In the middle of August, Yannick Gingras guided Ron Burke pupil Sippononsearoc to a world record for two-year-old pacers at The Red Mile. That duo connected again for a historic effort during the stakes action on Friday, Oct. 4.
In the second $110,270 division of the International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies, a field of six went postward that featured two-year-old sensation Papi Grad. That filly bested Looksgoodinloulou in a Bluegrass division eight days ago. In the rematch, the tables were turned.
As the field of six sped into the first turn, 3-2 second choice Looksgoodinloulou cleared Duration (Todd McCarthy) after pressing on from post seven through a :26.3 opening quarter. The 1-2 choice, Papi Grad, watched that from third momentarily, right-lined by driver Dexter Dunn down the backside.
Papi Grad cleared but there was no easing up on the throttle, with the half-mile point reached in a sharp :53.4. Duration started her overland bid around the five-eighths mark, with Champagne Room (Andy McCarthy) following that move around the far turn.
With the three-quarters hit in 1:22.1, Papi Grad maintained the lead but appeared to be under siege turning for home. She put away Duration, but the rail opened up to allow Lookslookinloulou a seam to split through. Under relatively little urging, the filly powered home two lengths the best with the clock stopped in 1:48.3. Papi Grad finished a respectable second, with Champagne Room rounding out the top trio.
"It's all the Burke Brigade," said Gingras in the winner's circle. "They've got all those homebreds. Last year, they were 1-2-3 with those fillies in the Breeders Crown, two of them being by Sweet Lou. This year, Sweet Ballad, this one, Rose...they get better mares and, obviously, Sweet Lou has been producing like crazy. I'm just lucky to get to sit behind them."
A homebred of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Pennsylvania, Looksgoodinloulou (Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper) now sports a 3-2-0 summary from six starts with $326,803 in earnings. Ron Burke trains the filly, who paid $5.12 to win.
The time of the mile matches the mark of former Burke pupil Warrawee Ubeaut as the fastest ever by a two-year-old pacing filly.
Burke scored another decisive win in the first division for the two-year-old pacing fillies, with 7-5 second choice Rodeo Drive Deo powering uncovered to a 1:50.1 win with David Miller in the bike.
Miller pushed Rodeo Drive Deo off the wings from post seven but took back as the inside three fired forward into a :27.1 first quarter. Simply Perfect (Todd McCarthy) landed on the lead while Rodeo Drive Deo settled into fourth and waited until a :55.1 half to commit outside and roll uncovered on the rim. Rodeo Drive Deo progressed through the far turn to reach Simply Perfect’s throat and then vaulted to the lead after three-quarters in 1:23. Unreasonable (Scott Zeron), who tracked from second-over through the turn, angled out to take a shot late, but Rodeo Drive Deo kept finding more to wade off that challenger by a half length at the beam. Calamity Hour (Dexter Dunn) closed from third-over for third.
“She’s been just awesome,” said Miller of the Captaintreacherous-Miss L A filly after the race. “I got to race her four times now and I can’t praise her enough.”
Rodeo Drive Deo races for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Beasty LLC and J & T Silva-Purnel & Libby. She earned her third win in seven starts and pushed her bankroll over the $200,000 mark. Rodeo Drive Deo paid $4.84 to win.
Burke completed a sweep of the two-year-old pacing filly divisions with the aforementioned star homebred, 1-9 favourite Rose, who scored an authoritative 1:50.3 victory in rein to Gingras.
Gingras powered Rose from the pylon post for the lead but took a brief pocket as Cant See Me (Bob McClure) swooped from post eight for the front to a :27.2 first quarter. Rose abandoned the pocket ride and circled back to the top in the backstretch to take the field to the half in :55.3. Cant See Me boldly pulled pocket rounding the final turn as the tempo slowed to three-quarters in 1:24.1 but quickly levelled off as Rose hit the pedal and scooted away. Rose registered a 3-1/4-length victory over pylon-skimming Point Breeze (James MacDonald) in second, while Accede (Dexter Dunn) closed from third over for third.
A daughter of Sweet Lou and Rosemary Rose, Rose boasts a near perfect seven-for-eight record and has now banked $458,198 for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Jack Piatt III and Larry Karr. She paid $2.30 to win.
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Steady handling from Scott Zeron helped keep Memento Mori flat gaited as he catapulted off a pocket ride to post the fastest mile ever by a two-year-old trotting gelding in winning the second of four divisions for the rookie male trotters.
With 2-5 favourite Happy Jack B (Ake Svanstedt) bolting for the lead from the pylon post, Scott Zeron settled Memento Mori into the pocket on the move to a :28 first quarter. Happy Jack B scurried up the backside to stretch the field behind him and clock a :55.1 half, though he slowed the tempo rounding the final turn. Big Shoes (Yannick Gingras) launched an attack first-over heading to three-quarters in 1:24 but stalled spinning into the stretch while Happy Jack B hit the accelerator again and Memento Mori tried to shake free from a tight pocket. Zeron gave Memento Mori a clear path and held his charge together as he bobbled in stride but promptly smoothened and gathered momentum to collar Happy Jack B at the line by a half length. Big Shoes finished third.
Memento Mori clocked a 1:51.4 mile to eclipse the track and world record established back in 2019 by Real Cool Sam, who trotted a 1:52.1 mile to set the mark for freshman trotting geldings. The mile was also three-fifths of a second off the record for two-year-old trotting colts set in 2020 by Southwind Tyrion, but just over a second slower than the fastest-ever mile by a trotting two-year-old of 1:50.3 set by the filly Mission Brief in 2014.
“[The connections] were high on him all year,” said Zeron after the race. “Seems like we had seconditis for awhile. He’s been learning as he goes. Last week was the first time they pulled his shoes and they did it again today. Obviously, we finally had a trip – if you watch him close, he’s always been a little too far back charging at the end.”
A gelding by Chapter Seven out of Gone Baby Gone S, Memento Mori won for the second time in 10 starts to ago along with six second-place finishes and has now banked $183,175 for owners Thestable Memento Mori and Hutchison Harness LLC. Eric Patalan trains the gelding, who paid $11.38 to win.
Onajetplane, piloted by Andy McCarthy, soared forward as the tempo slowed and coasted to a 1:52.2 victory in the first division for the two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
The Rogue Prince (Tim Tetrick) steamrolled to the lead after a :28.4 first quarter and sped up the backside to a :55.4 half. Though the headstrong leader started to sputter midway around the final turn and slowed the tempo, prompting Andy McCarthy to angle Onajetplane off the pegs from fourth and launch his bid for the lead. Onajetplane flew past The Rogue Prince after three-quarter in 1:24 and got the jump on his foes in the stretch. Onajetplane strolled over the line a 1-3/4-length winner over Tactical Dynasty (Yannick Gingras), who gave chase second-over turning for home. Civilian Drone (James MacDonald) rallied from near last for third.
“We were able to take [shoes] off for three of his starts now – he won two of them and was pretty unlucky in the Mohawk Million [where he finished fourth]; didn’t get the greatest of trips,” said trainer Noel Daley. “He’s fine with it and has great feet.”
A colt by Walner out of Noble Lover, Onajetplane earned his third win from eight starts and has now banked $314,836 for Daley, who also co-owners with Sjoblom Racing Inc., L A Express Stable LLC and Joonas Jarvinen. He paid $5.10 to win.
Gap Kronos S and trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt pushed past galloping Go Dog Go (Todd McCarthy) in the stretch to snag the third division for two-year-old male trotters in 1:51.4.
Go Dog Go grabbed the lead to a :28.2 first quarter and kept the speed hot up the backside to click by a :55.4 half. Svanstedt pulled Gap Kronos S out of fourth and marched forward uncovered through the final turn while Go Dog Go appeared strong on the helm. By three-quarters in 1:24.1, Go Dog Go spun for home on a loose lead before getting wobbly gaited again in late stretch. He broke stride inside the final eighth and ducked inside to avoid traffic all while Gap Kronos S kept his momentum and glided by to a three-length win. Following a disqualification of Go Dog Go from second to sixth for violation of the breaking rule and interference, Hidalgo (Yannick Gingras) took second with Mehshuggah (Scott Zeron) third.
Svanstedt trains Gap Kronos S, a Face Time Bourbon-Im Really Special colt, for owner Bruni Racing Team Inc. Gap Kronos S has won half of his six starts and pushed his bankroll into six-figure territory, totalling $123,741. A back-to-back winner in Grand Circuit stakes action at The Red Mile, he paid $7.72 to win.
Super Chapter delivered as the 1-5 favourite in the final division for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings, stopping the clock in 1:52 with Dexter Dunn in the sulky.
Dunn planted Super Chapter onto the point moving for a :27.4 first quarter but yielded for a pocket ride behind Maximus Mearas S (Scott Zeron) into the backside. Maximus Mearas S maintained control to a :55.4 half while Dunn waited to strike with Super Chapter until the far turn. Super Chapter rushed to the lead moving around the final turn and gained separation on Maximus Mearas S plodding through three-quarters in 1:24.2. The Marcus Melander trainee had the race sealed in the lane and strolled in a 3-1/4-length winner over Maximus Mearas S while Chat Room (Yannick Gingras) closed from second-over for third.
“We got two really nice colts this year, this one and Maryland,” commented Melander. “Hopefully they can stay sound and healthy the rest of the year and we can have some fun.”
Winning for the fifth time from eight starts, Super Chapter surpassed the $500,000 mark in career earnings for owners Jeffrey Snyder and Arthur Pronti. The Chapter Seven-Lifetime Pursuit colt paid $2.66 to win.
(Standardbred Canada & The Red Mile)