One race after the track record for three-year-old pacing colts at Oak Grove was bested, Show Me Your Ace lowered it again with a 1:49 pillar-to-post victory in the fourth of four $56,338 Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) divisions for his cohort on Wednesday, June 24.
Leaving from post six, driver Dexter Dunn dashed Show Me Your Ace for the lead into a :26.1 first quarter to pocket Thiago Hanover (Yannick Gingras) heading for the stretch the first time. Show Me Your Ace then glided through the remainder of the race with a :54 half and 1:21.2 three-quarters and cruised home a comfortable winner by 6-3/4 lengths. Vizcaya (Marvin Luna) rallied for second while Thiago Hanover broke stride around the last turn and recovered to hold third.
Trainer Chris Ryder co-owns Show Me Your Ace, a son of American Ideal-Trip Aces Hanover, with partners Anne Demers, Lawrence Minowitz and Ake Svanstedt. The colt won his third race from four starts this season and his fifth race from 16 starts in his career, growing his bankroll to $213,896. He paid $4.10 to win.
In the race prior, Funky Buddha eclipsed the nearly three-year-old track record with a 1:49.2 score in the third KYSS division for sophomore pacing males. Tim Tetrick brushed forward with the Tony Dinges trainee passing a :26.4 first quarter and had him cruising through middle fractions of :55 and 1:22.2 to roll home a 1-3/4-length winner over pocket-chaser Louaville (Scott Zeron) in second. A Perfect Moment (Marvin Luna) saved ground for third.
Rick Berks owns Funky Buddha, a colt by Sweet Lou-The Double Deuce. 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 $239,386. He paid $5.06 to win. His 1:49.2 mile was the first on the day to beat the previous track record of 1:49.3 set in 2023 when Tip Top Cat won the KYSS final for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Papi Rick rolled late to photo out Captain Apple in the first contest for males. Andrew McCarthy activated the gelding out of fifth past fractions of :27 and :55.4 to go third-over to three-quarters in 1:23.2, and Papi Rick flew home in :26.2 to nab Captain Apple (Dexter Dunn) by a head in 1:50.3. Captain Anders (Todd McCarthy) finished third.
Papi Rick added the KYSS win to his Pennsylvania Sire Stakes score in May to up his record to two-for-six this season. The son of Papi Rob Hanover-Odds On Pussycat is three-for-15 lifetime and has banked $130,061. Noel Daley trains him for Patricia Stables LLC, Sjoeblom Racing Inc. and L A Express Stable LLC. The win price was $4.30.
Captain Brunson captured the other colt-and-gelding contest in his KYSS debut. The son of Captaintreacherous-Sweet Diamond sat fourth through :27.1 and :55.4 fractions, raced first-up through three-quarters in 1:23.3, and wore down pacesetter Prince Willie (Joey Putnam) in the stretch to prevail by a half-length in 1:50.2. Caillou Hanover (Atlee Bender) closed for show.
The Andrew Harris-trained Captain Bruson took his third win of the season in eight starts for owner Punisher 11 Stable LLC after going 0-for-five as a two-year-old. He has earned $63,917. Win backers received $7.82.
Caviart Daisy posted the top mile of the three $56,338 divisions of KYSS for three-year-old pacing fillies with a 1:50 effort. Driven by Dexter Dunn, she took a pocket trip behind 4-5 favourite Gala (Todd McCarthy) through a clip of :26.3, :55 and 1:23 before pouncing and scoring by 1-1/4 lengths with Seaside Charm (Yannick Gingras) giving chase behind in third.
A track-record holder in her own right with a 1:51 mark taken last season at Oak Grove, Caviart Daisy easily lowered her lifetime best with the win — her fourth from six starts this season and her 10th from 17 starts in her career. Jamie Sullivan trains the daughter of Sweet Lou-Caviart Darlin, who has now earned $429,231 for owner Frank Chick. The filly has also set track records at Shenandoah Downs at both two and three. She paid $4.68 to win.
Hope Hill scored in the second filly contest in 1:50.3. She shuffled to the front from third for Dexter Dunn past a :27 quarter, set :55.2 and 1:23.1 middle fractions, and pushed clear to a 2-1/2-length victory over Shes A Rich Girl (Tim Tetrick). Sicerto (Andrew McCarthy) finished third. Hope Hill is three-for-five on the season for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and owner Tom Hill. The daughter of Papi Rob Hanover-Ruth Hill is now seven-for-14 lifetime with $222,446 in earnings. She returned $2.64.
Interstellar starred in the final split for distaffs, circling to the front after the quarter in :27 and putting up :55.1 and 1:23.3 panels on the way to a 1:50.4 win. Marvin Luna piloted her to the 1-3/4-length victory over Naughty Beauty (Yannick Gingras), with Rocksy (Scott Zeron) third. Tony Alagna trains the winning daughter of Perfect Sting-Enduring Hope for owners Luna, Alagna Racing LLC, Dorothy Hock and Joanna Ricci. Interstellar has two wins from five outings this season and is two-for-13 lifetime with earnings of $89,323. She paid $3.56 to win.
Live racing at Oak Grove resumes on Monday with a Monday-Tuesday rotation before returning to a Monday-Wednesday slate the week of July 6. First-race post time is 1:10 p.m. (CDT).
(With files from Oak Grove)