loving Caroline, who went 1-for-11 as a rookie, is now 5-for-18 this season. Her cash stash now stands at $456,429.
$114,750 Tattersalls Pace Three-Year-Old Fillies - 1st Division
Rock Me Gently rallied from out of the clouds and pulled off a 17-1 upset for driver David Miller in an eye-catching clocking of 1:50.2. The lead changed hands multiple times through fractions of :26.3, :54.1 and 1:22.1, and things were still wide-open as the fillies fanned out six-wide turning for home. Rock Me Gently roared up on the far outside of the track and soared past foes en route to the triumph over Wicked Little Minx and Daut Full.
It was the second straight score for the Steve Elliott-trained daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven-Cam Swifty, who has manufactured a 5-1-0 record from 15 trips to the track this season. The eight-time winner, who is owned by Old Block Stables, The Fra Stable LLC and Kenneth Klein, pushed her career earnings to $207,688.
$66,000 Allerage Farms Mares Open Trot
D One was a handy winner and a popular winner in her Saturday afternoon assignment in a sparkling time of 1:51.3 for driver David Miller.
The five-year-old Donato Hanover-Giant Diablo mare watched Handover Belle and White Becomes Her battle to the quarter pole in :27.4 before taking matters into her own hands. Miller rushed out of the three-hole and pushed for the lead in backstretch with D One. They took charge easily and proceeded to lead the field through middle panels of :54.3 and 1:23.2. D One used a :28.1 closing quarter to defeat Harley Momma and Bax Of Life.
It was the 18th lifetime win for the Roger Wallman trainee, who now boasts a 5-1-0 record from eight starts this season. The classy lass upped her lifetime earnings to $1,093,335 with the win. She is owned by Stall Kenny 23 of Varmoo, Sweden.
$79,000 Allerage Farms Mares Open Pace
Colors A Virgin brushed to the top shortly past the quarter pole for driver David Miller, and once she cleared she was never headed en route to posting a 1:50 score.
Miller got away third with the heavy favourite while Inittowinafortune marched to the top and sliced out the first panel in :28.2. Miller moved his charge early, and together they cleared to the lead without much of a tussle. Colors A Virgin sprinted through middle splits of :54.4 and 1:23.1 before using a :26.2 kicker to fend off late pressure from Skippin By. Show Runner rallied to finish third, with the final cheque in the four-mare affair going to Inittowinafortune.
Brian Brown trains the four-year-old daughter of Always A Virgin-Full Color for Emerald Highland Farms. The homebred improved her 2015 record to 7-1-1 from 17 starts with the win while lifetime earnings climbed just shy of $900,000.