Driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Marcus Melander flourished on the 16-race card of racing at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Tuesday, June 23 with five wins each on the card stacked with all trotting events and 15 divisions of Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) worth $56,338 each.
Top honour on the day's KYSS action went to the team of Dunn and Melander with Zephyr Kemp, who posted the fastest mile of the state-sired contests with a 1:53.1 victory in the second of three divisions for three-year-old colts and geldings. Dunn had an easy time crossing from post seven to pocket Maga Hill (Yannick Gingras) and lead through a :28 first quarter. Zephyr Kemp then coasted through fractions of :56.3 and 1:25.2 to register an easy win by 2-1/4 lengths. Maga Hill settled for second with Stormy Seas (Marvin Luna) third.
A colt by Calgary Games-Southwind Adele, Zephyr Kemp competes for owners Kemppi Stables Oy Inc., Suojalampi Stable Inc., PCW Racing LLC and Sjoeblom Racing Inc. The colt won his first race from four starts this season and his fourth race from 14 starts in his career, raising his earnings to $182,658. He paid $11.88 to win.
Dunn and Melander also tied for the fastest win of the four KYSS divisions for three-year-old fillies when Crossover (1:53.3; $10.20) pulled pocket to upset 1-9 favourite Naked And Famous (Todd McCarthy). Crossover converted from a stalking trip off splits of :28.2, :56.2 and 1:25.1, pouncing and scoring by 1-1/2 lengths over Naked And Famous with Panzee Party (Yannick Gingras) chasing another 5-1/2 lengths behind in third. The daughter of Gimpanzee-Piranha Fury is owned by SRF Stable and won her fourth race from 11 starts, pushing her career bankroll to $97,815. She is two-for-four this season.
The tandem of Dunn and Melander teamed up for two more wins with Never Say Die (1:54.2; $3.42) in the first KYSS division for three-year-old males and later with Oddsologist (1:58.4; $4.56) in the last of four divisions for freshman trotting males. Never Say Die, a son of Muscle Hill-Fuel Her Flame racing for Courant Inc., swung out of the pocket after :27.4 and :58 panels, raced alongside Midwind Chimp (Mattias Melander) at three-quarters in 1:26.3, and won a slugfest to the line by a nose with Conboy (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) third. Never Say Die scored his first win this year in six tries and raised his career totals to five wins and $129,497 in earnings from 14 starts. Oddsologist was successful in his career bow as the son of Gimpanzee-Princessa set the splits of :29.4, 1:00.1 and 1:30.1 and prevailed by two lengths over Resource (Tim Tetrick) and Crimson Crown (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) for 240 Partners Inc.
Marcus Melander also sent Nealon (Mattias Melander, 1:54.3; $21.44) to a victory in the third division for sophomore males. The Gimpanzee-Devilish Delight gelding, who competed in the Wildcat Series last year, won his KYSS debut for owners Courant Inc., PCW Racing LLC, Kemppi Stables Oy Inc. and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd. to move to three-for-seven this year and three-for-12 lifetime. He shifted third-over out of fifth past :27.4 and :56.1 splits, tracked a helmet past three-quarters in 1:25.1 and rallied down the lane to win by a length over Lethal Legacy (Todd McCarthy). Onemorenkickmeout (Wyatt Avenatti) finished third.
Dunn guided Carter Pinske pupil Decreed (1:54.3; $3.06) to victory in the third KYSS division for sophomore fillies, which was part of a triple for that conditioner. The daughter of Gimpanzee-Cree sat third to a :28 quarter, moved out nearing a :58.2 half and brushed to the lead, then shrugged off a challenge at three-quarters in 1:26.2 and soared home to win by 2-1/2 lengths over Cynic (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.). Kerstin (Jason Bartlett) was third. Pinske Stables owns Decreed with Curly Tall Curly Small. She took her second win of four starts this season and is now six-for-13 lifetime with $194,223 in earnings.
Pinske's other KYSS winner was Carly P (1:59, $77.54), who captured the third of four splits for rookie distaffs. Todd McCarthy had the daughter of Gimpanzee-The Black Beauty fourth through early fractions of :29.3 and :59.3, angled her second-over to three-quarters in 1:29.1 and lifted her three-wide on the last turn, and the filly charged to a half-length score. Luxe Lindy (Tyler Miller) closed for place over Strudel (Yannick Gingras). Carly P prevailed in her career debut, collecting a $28,169 cheque for owners Pinske Stables, Melvin Hartman and Bibo Ergo Sum LLC.
Amid all the state-bred action, Jigger Dk (Todd McCarthy, 1:51.4; $3.30) ripped from off the speed to capture the $50,704 Open Handicap Trot and kick off the Pinske triple. He was away fifth from post eight to the quarter in :26.4 and half in :54.4, took cover through three-quarters in 1:23.2, then switched wide off the last turn and charged to collar loose leader Platinum As (Yannick Gingras) by a half-length in the final strides. Toms Muscle (Josert Fonseca) completed the top three. Jigger Dk, a six-year-old gelding by Fabulous Wood-Little Jigger, is owned by Mark Robinson and Makenna Pinske. The gelding notched his third win stateside from five starts while pushing his career earnings to $272,061. He is now 15-for-31 lifetime.
Carbon Fiber (Yannick Gingras; $2.90) led all freshman with a powerful brush to an 11-3/4-length win in a 1:56.1 mile, the fastest on the day for two-year-old colts and geldings. He landed in fifth from an early scramble for the lead in a :28.1 quarter and got underway up the rim past a :57.4 half to reel in his peers through the 1:27.3 three-quarters. He then strode away effortlessly to a debut win over Kaws (Scott Zeron) closing for second and Frozen Fortune (Todd McCarthy) finishing third. The Gimpanzee-Brunella colt competes for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Phillip Collura, Knox Services Inc. and Frank Baldachino.
Erv Miller trainee Redice (Atlee Bender; $3.20) uncorked the quickest mile among the two-year-old fillies with a 1:56.3 jog in the first division for their cohort. She eased to the top out of post six and held a steady lead through sensible fractions of :29.4, :59.3 and 1:28.4 in progress to a seven-length romp over Shanavalley (Dexter Dunn), with Solo Santa Maria (Junior Guelpa) third. The daughter of Rebuff-Fuzzy Dice competes for owners Ervin Miller Stable Inc., Anthony Lombardi and Stepbystep Racing. She was victorious in her first career start.
The other winners from the divisions for freshman trotting colts and geldings were Delivery Boy (Dewayne Minor, 1:56.4; $5.70) and Special Day (Andy McCarthy, 1:57.2; $4.92). Secret Temptation (Andy McCarthy, 1:58; $8), and Kissme Ifyoucan (Austin Hanners, 1:57.3; $7.22) won in the other KYSS divisions for two-year-old fillies. Heart For Two (Todd McCarthy; 1:53.3; $6.14) and Avenzee (Tim Tetrick, 1:54.4; $16.16) also won on the day in the KYSS dashes for three-year-old fillies.
Live racing at Oak Grove resumes with a special day of racing on Wednesday, featuring seven $40,000 USD divisions of KYSS for pacing three-year-olds on the 14-race card. Wednesday's program also has a pair of carryovers: one in the Pick 5 (starting in Race 9) worth $2,070.76 and one in the Late Pick 4 (starting in Race 11) worth $2,051.87. Both wagers feature a takeout of 15 per cent. First-race post time is 1:10 p.m. (CDT).
(With files from Oak Grove)