Shifting tactics to race off the pace, Perfect Sting culled an anxious moment at headstretch with a powerful stretch rally to keep his perfect record while winning the second of three divisions for the $299,100 Betting Line International Stallion Stake Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace, sponsored by the Betting Line Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farm, on Saturday (Oct. 10) at The Red Mile.
Summa Cum Laude left for the lead but yielded command to Literl Lad Hanover by a :27.2 opening quarter. Summa Cum Laude soon popped pocket into the backstretch and retook the lead by a :55 half. Meanwhile driver David Miller had Perfect Sting positioned sixth, and angled the Always B Miki-Shebestingin colt first over into the far turn. He grabbed cover from Bayfield Beach to three-quarters in 1:22.4 but Summa Cum Laude had scooted away to a near-three-length lead.
Taking to the center of the track, Miller uncorked Perfect Sting straightening for the finish. The Joe Holloway trainee accelerated towards Summa Cum Laude with an eighth to go and reeled the leader in within the final strides, scoring the head decision at the beam of a 1:49.4 mile. Caviart Lotus closed for third with early breaker Abuckabett Hanover rallying for fourth.
“He makes me work,” David Miller said of his colt after the race. “He wanted it today; I was real proud of him...he wanted to put his head in front. When I got him off Dexter’s back [driving Bayfield Beach] and got him going it looked like Yannick had about four [lengths] on me, and I know how good that horse raced last week. I wasn’t sure I was going to track him down. So far he’s been racing really hard and getting the job done.”
Undefeated in eight starts, Perfect Sting has banked $304,300 for owner-breeders Brittany Farms LLC and Val D’Or Farms. He paid $3.40 to win.
Highlandbeachsbest grabbed the front early and never looked back in progress to a 1:50.2 score in the opening division of the Betting Line.
Pirate Hanover pushed for the lead to a :28.1 opening quarter with Highlandbeachsbest positioned second, but driver Tim Tetrick promptly vacated pocket with the Nancy Takter trainee to take the helm heading up the backstretch. By the half in :56.1, Highlandbeachsbest faced mild first-over pressure from Almanac circling the final turn and clipped three-quarters in 1:24. Almanac began to falter into the stretch while Pirate Hanover gave pursuit out of the pocket, making only a slight gain on Highlandbeachsbest to secure second well ahead of Emblaze Hanover in third. Beach Party took fourth.
A homebred for Highland Thoroughbred Farm, Highlandbeachsbest won his third race from 11 starts, earning $136,761. The Somebeachsomewhere colt paid $3.40 to win.
Odds-on choice Southwind Gendry stormed uncovered for the lead and kept all late challengers at bay to take the final division of the Betting Line in a 1:50 mile.
Positioned fifth to a :27.2 opening quarter, Southwind Gendry stayed put in midpack while Commanding Officer overtook early leader Always A Miki heading to a :54.4 half. Driver Yannick Gingras gave Southwind Gendry his cue moving into the far turn and rolled by a tiring leader after three-quarters in 1:22.3. Southwind Petyr, tracking the favourite’s cover, swung off a helmet into the stretch and dug into Southwind Gendry while Always A Miki rallied off a pocket trip up the pylons late. Southwind Gendry kept a neck in front of Southwind Petyr to the finish while Always A Miki settled for third and Lous Pearlman leapt from last for fourth.
“You can do whatever you want with the horse...he’s perfect to drive,” Gingras said after the race. “I was hoping to get a covered trip for sure, it’s always tough coming first up a long, long way. But he’s a game horse; when they come to him, that’s when he goes.”
Collecting his eighth victory from 10 starts, Southwind Gendry has banked $409,269 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Phil Collura, Knox Services and J&T Silva-Purnel&Libby. Ron Burke trains the Southwind Farms-bred Always B Miki gelding who paid $2.60 to win.
Flawless Country Quickest In International Stallion Stake
Flawless Country flew up the inside as Insta Glam veered off the cones and strode to a 1:53 victory in the first of Saturday's four divisions for the $304,000 International Moni International Stallion Stake Two-Year-Old Filly Trot, sponsored by the International Moni Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms.
Trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt sent Flawless Country for the front from Post 7 while Gimme Shelter pushed for the pocket from the pylon post and Hello I Love You floated into third. Insta Glam raced headstrong from fourth and soon launched for the lead as the field marched to a :56.3 half.
Insta Glam held command around the final turn, taking the group by three-quarters in 1:25.2. But when spinning off the turn, Insta Glam swung off the cones and began to falter while Flawless Country dashed through the seam to take the lead. Hello I Love You lunged wide to contest for the lead late but settled for second with Rose Run Whitney rallying for third and Ineffable finishing fourth.
“I pulled the earplugs -- it was the first time she had the earplugs -- and then she picked up the speed and got a little scared and drifted in,” Svanstedt said after the race. “She’s a very good horse. The only thing is that she doesn’t like to sleep over in other places...she wants to go home. I think that was the reason she raced bad last week [she finished second in a Bluegrass division]. She felt better here after being here for two weeks.”
A Southwind Frank filly bred by Christian Stoltzfus, Flawless Country won her fifth race from eight starts, earning $323,121 for owners Ake Svanstedt Inc., Wolfgang A Stable Inc. and Borje Nasstrom. She paid $4.80 to win.
With 7-5 favourite May Karp going on a gallop heading to the half, 9-5 second choice Beautiful Game picked up the pieces to win the second split of the International Moni.
May Karp cleared control to a :28 opening quarter but began to gallop into the backstretch, leaving Piper Hanover on the front with Hot As Hill in the pocket and Beltassima in third. Past a :56.4 half, Beltassima pulled first over with Aunt Irene positioned second over and Beautiful Game third over.
Beltassima applied pressure to Piper Hanover by three-quarters in 1:26.1 and continued to dig into the stubborn leader as the backfield fanned out for the stretch drive. Beltassima eventually forged past Piper Hanover to take a narrow lead, but Beautiful Game gathered momentum down the center of the course and powered by rivals in the final strides to win. Piper Hanover held third with Hot As Hill finishing fourth.
Winning her second race from 10 starts, Beautiful Game has earned $179,425 for owners Melvin Hartman, David Mc Duffee and Enzed Racing Stable Inc. Richard “Nifty” Norman trains the Muscle Hill filly bred by Brittany Farms LLC, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld while David Miller drove the $5.60 winner.
Anoka Hanover hustled to the lead heading to the half and held firm to the finish, winning the third division of the International Moni in 1:53.2.
Splash Blue Chip grabbed the lead moving to a :29.1 first quarter but faced a shuffle up the backstretch as Gotta Believe popped pocket as Material Girl mounted a bid for the lead. Gotta Believe settled for the pocket as Material Girl cleared before a :57.1 half, but Anoka Hanover ranged uncovered towards the top and became the new leader heading into the final turn.
Adirondack angled first over and made slight gains on Anoka Hanover to three-quarters in 1:25 but began spinning her wheels into the stretch. Once-leader Splash Blue Chip, finding a spot third over, swung to the center of the track and dashed towards Anoka Hanover into the final eighth, but could only manage second. Gotta Believe finished third with Sweeping Rainbow taking fourth.
Off the 4-5 favourite, Anoka Hanover scored her sixth win from 10 starts, earning $215,091 for trainer Noel Daley and co-owners L A Express Table LLC and Caviart Farms. Todd McCarthy drove the Hanover Shoe Farms-bred Donato Hanover filly who paid $3.60 to win.
Iteration rolled down the center of the track late to nail her competition at the finish and win the final division of the International Moni in 1:53.3.
Presto pushed for the lead but yielded control to 9-5 favourite You Ato Dream by a :29.1 opening quarter. You Ato Dream then accelerated up the backstretch as Mazzarati floated first over from fourth with Iteration in tow past a :56.4 half. The favourite kept the tempo hot while Mazzarati stalled to three quarters in 1:24.4, forcing the backfield to tip wide heading for the finish.
Into the stretch Presto popped pocket to challenge You Ato Dream, who kept the challenger at bay into the eighth pole. Pub Crawl, sitting third the whole mile, swung wide and surged towards the front with Iteration moving to the center of the track with the most momentum. With four horses in a line at the finish, Iteration won the photo over You Ato Dream, with Pub Crawl third and Presto fourth.
Trained by Marcus Melander for owner Courant Inc., Iteration won her fifth race from eight starts, earning $307,009. Order By Stable bred the Chapter Seven filly while Brian Sears sat in the sulky. She paid $15.60 to win.
Grand Circuit action concludes at The Red Mile on Sunday (Oct. 11) with a 12-race card headlined by the $444,000 125th Kentucky Futurity and the $255,000 55th Kentucky Filly Futurity. First-race post time is slated for 1:00 p.m. (EDT).
(Red Mile)