Southwind Tyrion is now the fastest two-year-old male trotter in harness racing history after his scintillating Grand Circuit score on Friday (Oct. 9) at The Red Mile.
Southwind Tyrion sped to a 1:51.1 victory for trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt, beating Walner’s record of 1:51.3 in the first of three divisions for the $258,800 Six Pack International Stallion Stake Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot, sponsored by the Six Pack Syndicate and Deo Volente Farms.
Svanstedt sent the Muscle Hill colt to the top while In Range secured the pocket and 4-5 favourite Venerate floated off the car into third. By the quarter in :27.4, Southwind Tyrion continued unchallenged to a :55.1 but faced pressure into the far turn as Venerate marched first over from third. Venerate broke stride by three-quarters in 1:23.2, leaving Southwind Tyrion to his own devices through the stretch. In Range kept in contention but gave pursuit from second with Cricket Fashion finishing third.
“My plan was to sit behind Venerate,” said Svanstedt after the race, “but I pushed [Southwind Tyrion] a little when Tetrick [driving In Range] was coming and then he was a little grabby, so he was too fast for Venerate to come. He felt good the whole mile.”
Owned by S R F Stable, Knutsson Trotting, Brittany Farms & Riverview Racing, Southwind Tyrion won his fifth race from seven starts, earning $313,287. Southwind Farms LLC bred the $4.40 winner.
Jean Pierre Dubois’ grandson Louis Baudron landed the drive on local startup Cuatro De Julio and kept all challengers at bay, taking the second division of the Six Pack in 1:51.3.
Baudron blasted Cuatro De Julio for the lead from Post 5 and took the field by the quarter in :27.4 with Johann Palema sitting second and Delayed Hanover third. The field continued single file by a :55 half but began to tighten into the final turn as Cuatro De Julio trotted to three-quarters in 1:23.4.
Delayed Hanover ranged first over towards the tempo-setter heading for the stretch drive and dug into the Trixton colt’s lead while drifting through the stretch. Cuatro De Julio responded to the challenge and held strong on the lead to the finish, nabbing his ninth win from 13 starts. Delayed Hanover settled for second with Jack Fire closing for third and Swingforthefences finishing fourth.
“I got off a plane to drive this horse today,” Baudron said after the race. “[Marie Otolan Bar] just told me to ‘do your best’ and she did great work with the horse. He’s so fast...he’s so fast.”
Bred by Dream With Me Stable and owned by D Farm LLC, Cuatro De Julio has accrued $129,275 in earnings. Marie Ortolan Bar trains the $6.20 winner.
With three horses going on a gallop early in the mile, Zenith Stride inherited a pocket trip and popped to a 1:53.2 victory in the final division of the Six Pack.
Unwritten Chapter broke at the start as Locatelli left for the lead along with Moonstone S to the pylons, but Fly Light landed in the pocket after Moonstone S went on a gallop circling the first turn. Locatelli led to the quarter in :27.3 and broke loose on the lead before breaking stride moving up the backstretch. Fly Light overtook control to a :55.3 half with Zenith Stride positioned second.
By three-quarters in 1:25, Fly Light held a diminishing lead into the stretch. Zenith Stride angled from the pocket and took aim at the leader, going by into the eighth pole chased by Sevenshadesofgrey splitting horses late but managing only to give chase for second. Magical Muscle Man took third while Fly Light faltered to fourth.
“I think [he’s just had] practice,” said trainer Mark Harder, talking about the colt’s improvement through the season. “Even training down as a young horse in the winter he’d do goofy things. On his day he’d do things great and trot nice...he’d always trot nice. We did some bloodwork [after last week] and we did find something that we could do to help him health-wise. I don’t know if he was 100 percent today, but he was better.”
Collecting his second win from eight starts, Zenith Stride has banked $204,825 for owners Emilio & Maria Rosati. Brian Sears drove the Fair Winds Farm Inc.-bred Muscle Hill colt who paid $12.40 to win.
Test Of Faith Follows Through In International Stallion Stake
New York star Test Of Faith rolled to her seventh straight victory in winning the opening division of the $262,000 Arlene Siegel Memorial International Stallion Stake Two-Year-Old Filly Pace, sponsored by Jules Siegel and Fashion Farms.
Sent the 1-5 favourite, driver David Miller moved Test Of Faith for the front from Post 7, clearing command from Marsala Hanover past a :27.2 opening quarter. The Art Major filly maintained her speed up the backstretch, clipping the half in :54.1 as Lady Midnight committed first over moving to the final turn. Caviart Audrey tracked cover to three-quarters in 1:22.2 and fanned three-wide into the stretch, but Test Of Faith already got a jump. Spinning for the finish, Miller kept Test Of Faith straight and sped to a 1:48.4 victory chased by Notorious Pink, who shook loose from a shuffled trip to take second. Marsala Hanover snagged third while Caviart Audrey settled for fourth.
“She’s always been perfect; if you had 20 horses like her you wouldn’t have much of a job to do,” Pelling said after the race. “She’s surprised me. We’ve always really liked her, but that’s going to another level, what she’s done the last three weeks. Jimmy Marohn [Jr.] did a great job with her and he always came back and said ‘Man, I can’t wait to pop those plugs and ask her to step.’”
Just a tick off the world record with the victory, Test Of Faith now has eight victories from nine starts and $500,000 earned for owners Melvin Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Eddie Gran. The Fred Hertrich III-bred filly paid $2.40 to win.
The second division of the Arlene Siegel Memorial saw Fire Start Hanover move forward early and front the field to the finish for her fifth straight victory.
Leaving from Post 2, driver Dexter Dunn cleared command with Fire Start Hanover to a :28.1 opening quarter and increased the speed slightly to a :55.4 half. Continualou angled first over from fourth moving to the far turn, locking 2-1 second choice Blue Diamond Eyes at the pylons. With a breather to three-quarters in 1:24, Fire Start Hanover straightened for a sprint to the finish. The Richard “Nifty” Norman-trained daughter of Somebeachsomewhere held firm to the finish of a 1:50.3 mile with Blue Diamond Eyes shaking loose and splitting horses late to take second. JK Alwaysbalady rallied for third with Thebeachiscalling finishing fourth.
“I was very nervous [watching her race], but we really have fun coming down here,” co-owner David Hoese said after the race. “This [filly is the best I’ve owned] by far.”
Winning six races from nine starts, Fire Start Hanover has earned $211,336 for owners Pinske Stables, David Hoese and Lawrence Means. She paid $3.60 to win.
Grand Circuit action resumes at The Red Mile on Saturday (Oct. 10) with a total seven divisions of International Stallion Stakes—three for the $299,100 Betting Line Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace and four for the $304,000 International Moni Two-Year-Old Filly Trot. Racing gets underway at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).
(Red Mile)