Keg Stand Matches Record In Kentucky

Driver Yannick Gingras masterfully rated the mile with 7-5 favourite Keg Stand, who scored a measured victory by a neck in the $150,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes Final for four-year-old trotting horses and geldings — one of four $150,000 finals contested on Monday at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming and Hotel.

Leaving from Post 6, Keg Stand cleared command past a :26.2 first quarter as Golden Wall AS (driven by Tony Hall) strung him out through the first turn. Gingras snagged a breather to a :55.2 half and accelerated up the backside while Longshot (Chris Lems) came calling along the rim with Jaqen Hghar (Peter Wrenn) in tow. 

Keg Stand clocked three-quarters in 1:23.1 and turned for home to cling onto victory in a 1:51.1 mile while holding off a furious charge from Jaqen Hghar. Iwont Backdown AS (Todd McCarthy) motored off a pylon trip to take third and Golden Wall AS settled for fourth.

A stallion by the late Bar Hopping, Keg Stand matched the all-age trotting track record of 1:51.1 set in June 2022 by Cuatro De Julio. He collected his ninth win from 28 tries and has now banked $504,762 for owners Black Horse Racing, Christina Takter and John Fielding. Nancy Takter trains the $4.74 winner.

A surprise sprung from the $150,000 final for four-year-old trotting mares when 1-2 favourite Yanaba (John MacDonald) took off the speed and then broke stride twice through the mile. Pioneer AS (Tony Hall) took advantage of the opportunity and lively cover to land a 14-1 upset in a 1:52.3 mile. 

Saint Antoine (Yannick Gingras) hustled to the point with Adore Me (Andy Miller) settling into the pocket towards a :27.1 first quarter while Hall sat Pioneer AS in sixth, about eight lengths from the lead. The field stayed in order through a :56.3 half, but Saint Antoine soon came under pressure.

Eternal Lee (Andy McCarthy) marched out of third with Pioneer AS on her back and swooped to the lead after three-quarters in 1:24.1 to open a 1-1/2-length advantage to the top of the stretch. Though, she trotted for the finish evenly while Pioneer AS came steaming to her outside to grab command late. Adore Me shook free from a shuffled pocket and hit her best stride nearing the finish but missed the win by a head with Eternal Lee holding third and Disclosure (Peter Wrenn) closing for fourth.

Pioneer AS paid $31.26 in her upset victory, which also was her sixth win from 33 tries and padded her bankroll now worth $257,678. Anette Lorentzon conditions the daughter of Devious Man for owner-breeder ACL Stuteri AB. 

Tony Alagna swept the finals for pacing four-year-olds, first scoring a 1:50.2 win with Boudoir Hanover (Todd McCarthy) in the $150,000 final for pacing mares.

McCarthy wasted little time to put Boudoir Hanover on the point and seized control from Ainthesamewithoutu (Tony Hall) past a :26.2 first quarter. She faced no pressure to a :55 half, which readied her for the first-over push from stablemate Queen Of Success (Andy McCarthy) as the field charged towards three-quarters in 1:22.4. 

Boudoir Hanover spun for home and responded to McCarthy's encouragement to draw away by 1-1/4 lengths to secure the victory. Queen Of Success regained her momentum in the straightaway to take second from fast-closing Idealinfun (Yannick Gingras) with Ainthesamewithoutu settling for fourth.

Boudoir Hanover has now won 12 races from 31 starts and went over the million-dollar mark in career earnings for owners Riverview Racing LLC, Alagna Racing LLC, Caviart Farms and D Plouffe And S Head. The daughter of Captaintreacherous paid $2.54 to win.

Her barnmate I Did It Myway (Andy McCarthy) also delivered as the public choice in the $150,000 final for pacing horses and geldings to become a millionaire with a coast-to-coast effort in 1:49.1. 

I Did It Myway beat All Or Nothing (Dave Palone) to the first-turn punch and notched a :26.2 first quarter to begin the speed game. McCarthy kept the Tony Alagna pupil plugging along through a :54.2 half and three-quarters in 1:22 while All Or Nothing readied to pull pocket moving towards the top of the stretch. 

However, All Or Nothing could not muster an ample challenge to I Did It Myway, who held his ground on the lead through the lane and to the finish while withstanding a late bid from stablemate Taurasi (Todd McCarthy) by a quarter length. All Or Nothing held third and American Classic (Andy Miller) took fourth.

I Did It Myway bagged his 15th victory from 33 starts. The son of Captaintreacherous races for owners Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Don Latore and Alagna And Fodera Racing. He paid $3.06 to win.

Following the stakes action, the co-featured $28,000 Open Trot went to gate as part of the 13-race card Monday. Sweet Mr Pinetucky (Peter Wrenn) took the lead and faced little pressure from his peers to tab a 1:53.2 tally and pay $12.56 to win in the mild upset over 1-2 favourite Its A Herbie (Verlin Yoder). Lester Raber trains Sweet Mr Pinetucky, a nine-year-old gelding by Pinetucky, for himself and co-owner Floyd Raber.

Racing returns to Oak Grove next Sunday (June 4). Please note that the race card slated for Tuesday, June 6 has been cancelled and shifted to the tail of the meet on Monday, July 10. Oak Grove will operate on a Sunday-Monday schedule next week.

First-race post time at Oak Grove is 3 p.m.

(With files from Oak Grove)