The Canadian-owned Alsace Hanover and Hugadragon wrapped up the Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile on a stakes-filled Sunday afternoon with a pair of 1:50 victories in their respective Tattersalls Pace divisions
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Alsace Hanover added another trophy to his mantle with a front end effort in the first $243,000 Tattersalls Pace division for three-year-old pacing colts.
Westwardho Hanover (Dave Palone) put up the :28.1 first quarter before the parked out Alsace Hanover and driver Ron Pierce shot to the front down the backstretch.
As Alsace Hanover raced past middle markers of :55.2 and 1:23.2, Fashion Delight (Dave Miller) launched a first over attack from fourth but was unable to match the leader's strides and eventually finished third.
Despite drifting out in the stretch, Alsace Hanover was able to hold off the pocket-pulling Westwardho Hanover in a win photo. He stopped the clock in 1:50 flat.
"Ronnie was worried there was no speed to chase so I kind of had a feeling he was going to do that [go to the front]," said trainer Tony O'Sullivan after the win. "It's not his trip, but we got away with it. I was pretty nervous there for a bit.
"He was running out a little more than he usually does [in the stretch]," noted the conditioner. "We've got him rigged to run out to get him off his inside knee and today he was just running out a little too much."
Alsace Hanover has won seven times in 13 starts this year, including the Adios. He was also a runner-up in the Hoosier Cup and Battle Of The Brandywine. Toronto's John Fielding owns the son of The Panderosa-Arts Masterpiece, who has banked $706,000 this year and $796,839 lifetime.
"He'll go to the Breeders Crown in two weeks at Woodbine," said O'Sullivan. "He's one of the big boys; he can go with them."
Alsace Hanover paid $2.80 to win.
Fresh off a victory in his Bluegrass Series division last weekend, Hugadragon wired the second field of three-year-old pacing colts to collect his Tattersalls trophy.
Up The Credit (Jody Jamieson) fired off the gate, but put in a few steps and ended up settling into fourth as Ron Burke trainee Hugadragon and driver Yannick Gingras fired to the front.
Hugadragon led the field, which was reduced to six with the scratch of Foreclosure N, to the first quarter in :26.1 and the half in :53.3 before being faced with pressure from the persistent Up The Credit.
Up The Credit moved up alongside the leader as they neared three-quarters in 1:21.3, but Hugadragon dug in down the stretch to shake off that rival and score the victory in 1:50. Wind Me Up (Dave Miller) and Rollwithitharry (Brett Miller) came on for second and third over Up The Credit.
"I thought the race was going to set up with either him [Up The Credit] on my back or me sitting on his back," said Gingras after the win. "I was worried if it was going to work out that way -- with him on my back -- because he's a great horse and it was going to be a tough stretch. But once he made a break I knew at that point he was going to first up at me so I felt pretty confident.
"I was definitely a little bit worried at the top of the stretch. I thought I had Jody beat, but I was worried about David second over -- that's a nice horse too. Those are all quality horses so it's never a 'give me' or anything like that."
The homebred son of Dragon Again-Hip Huggers, who earned his fourth win in 15 seasonal starts, is owned by the Burke Racing Stable. The PASS Championship and Oliver Wendall Holmes runner-up has banked $395,224 in 2011 and over $500,000 lifetime.
"He's a nice horse. He's coming into his own and he's getting better and better," added Gingras. "I'm looking forward to big things going on from here on out."
Hugadragon will also be heading to the Breeders Crown.
He paid $4 to win as the even-money favourite.
Seducedbychocolate wired the field of three-year-old trotting fillies in a $106,000 division of the Bluegrass Series to score her first win of the season.
Driver Dave Miller fired the Chocolatier-Seducer Hall filly off the gate from the outside Post 6 and established the lead before the first turn. Seducedbychocolate reached the first quarter in :29.1 with a two and a half length lead over Sashay (Mike Lachance) while favourite Hey Mister (Brian Sears) was positioned in third.
As the fillies neared the :57.4 half-mile mark, Sashay jumped it off leaving Hey Mister to inherit the two-hole.
Seducedbychocolate continued to lead the way to three-quarters in 1:26.4 with Hey Mister getting ready to pounce once they turned for home. Hey Mister launched a late attack in the stretch, but Seducedbychocolate found the wire first for the career-best 1:54.3 score by a neck.
She now has $70,455 banked after nine starts this year and 172,795 lifetime for owner Maximum Force Inc.
"We got her down here right after the Hambo [Oaks] pretty much and turned her out for a couple of weeks and let her get back to herself again," said trainer Jonas Czernyson, noting that his filly did not come out of the Oaks very well. "We qualified her and got a nice tightener into her and I knew she was going to be sharp today. I didn't know she was going to do it from the front end, but she did it.
"After this race now we're probably looking at the Breeders Crown," he added.
Seducedbychocolate paid $16.80 for the mild upset.
With Kentucky Filly Futurity winner Cedar Dove out of the picture after making a costly miscue behind the gate, runner-up Bold And Fresh rallied home off cover to match her North American season's mark of 1:53.1 and provide Miller with another Bluegrass Series win in the second $107,000 division for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Outside starter Lady Andover (John Campbell) crossed down to the pylons around the first turn to establish the lead while Bold And Fresh and Miller tucked into fifth after a Post 5 start.
Lady Andover passed the opening quarter in :28-seconds and showed the way to the half in :55.2 with a three length lead.
Then Bold And Fresh edged to the outside and flushed Miss Sue V (Tim Tetrick) out from third for cover as they neared three-quarters in 1:24.1. Miller sent her three-wide at the top of the stretch and she collared eventual third place finisher Lady Andover and then held off the late-closing Dont Think Twice (Brian Sears) by a neck.
Lightly raced as a two-year-old, Bold And Fresh now sports a sophomore record reading 6-4-1 in 15 starts and a 2011 bankroll totalling $604,330. Her biggest win came in the Hambletonian Oaks.
"I really wasn't too concerned [about her early position], she always has that late kick," said owner Donald Bartling. "She did that twice in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes so I have come to be a believer after seeing that. You have to remember how she actually races."
The Breeders Crown will be on this filly's radar next.
Bold And Fresh paid $5.60 to win.
Chapter Seven swept to command down the backstretch and drew clear to capture the first $113,000 Bluegrass Series division for three-year-old trotting colts.
Mythical Hall (Dave Miller) fired to command early on from Post 5, but Broad Bahn (George Brennan) floated up to his outside to take over before the :28.2 opening quarter mark.
As the trotting colts raced down the backstretch, Chapter Seven and driver Tim Tetrick were flushed out from third and the duo cleared the lead at the :57.1 midway point.
Chapter Seven lead the way past three-quarters in 1:25 and drew clear down the stretch to record a four length, career-best 1:52.4 victory. Broad Bahn finished second with Spectator K (Brian Sears) coming on for third.
The son of Windsgons Legacy-La Riviera Lindy earned his second win of the season in six starts for owners Richard Gutnick, Gary Cocco, Southwind Farm, and Jerry Silva. His earnings climbed to $329,000 for the year and soared over the $500,000 mark lifetime.
"He's a good horse. He's been knocking on the door, but has been plagued with all kinds of problems," said trainer Linda Toscano. "We've nursed him through it and it seems like he's finally coming into himself."
After winning his Stanley Dancer Memorial division earlier this year, Chapter Seven picked up cheques in the big money events, the Hambletonian and the Canadian Trotting Classic.
"He's really had issues. He had viral pneumonia when he first got started back and getting him to the Hambo was nothing short of a miracle. We've actually been nursing him along and nursing him along and he's started to come. This surface certainly doesn't hurt a horse with problems and the weather has been awesome. He's finally starting to come into himself and be tight so we have the rest of the year, hopefully."
Toscano said she will take it one week at a time with her colt, but will be looking to send him to the Breeders Crown and the Matron.
Chapter Seven paid $2.60 to win as the 1-5 favourite.
Driver Dave Palone teamed up with Big Rigs and worked out a perfect pocket trip for the three-year-old trotting colt to take the second $113,000 Bluegrass Series division.
Leaving from Post 5, Opening Night (Brian Sears) established an early three length lead by the :27.3 opening quarter in front of inside starter Big Rigs.
As Opening Night carved out middle splits of :54.2 and 1:23.4, Live Jazz (John Campbell) advanced first up from third but made a costly miscue, which took him out contention.
Palone pulled the pocket with Big Rigs at they passed the third quarter mark and the colt trotted on by the pacesetter down the stretch to score the career-best 1:52.2 triumph. Can Anyone Explain (Jody Jamieson) chased home the winner for second while Opening Night settled for third.
Kelly O'Donnell trains the son of Andover Hall-Filly At Bigs, a winner of three races in 13 seasonal starts and $324,591, for the Millers Stable, the DM Stables, and C. Ed Mullinax. He won a pair of PASS events earlier this year and was second in the championship final. Lifetime, the colt has banked $469,643.
"I raced him some as a two-year-old, but last week was the first time we hooked up this year," noted Palone, who drove the colt to a pair of third place finishes in the Kentucky Futurity heats last weekend. "Even though he raced good both heats, I didn't think he was quite as focused as he should have been. We made a bridle change this week and he was much better.
"I know John is probably disappointed with his colt. He had two handfuls when he came at Brian in the last turn and when his colt made an inopportune break it just kind of set it up for me."
Big Rigs is now a two-time Bluegrass winner as he won his division as a two-year-old. He will be looking for a second chance to race among the Breeders Crown competition next.
"I would imagine the Breeders Crown [is next on his schedule]," said Palone. "It is a good time for him to get sharp. He is a very versatile horse. Being relatively sharp going in, it is a nice opportunity."
Big Rigs paid $4.60 to win.