Frantic Hanover heads south to Lexington, Kentucky off a narrow loss in the Grade 1 Metro Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park and will look to return to his winning ways in the International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old pacing males on Saturday, Oct. 4 at The Red Mile.
A Stay Hungry-Francessa colt, Frantic Hanover suffered the only defeat of his career when sitting a bottled trip in the pocket and obtaining clearance too late in the million-dollar Metro, settling for second to local sensation Beau Jangles. Tim Tetrick will drive the Ron Burke trainee from post seven in the second of three $88,00 USD divisions, listed at 6-5 on the morning line, in a nine-horse contest carded as race 10 and sponsored by the Beach Glass Syndicate and Winbak Farm. This division also has Andrew Harris trainee Brandon Blvd, who enters off a 1:49.1 win at 1-9 in his Bluegrass division last week. Dexter Dunn will drive the Downbytheseaside-Alexis Faith colt from post nine. Signal Caller, a 1:48.4 winner in a Bluegrass division when capitalizing on fast fractions set by Thai Hanover (who competes in this division from post six), also lands in this contest from post four with Andy McCarthy driving for trainer Noel Daley.
Ron Burke also sends out the morning line favourite in the first division for freshman pacing males, scheduled as race three on the day and sponsored by the Captaintreacherous Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms. Bluegrass division winner Melillo, a homebred Sweet Lou-Rosemary Rose colt, will start from post six off a 1:50.1 victory under wraps at odds of 1-9 and retains Yannick Gingras between the wheels. Melillo is one of three in the division for Burke, with his other two being Bluegrass division runner-ups Winnercircleseeker from post fifth with Chris Page driving and Another C Note from post nine with Tim Tetrick at the lines. The field also has the Dan Lagace-trained Sweet Lou-Lovers Dream colt Sweet Lovin Lou, who will start from post four after a third-place closing effort in the Metro Pace two weeks ago.
In the closing division for freshman pacing males, which is carded as race 11 and sponsored by Midland Acres, Burke again packs the strongest punch with the three favourites on the morning line. Regally bred Ubrute, a colt by Tall Dark Stranger out of Warrawee Ubeaut set as the 6-5 morning line chalk, will look to improve from his runner-up effort to Signal Caller in that quick-clip Bluegrass division. He will start just outside of Al Papi, a homebred Papi Rob Hanover-Baron Remy colt who finished runner-up to Frantic Hanover in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final on Sept. 5, in post five and a few slots wide of stablemate Lindy Dragonwater, a Downbytheseaside-Imagine Dragon gelding returning to Lexington off a 1:51 victory at odds-on in the Ohio Sire Stakes championship. Dexter Dunn will drive Al Papi while Chris Page has the call on Lindy Dragonwater.
Saturday’s card also features three $108,000 divisions of the International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies starting with race four, which is sponsored by the Tactical Landing Syndicate and Hickory Lane Farm. Jim Oscarsson pupil Southwind Chaska will return off a lifetime-best 1:51.4 win in a Bluegrass division as the 9-5 morning line choice from post four with Tim Tetrick in the bike. She will start inside of Emmas Mystery CCL, a Noel Daley-trained daughter of Muscle Hill-Mistery Woman, as the New Jersey Sires Stakes champion enters here following a third-place effort as the 6-5 favourite in the Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes at Harrah’s Hoosier Park two weeks ago. Andy McCarthy has the drive from post five.
The second division for freshman trotting fillies, carded as race six and sponsored by the Captain Corey Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms, aligns Bluegrass divisional winners Sparks and Jailbird Jog from bookend posts. Trainer Ake Svanstedt will steer Sparks, a Walner-Sheer Energy filly, off a stalking burst to a 1:53.1 win in her division, from the pylon post while James MacDonald navigates Jailbird Jog, a Tactical Landing-Miss Don Fanucci S filly, out of post nine for trainer Eric Patalan following her effortless 1:52.2 win in her division last week. Meanwhile, trainer Noel Daley will send out the 9-5 morning line favourite with Carve, a daughter of Captain Corey-Alpine, fresh from a runner-up effort to Southwind Chaska as the 3-2 favourite in her Bluegrass division. Andy McCarthy has the drive out of post four.
Freshman trotting fillies wrap up their afternoon assignments in race eight, a division sponsored by Tara Hills Stud. Jim Doherty Memorial champion Atlantic Summer earned morning line favouritism with a 2-1 listing as she will look to make amends from an eighth-place finish in the Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes two weeks ago. Yannick Gingras will drive the Ron Burke-trained Captain Corey-Perfect Summer K filly from post seven in the nine-horse affair.
Saturday’s 13-race card has a $7,500 guarantee in the Early Pick 4, which begins in race six. Every Pick 4, as well as the 50-cent Pick 5, at The Red Mile features an industry-low takeout of 12 per cent.
First-race post time at The Red Mile is 1 p.m.
(The Red Mile; photo of Frantic Hanover winning on Sept. 5 at Harrah's Philadelphia)