Freshman standardbreds continued the competitions in the second week of Grand Circuit action. Today, two-year-old filly pacers competed in the $256,000 International Stallion Stakes and the two-year-old colt trotters competed in the $328,000 International Stallion Stakes.
Ron Pierce guided Parlee Beach to a perfect trip and passed favourite Nikki Beach at the wire to win the $85,000 International Stallion in 1:51.
Parlee Beach took the lead, with Miss Madi M getting away in second and Nikki Beach was in third. Parlee Beach took them by the quarter in :27.3. Nikki Beach made a brush to the lead and cleared just passing the three-eighths mark. Parlee Beach backed into second and Miss Madi M was losing ground in third. Ritascape was forced first over by the half in :55.4 (:28.1).
Into the far turn, Nikki Beach was unchallenged. Parlee Beach sat at the pocket in second and Ritascape inched into third. Nikki Beach led at three-quarters in 1:24 (:28.1). Into the stretch, Nikki Beach was holding onto the lead. Parlee Beach edged out of the pocket and began to chase down the leader. Ritascape was faltering and Miss Madi M was coming up the rail. Parlee Beach paced right on by Nikki Beach to win by a narrow nose. Nikki Beach was second, Miss Madi M was third and Ritascape was fourth.
Parlee Beach ($6.40) is by Somebeachsomewhere, out of the mare Countryview Miss by Camluck. She is owned by Patrick Ryan, trained by Bob McIntosh and Ron Pierce picked up the drive.
“I talked to Ron before the race and I noticed she backs off at the start, so I said she has gate speed, use it,” trainer Bob McIntosh said.
After three bad starts, Authorize returned to the winning groove to upset I Luv The Nitelife in the second Internatonal Stallion Stake in 1:51.1.
Mattie Terror Girl was wide in the early stages and cleared the top passing the eighth pole. Want Answers got away in second and I Luv The Nitelife was in third. Sears pulled I Luv The Nitelife first over and took a short lead by the quarter in :27. I Luv The Nitelife cleared the lead heading down the backstretch. Mattie Terror Girl was in second and Want Answers was an anxious third. Tetrick guided Want Answers to the outside by the half in :54.3 (:27.3).
Into the far turn, Want Answers pressured I Luv The Nitelife. Live Entertainment was second over and Aria J was third over. Authorize was shuffled back and forced wide turning for home. Three-quarters was timed in 1:23.1 (:28.3).
I Luv The Nitelife was holding on into the stretch. Want Answers was to her outside in second and Mattie Terror Girl was riding the cones in third. Authorize was surging down the center of the track and took command entering the eighth pole. She was home free and a winner in 1:51.1 (:28). I Luv The Nitelife was in second, Mattie Terror Girl was third and Aria J rallied off cover to finish fourth.
Authorize ($17.40) is by Western Ideal, out of the mare Cpa by Real Desire. She is owned by Brittany Farms and Brian Monieson, trained by Tony Alagna and Dave Palone was in the sulky.
“She has a wicked fast run and she fired home well today. She can come home in :25.4 and you can conserve her one good run and this was the place for it,” driver Dave Palone said.
Hit The Curb pulled off the major upset in the third and final International Stallion for the filly pacers, winning in a photo in 1:51.2.
South Pacific took the lead, with Art Ideal in second and Hit The Curb sat in third. South Pacific had a 2 length advantage by the quarter in :27.4. Ideal Ginny pulled the pocket and was in pursuit of the leader passing the three-eighths. Wherethegirlsare stayed in the pocket fourth and Novascotia Hanover tracked cover. The half was timed in :55 (:27.1).
South Pacific still led the way rolling around the far turn. Art Ideal edged out of the pocket and took a short lead. Ideal Ginny was second over and Novascotia Hanover began to fan three wide at three-quarters in 1:23 (:28).
Art Ideal took command turning for home. Novascotia Hanover was closing down the center and Hit The Curb found racing room and began rallying between horses. It was a three horse battle into the sixteenth pole and Hit The Curb got her nose in front to pull off the shocker. Novascotia Hanover was second, Art Ideal was third and Wherethegirlsare rallied for fourth.
Hit The Curb ($35.80) is by Art Major, out of the mare Student Driver by Jate Lobell. She is owned by Springtime Racing Stables, trained by Mark Harder and Jim Morrill Jr. was in the bike.
“She was great training down all year, but when we got to the races, she got warm and we had a hard time getting her under control. Today we were determined to get her a hole and she did today. Speed wasn’t our problem, it was to rate her,” breeder Skip Spring said.
From the Brad Maxwell barn, Your So Vain trotted by rivals to win the first International Stallion for the colt trotters in 1:55.
All Laid Out broke before the start. Max Andover took the lead banking into the clubhouse turn. Show Ticket cleared the lead from Gingras passing the eighth pole. My Man Can was in third and Possessed Fashion was in fourth. Show Ticket led the field by the quarter in :28.2.
My Man Can came first over and brushed to the lead passing the three-eighths. Show Ticket backed into second and Max Andover was shuffled into third. My Man Can led by the half in :56.3 (:28.1). Possessed Fashion came first over into the far turn. Tornado came second over and Your So Vain was third over. Possessed Fashion took a short lead passing three-quarters in 1:26.1 (:29.3).
Into the stretch, My Man Can went on a break and interfered with Show Ticket, causing him to break too. Possessed Fashion inherited the lead. Your So Vain came off cover and was surging down the center. Tornado was giving chase in third and All Laid Out began rallying off the pylons. Your So Vain got by Possessed Fashion and drew off to win in 1:55 (:28.4). Possessed Fashion was second, Tornado was third and All Laid Out was fourth.
Your So Vain ($6.80) is by Donato Hanover, out of the mare Tennis Lover by Muscles Yankee. He is owned by P G Van Camp Stables, trained by Bradley Maxwell and Tim Tetrick was in the bike.
A :26.2 quarter to the half burned out most of the field, leaving Fashion Blizzard the only one with a little more left in the tank. Fashion Blizzard won by about six lengths in 1:54.3.
Fashion Blizzard took the lead, with Cashco in second and Broadway Prince was first over in third. Punxsutawney made a break into the first turn. Fashion Blizzard led by the quarter in :28.1. Down the backstretch, Recon and Dream Of Thunder went off stride, leaving four trotters left in contention. Broadway Prince and Fashion Blizzard dueled by the half in :54.3 (:26.2).
Broadway Prince had cleared the lead heading around the far turn. Fashion Blizzard was back in second and Cashco was dropping back in third. Here’s Johnny came to the outside and began surging at three-quarters in 1:24 (:29.2). Fashion Blizzard edged out of the pocket to retake command at the top of the stretch. Broadway Prince did not fight back and Here’s Johnny was trotting into third. Fashion Blizzard drew off to romp in 1:54.3 (:30.3). Broadway Prince was second, Here’s Johnny was third and Cashco was fourth.
Fashion Blizzard ($4.40) is by Credit Winner, out of the mare Fun And Strokes by Donerail. He is owned by Fashion Farms LLC, trained by Jim Campbell and Jim Morrill Jr. was in the bike.
The Erv Miller-trained Pine Credit got a perfect trip and strolled home to win the third Stallion event for the colt trotters in 1:54.3.
Hobsons Choice broke at the start. Text Winner took the lead, with Hall Of Muscles parked in second and Theraputic at the rail in third. Text Winner took the field by the quarter in :27.1. Hall Of Muscles dropped back first over, but did not find a pocket. He committed first over and Pine Credit picked up his cover. Lauderdale was third over in the back of the field. Text Winner was still in front at the half in :55 (:27.4).
Hall Of Muscles applied pressure to Text Winner into the far turn. Theraputic was getting a perfect trip and Pine Credit was poised to come three wide. Hall Of Muscles took a short lead at three-quarters in 1:24.4 (:29.4).
Pine Credit rallied down the center and took over the lead in the stretch. Theraputic came off the pylons and surged into second, while Lauderdale was trotting hard down the center of the track. Pine Credit was home free and won in 1:54.3 (:29.4). Theraputic was second, Lauderdale was third and Hall Of Muscles finished fourth.
Pine Credit ($4) is by Credit Winner, out of mare Ms Piggy Pine by Pine Chip. Erv Miller Stables, Harvey Eisman and Mary Jane Anderson own him. He is trained by Erv Miller and Lewayne Miller was in the bike.
“I thought he [Hall Of Muscles] was coming back to me, but by three quarters he was going on and my colt felt great,” driver Lewayne Miller said.
“He was having issues early on, making breaks here and there and Erv put me on at Vernon in a Late Closer, I drove him and he thought I drove him good so he kept me up aboard,” Lewayne said on how he picked up the drive.
Royalty For Life sat a perfect trip behind duelers Major Athens and Dontyouforgetit to win the final division of the two-year-old colt trot International Stallion Stakes in 1:54.2.
Royalty For Life took the lead, with Major Athens on the outside in second and Crazy About Pat in third. Major Athens cleared the top at the quarter in :28.3. No move was made at the half in :57.3 (:29). Dontyouforgetit came first over, supplying cover to San Donato. Dontyouforgetit was wheel-to-wheel with Major Athens at the five-eighths mark. Dontyouforgetit took a short lead at three-quarters in 1:27 (:29.2).
Royalty For Life found room to trot and came to the outside down the stretch. Major Athens gave way and Dontyouforgetit fought hard. Royalty For Life and Dontyouforgetit dueled until the sixteenth pole, where Royalty For Life took over the lead and got to the wire first. Dontyouforgetit was second, Major Athens was third and Creatine closed to finish fourth. The mile was timed in 1:54.2 (:27.2).
Royalty For Life ($14.80) is by RC Royalty, out of the mare Bourbon‘n Grits by Donerail. He is owned by A. Ross, William Campbell and Paul Fontaine, trained by George Ducharme and Tim Tetrick was in the bike.
“He’s a terrific colt, a home bred with my partner Al Ross. It’s a nice horse, he’s been dogged with bad posts and poor trips,” owner Paul Fontaine said.
“He had to come real quick out of the gate and he made a speed break into the first turn,” Paul replied, about ‘Royalty’s’ break in the New York Sires Stakes final.
“He’s been getting better all summer, our trainer has been very careful with him, his performance today convinced us to bring him into the Breeders Crown,” Paul added.