The Sweet Lou-Loreenas Ruffian gelding Women Layer kept his unbeaten record this season intact with another down-the-road performance in the lone $67,568 Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) third-round preliminary dash for four-year-old pacing horses and geldings on Monday, June 16 at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel.
Leaving from post five, driver Todd McCarthy let Women Layer gather momentum off the wings of the gate and then barreled forward to grab the lead through a :26 first quarter. Once in front, the Virgil Morgan Jr. trainee strode effortlessly through the remainder, clocking a :54.3 half and 1:22.1 three-quarters in progress to a 1:49.2 victory under wraps by 3-1/4 lengths. Lou Hill (Dexter Dunn) gave chase from a pocket ride in second with Copperfield (Marcus Miller) following suit in third, another 3-3/4 lengths behind, with Better Is Nice (Andy McCarthy) levelling off from a first-over push in fourth.
Women Layer is undefeated from six starts this season and is on an eight-race winning streak, dating back to the end of last season. The 18-time winner from 27 career outings competes for owners Let It Ride Stables Inc., Douglas Overhiser, Jeff Fought Racing and Larry Wills. He's now banked $764,051 in his career and returned $2.12 to win.
Bath Bomb (Andy McCarthy) put away her peers in the single $67,568 KYSS split for four-year-old pacing mares with a 1:50.2 effort. McCarthy ventured forward with her through a :26.1 first quarter on the rim to seize the lead from Fearless Bettor (Brett MacDonald) en route to a :54.2 half. Bath Bomb then settled on the point and sped towards three-quarters in 1:21.4 to successfully bottom the well on her competition as she spun for home to an in-hand win by 2-1/2 lengths. Fearless Bettor clawed at the inside for second from Peace Talks (Dunn), who marched first up to the final turn but settled for third. Asweetbeachhere (Todd McCarthy), forced back from loads of early speed to her inside, rallied from a second-over trip for fourth.
A daughter of Lather Up-Sangaal trained by Per Engblom, Bath Bomb has now won six times from seven starts this season and nine times from 22 starts in her career, good for $379,084 for owner Morrison Racing Stables. She paid $3.18 to win.
Woman Of Passion (Todd McCarthy) strolled in the single $67,568 division of KYSS for four-year-old trotting mares with a 1:52.4 effort. McCarthy circled the 1-9 chalk to the top after a :26.2 first quarter carved by Spy Coast (Yannick Gingras) and coasted through middle fractions of :55.4 and 1:24.2. She then staved off a first-over challenge from Justasiam As (Marvin Luna) and sailed to the beam a 1-1/4-length winner. Pizzelle (Andy McCarthy) kicked off a second-over trip for second with Justasiam As settling for third and Spy Coast fading to fourth.
Carter Pinske trains Woman Of Passion, a homebred daughter of Walner-Womans WIll, for owner Al Libfeld. She won her fifth race from six starts this season and her 16th from 30 starts in her career, amassing $670,499 in the process. She paid $2.28 to win.
Ways N Means (Andy McCarthy) ground first over in the first of two $67,568 KYSS divisions for four-year-old trotting horses and geldings, stopping the clock in 1:53.3. McCarthy bided his time from third while Ordained (Gingras) circled from the pocket to grab the lead from Bargain (Dunn) past a :27.1 first quarter. After cutting a :55.4 half, Ordained maintained his momentum up the backstretch while McCarthy charged forward with Ways N Means on the march to three-quarters in 1:24.3. Ways N Means slid to the front and widened his advantage through the last quarter, crossing the finish 2-1/2 lengths to the good under minimal encouragement. Mister Dad (Todd McCarthy) followed suit from second-over for second while Ordained held third and Hung Over (Luna) closed from a long journey for fourth.
Paula Wellwood trains Ways N Means, a gelding by Muscle Mass out of Mariongotchocolate, for owners Dreamville Stable and Harbor Racing Stable. The gelding is now three-for-seven this year and won his eighth race from 31 starts while increasing his bankroll to $387,292. He paid $5.48 to win.
Pennteller Hanover, driven by Brett MacDonald for Team Determination, capitalized on an inside draw to work to the fore and last on the lead with a 1:53.3 effort in the other $67,568 KYSS division for four-year-old trotting horses and geldings.
MacDonald circled him to the helm past a :27.2 first quarter to pocket International Law (Miller) passing the stands for the first time. Pennteller Hanover cut modest middle fractions of :56.3 and 1:25 while left mostly alone on the point, though Convoy Hall (Todd McCarthy) mounted a furious charge along the rim from last and reached the leader's wheel approaching the final turn. Convoy Hall continued pressing Pennteller Hanover all through the stretch, but the Luc Blais trainee held to the finish to post a half-length victory in 1:53.3 with International Law chasing at the pylons in third. Toms Muscle (Ernie Hendry) finished fourth.
A gelding by Chapter Seven-Possess The Magic competing for owner Determination, Pennteller Hanover won his sixth race from 15 starts and has now earned $119,796. He paid $5.26 to win. He is four-for-10 this season with three victories at Woodbine Mohawk Park, where he debuted last year.
The Monday undercard also featured a pair of $48,649 Open Handicap events. High Flyin Filly (Gingras; $29.68 to win) fired down the road to record a 1:50.2 victory in the Fillies & Mares Open Handicap Pace while Muskateer Hanover (Tony Hall; $8.48) skid up a seam at the pylons to collar pacesetter Saulsbrook Victor in the Open Handicap Pace in 1:50. Ron Burke trains High Flyin Filly, who scored back-to-back top-class victories, for owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi while Wayne Oke conditions Muskateer Hanover for owners Mulligan Stables and Calcutta Stable.
In other action, Don Campbell, a 61-year-old McDowell, Kentucky native, earned his very first win in the sulky by guiding his trainee Wise Thinking ($4.60) to a handy 5-3/4-length win in a $17,568 pace for the United States Harness Driving Club. Campbell, who has driven only sporadically in 21 starts, looked like a seasoned pro on Monday as he used his inside post to perfection. Working out a garden seat journey, Campbell sent his five-year-old gelded son of Thinking Out Loud-Breathdefying bursting into the lead at the third station and then repelled an opponent’s bid turning for home before sprinting away late to score in 1:54.2. Anns Marina Delray, driven by Cassidy Whitton, closed fastest of all to grab the place honours while Machs Dragon, teamed with Peter Kleinhans, third.
Racing continues at Oak Grove on Tuesday, June 17 with a 13-race card headlined by a $36,000 USD Open Trot in Race 8. First-race post time at Oak Grove is 1:25 p.m. (CDT).
(With files from Oak Grove & USHDC)