Three-year-old Kentucky-bred trotters and pacers competed in eight $25,000 divisions of the Oak Grove Early Sire Stakes at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Monday (June 27).
While favourites performed according to form, there were some surprising winners, especially in the $22,000 Open Pace.
Trotting Fillies
In the first two races of the day, Criquette Hall (Yannick Gingras) and Pioneer As (Tony Hall) rewarded their backers with victories in their respective divisions.
Criquette Hall ($3.20) led at every pole to record a win in 1:54.3 for trainer Ron Burke. The daughter of Cash Hall set a new lifetime mark and improved her record to 16-7-1-3. Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Frank Baldachino, Beasty LLC and Larry Karr, Criquette Hall has won four of her last five races since taking up residence in Burke’s shed row. She was previously with Bob McIntosh. Spendthemoneyhoney (Andy Miller) and Nikki The Nun (Andy McCarthy) finished second and third.
Pioneer As ($4) had to work a little bit harder than Criquette Hall but scored by a nose over Blue Bayou Deo (Anthony Macdonald) in 1:53.4 as the even-money favourite. Those Blues (Dexter Dunn) finished third. Trained by Anette Lorentzon, Pioneer As is owned and bred by ACL Stuteri AB. The daughter of Devious Man has now banked $105,423 and has compiled a record of 16-5-2-2.
Pacing Colts
Rocknroll Gold (Miller) out-footed Summer Trader (Hall) and Danger Zone (McCarthy) to win his respective sire stakes leg. Trained by Edwin Gannon Jr., Rocknroll Gold recorded a time of 1:53.1 for his mile and was placed first after a break by the favourite, Mayor Ofthemoment (Dunn). Owned by Zippett Racing Stable, Rocknroll Gold has earned $84,777 and has a record of 21-5-4-1. The gelding paid $11 to win as the public’s third choice.
Dancin Sancho (Trevor Smith) rewarded his backers with a win in 1:51.4 for trainer Todd Luther. Owned by Black Magic Racing, Dancin Sancho now has a record of 7-3-1. All three of his wins have come this season after going winless as a two-year-old. The gelding has now amassed $49,794 in purse money. Dancin Sancho paid $4 to win. River Ness (Gingras) and Rule Of Law (Hall) completed the top three finishers.
Pacing Fillies
Ainthesamewithoutu (Hall) scored a mild upset in her sire stakes leg after overhauling favourite Msdinosis Blugrass (Dunn) in the stretch to prevail in 1:52.3. It was the second sire stakes win on the day for Hall and trainer Lorentzon. Owned and bred by her trainer, the daughter of Sweet Lou collected her first win of the season and fourth overall from 13 starts. Ainthesamewithoutu has now earned $79,790 and this win was a new lifetime mark. Ainthesamewithoutu paid $31. Msdinosis Blugrass and Acrimony (Smith) finished second and third.
Sake Bomb (Gingras) provided her driver and trainer (Gannon) with their second sire stakes wins on the card. The daughter of Betting Line engaged in a spirited stretch duel with Style For A Mile (Dunn) and came out on top by a neck in 1:52.1. Lookatmyrapsheet (Charlie Conrad) was third. Owned by Zippett Racing Stable, Joseph Di Scala Jr. and Evan Katz, Sake Bomb has a record of 13-4-2-1 and has earned $42,843. The filly paid $10.40 for her victory.
Trotting Colts
Ezra (Trace Tetrick) may have decided the Bluegrass suits him better than the Hoosier State with a 1:53.3 win over heavy favourite Gigondas (McCarthy) and second choice Golden Wall As (Hall). The gelded son of Swan For All assumed command at the beginning of the mile and never faltered during his mile. Ezra is trained by Erv Miller and competes as a homebred for his conditioner, as well as Geis Enterprise LLC. The gelding’s record is 16-6-1-2 and he has banked $71,319. Ezra paid $33.80 to win.
Nevermind (Nicolas Roussel) made the first start of his career a victorious one. Trained by his pilot, Nevermind used a :27.2 final quarter-mile to stop the clock in 1:53.1. The son of Trixton left race favourite Ducasse (McCarthy) and fifth choice Fireinmyveins (Miller) in his wake. The colt races as a homebred by D Farm LLC and paid $42.80 to those that wagered on him.
Open Pace
In the $22,000 Open Pace, the nine-year-old gelding Primed N Powerful (Christian Lind) out-gamed New York Sire Stakes champion Eye Ofa Tiger As (Hall) and world champion Yes (MacDonald) for the upset victory. Trained by Ronald Best, Primed N Powerful has earned $365,240 and has visited the winner’s circle on 62 occasions from 213 starts. Primed N Powerful is owned by Sherry Boledovich and Jamaica Patton. He appears to have an affinity for Kentucky as he trotted the swiftest mile of his career last year at Red Mile. A wager on the son of Psychic Spirit returned $127.20.
The Oak Grove Early Sire Stakes series consists of two $25,000 divisions, a $25,000 consolation and $100,000 final. The second leg for two-year-olds will be July 3 and for three-year-olds on July 4. The consolations and finals for two-year-olds will be held July 17 and for three-year-olds on July 18.
Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel features live harness racing on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. First post is 3 p.m. C.T.
(With files from Kentucky Harness Association)