Eight $136,986 Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) finals for all two- and three-year-old divisions were contested at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Monday (July 14) and saw five track-record performances, the fastest of which came in a powerhouse romp by Erv Miller trainee Unreasonable to win the final for three-year-old pacing fillies in 1:49.4.
Driver Marcus Miller motored Unreasonable (pictured above) to the top through a :26 first quarter and pocketed Reckless Abandon (driven by Todd McCarthy) moving past the grandstand for the first time. Odds-on chalk Odds On Chesapeake (Dexter Dunn) abandoned her leave attempt and landed fourth out of post seven, but tried to claw first over after a :55 half. Miller accelerated with Unreasonable up the backstretch and started to peel away from the competition through three-quarters in 1:22.1. Odds On Chesapeake retreated as the others fought to hold position in behind widening winner Unreasonable. She crossed the line under wraps and 4-1/2 lengths better than Reckless Abandon in second. Accede (Yannick Gingras) grabbed third while Caviart Delight (Scott Zeron) closed widest of all for fourth.
Unreasonable, who matched the track record for three-year-old pacing fillies of 1:49.4 set by Charleston in 2023, won her third race from four starts this season and her sixth race from 15 starts in her career. Erv Miller trains the daughter of Huntsville for owners Ervin Miller Stable Inc. and David J. Miller. She has earned $354,834 and paid $6.52 to win.
One race later, Caviart Daisy (Andy McCarthy) blew off the barn doors with a 13-1/2-length victory in the KYSS Two-Year-Old Filly Pace and also lowered the track record by a full second. McCarthy bided his time from fourth as Eternal Blush (Dexter Dunn) pushed through an early tussle to plant onto the lead after a :26.4 first quarter and :55.1 half. Caviart Daisy launched into action as proceedings settled on the lead, and she brushed forward with ease while opening a growing advantage on the charge to three-quarters in 1:22.1. McCarthy looked over his shoulder twice, and with nobody coming he began to race the clock to the finish. Caviart Daisy won by a chasm in 1:51, beating the previous mark of 1:52 set last year by Skywalker Sea, while Kissin In The Dark (Atlee Bender) scooted up the inside for second. Eternal Blush took third and Carolina (Todd McCarthy) finished fourth.
Jamie Sullivan trains Caviart Daisy, an undefeated daughter of Sweet Lou, for owner Frank Chick. She has now banked $122,917 from three victories and paid $2.94 to win.
Yannick G Kemp (Todd McCarthy) won the first KYSS final of the day, the KYSS Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot, in a track-record time with a surprise front-stepping performance at odds of 17-1. Having to return to the paddock before the race for a shoe repair, Yannick G Kemp came back to the track, went behind the gate and uncorked great speed to land on the point out of post six through a :27.3 first quarter. With his competition just trying to find a rhythm in behind, Yannick G Kemp coasted by a :56.2 half and through three-quarters in 1:24.1 with a strong lead coming for home. My Degenerate (Dexter Dunn), the 4-5 favourite, tried to rush first up late before losing stride, which left Yannick G Kemp alone to coast in a two-length winner in 1:52.3. Te Quiero Lindy (Andy McCarthy) sat a pocket trip for second with Big Shoes (Yannick Gingras) closing for third and Grande Via (David Miller) in fourth.
Richard "Nifty" Norman trains Yannick G Kemp, a three-year-old colt by Walner, for owners Melvin Hartman of Ontario, Rojan Stables and Little E LLC. In winning his seventh race from 22 starts, Yannick G Kemp padded his bankroll to $295,732 while also lowering the track record for three-year-old trotting colts of 1:53 set by Brodeur in 2023. He paid $36.04 to win.
Endurance (Andy McCarthy) beat his own track record that he set one week ago in winning the KYSS Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot at the end of the card. McCarthy plowed past San Patricio (Scott Zeron) through a :27 first quarter to lead the field through a :56.1 half and to three-quarters in 1:24.4. San Patricio trotted level for home, but Silverstein (David Miller) emerged out of third to take a shot at Endurance. McCarthy gave his charge a few taps of the whip and Endurance held by three-quarter lengths at the end of a 1:53.2 mile over Silverstein. San Patricio chased in third and Zephyr Kemp (Dexter Dunn) settled for fourth.
Chris Beaver trains Endurance, a colt by Captain Corey, for himself and co-owners Bill Manes, Leo Fleming and Mark Moger. He collected his second win from three starts — his first win in 1:54.3 beat the previous track record for two-year-old colts by a fifth of a second — and has now earned $99,904. He paid $3.36 to win.
The fifth track record of the day came at the start of the card in a KYSS consolation when Global Sensation (Dexter Dunn) swooped three wide around the last turn to win the $34,247 consolation for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings in 1:52. Marcus Melander trains the Chapter Seven gelding whose time bests the previous mark of 1:53 set earlier this season by My Degenerate. He paid $4.08 to win in collecting the second victory of his career in his 17th start.
Global Sensation opened a wildly successful day for driver Dexter Dunn, who piloted five winners on the day. He teamed with Marcus Melander later in the card to win the KYSS Two-Year-Old Filly Trot Final with Setyoursightshigh in 1:53.3, which was just one-fifth of a second off the track record. Dunn powered the daughter of In Range first up after Avenzee (Andy McCarthy) cut early fractions of :27.1 and :57.1 and continued pressing for the lead marching to three-quarters in 1:25.3. Setyoursightshigh slid past Avenzee in the lane and strode home with ease to a 1-3/4-length win over Victorianas Secret (Scott Zeron) closing for second. Country Glide (David Miller) shook free from a pocket ride for third and Avenzee settled for fourth.
Setyoursightshigh won her second race from three starts and has now accrued $183,543 in earnings for owners Heights Stable, Mantorp LLC, AMG Stable Inc. and K. Kjellgren Livs AB Inc. She paid $5.18 to win.
Dunn and Melander also paired — to complete a training hat trick for Marcus Melander — with a shocking victory in the KYSS Three-Year-Old Filly Trot by Belmont in 1:54.4. Belmont landed last of the five fillies still trotting to a :26.2 first quarter, but found a helmet to follow into a :56 half from 2-1 favourite Clarissa W (Todd McCarthy) as she moved first over after tempo-setter Ms Prada (Yannick Gingras). Clarissa W locked into battle with Ms Prada in the backstretch figuratively, but then literally when the spokes of their racebikes hooked and caused the field to scatter. Dunn circumvented the confusion by launching Belmont three wide, and she got a sizeable jump on her rivals coming to three-quarters in 1:24.4. The cushion proved sufficient in the lane, and she crossed the line 2-1/4 lengths better than Admiring (David Miller) in second. Kngtstlkrs Pistol (Andy Miller) took third and Super Freak (Scott Zeron) recovered from an early break to finish fourth another 20 lengths behind.
Belmont, a daughter of Gimpanzee, won her third race from 10 starts and has now earned $123,476 for owners S R F Stable and Holly Lane Stud East LTD. She paid $41.38 to win in her upset and capped four straight driving wins on the card by Dexter Dunn.
Alongside Dunn's two victories in KYSS finals and his track record to open the card, he also won in two other KYSS consolations. He first guided Bourbon County (1:51.2 winning mile; $3.74 to win) to a pillar-to-post victory in the consolation for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings and followed that two races later with a win in the consolation for three-year-old pacing fillies by Hip Shot (1:51.3; $6.08). The only consolation not won by Dexter Dunn went to Scott Zeron as he piloted Heartofthesunrise (1:54.3; $7.68) to victory with a first-over push off fast fractions in the consolation for two-year-old pacing fillies.
Funky Buddha (Todd McCarthy) proved supreme in the KYSS Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace Final with a first-over push to a 1:53 win, snapping driver Dexter Dunn's win streak on the card. McCarthy settled Funky Buddha in third while What Nooo Waaay (Yannick Gingras) rushed to the lead in a :27.2 first quarter before hitting the brakes to a :57 half. Despite the breather, Funky Buddha tipped outside and inched forward in a third-quarter sprint up the backstretch. What Nooo Waaay clocked by three-quarters in 1:24 but had little answer to Funky Buddha's challenge spinning for home. Funky Buddha pulled away and then held off a late bid from Prolific Blend (Scott Zeron) to win by three-quarter lengths in 1:53. What Nooo Waaay held third and Clouseau (Dexter Dunn) took fourth.
Tony Dinges trains Funky Buddha, a colt by Sweet Lou, for owner Rick Berks. He won his third race from four starts, has now banked $117,327 and paid $3.64 to win.
Falcon (Marcus Miller) pulled off the last upset of the day in the penultimate race on the card when he capitalized off of heated fractions set in front to win the KYSS Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace in 1:49.3. Favourite Harrisburg Heist (Yannick Gingras) set the stage when chugging forward on the rim through a :25.4 first quarter and :53 half to plant onto the point, and Ayeaye Captain Deo (Todd McCarthy) further intensified the tempo with a first-over bid out of third coming to three-quarters in 1:20.2. All the while Marcus Miller pivoted Falcon wider and wider to turn for home with clear sailing in the middle of the track. Falcon soared by weary rivals to win going away by 1-3/4 lengths. Captain Arturovico (Geremy Bobbitt) rallied off a second-over trip for second with Delray Beach (Dexter Dunn) skimming up a seam at the pylons for third and Handsome Stranger (Andy McCarthy) swooping from near last for fourth.
Robert Taylor trains Falcon, a gelding by Captain Crunch, for owners Taylor Racing LLC and Tristan Taylor. He won his sixth race from 16 starts, has now earned $142,244 and paid $24.42 to win.
Racing concludes at Oak Grove for 2025 on Tuesday (July 15), the 37th day of a record-breaking meeting. A $40,000 USD Open Trot in Race 2 headlines the 13-race card. First-race post time at Oak Grove is 1:25 p.m. (CDT).
(With files from Oak Grove)