Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel hosted four $100,000 early Kentucky Sire Stakes finals and four $25,000 consolations for three-year-old trotters and pacers on Monday (July 18). Dont Fence Me In, a Kentucky Championship Series winner at two, was the only favourite to reach the winner's circle after taking the three-year-old filly pace in 1:51.1.
Dont Fence Me In ($2.20) and Andrew McCarthy were third behind Msdinosis Blugrass (Todd Warren) through an opening quarter-mile in :28. McCarthy moved the filly to past Sake Bomb (Yannick Gingras) and the leader prior to the half-mile marker. Dont Fence Me In clicked off fractions of :56.2 and 1:23.4 prior to hitting the wire. Msdinosis Blugrass was second and Sake Bomb third.
The daughter of Captaintreacherous-Mystery Game is owned by Riverview Racing, Alagna Racing, Steven Head and Pryde Stables. She was bred by Riverview Racing and is trained by Tony Alagna. Dont Fence Me In has a record of 19-8-5-3 and has earned $439,784.
Gaelihill ($16) and Yannick Gingras turned in a wire-to-wire performance to win the final for three-year-old male trotters. Gigondas (Dexter Dunn) was second and Golden Wall As (Tony Hall), the favourite, was third. Divisional leader Ducasse was scratched.
Trained by Trond Smedshammer, Gaelihill stopped the teletimer in 1:54.1 for the second win of his career. The son of Muscle Hill-Gaelic now has a record of 10-2-2-3 and has earned $72,706. Gaelihill is owned by Purple Haze Stables. The gelding was bred by Steve Stewart and Martti S. Ala-Seppala.
Grandeur ($31.60) and Dunn took control at the three-quarter pole and won the final for sophomore trotting fillies in 1:53.3. Blue Bayou Deo (John MacDonald) was second and Criquette Hall (Gingras) was third.
The daughter of Love You-Caress The Senses is trained by Bob Stewart for owner/breeder Carter Duer. Grandeur has a resume of 9-4-0-0 and is a perfect three-for-three in 2022. She is a full sibling to Rattle My Cage ($286,349), who won the $150,000 Graduate final for his age and gait at The Meadowlands on July 9.
Wolftrax ($11) and Trace Tetrick overhauled Vicious (McCarthy) in the stretch drive to triumph in the final for three-year-old male pacers in 1:51.1. Rocknroll Gold (Dunn) was second and River Ness (Gingras) was third. The final time was a new lifetime mark for the son of O’Brien Award winners Betting Line and Cathedra Dot Com.
The colt is a half-sibling to Simply Business, a millionaire son of Rocknroll Hanover. Trained by Erv Miller, Wolftrax now sports a resume of 15-3-4-2 and boosted his bankroll to $126,200 for owners Douglas Overhiser and Rocco Ruffolo. Woltrax was bred by Steve Stewart, T L P Stable, James Daut and D’Elegance Stable IX.
Pappardelle ($7) and Trevor Smith won the $25,000 consolation for three-year-old male trotters in 1:55.1. Pappardelle is trained by Chris Beaver and is owned by the Delaware Group, Equinex Racing Corporation and Joe Sbrocco. He was bred by Steve Stewart, Black Creek Farm and Paul Kelley Racing Stable. The son of Wishing Stone-Long Island Tea has now earned $72,828 and has a record of 18-4-2-1.
Smith and Beaver also scored in the consolation for three-year-old trotting fillies with Disclosure ($3.40). The daughter of Trixton-Susies Magic won by a nose in 1:54.2. Like Pappardelle, the filly is owned by the Delaware Group, Equinex Racing Racing Corporation and Sbrocco. She was bred by William Jones and Steve Stewart.
Devon Tharps and Taurasi ($5) won the consolation for three-year-old male trotters in 1.50. Alagna trains the Racing Hill-Voluminous gelding for owners/breeders M T Pockets Stables and Victoria Howard. The gelding now has a record of 3-2-0-0 and has banked $18,300.
Captains Princess and McCarthy took the consolation for three-year-old pacing fillies in 1:51.4. The daughter of Captaintreacherous-Evelix Am set a new lifetime mark and now has a record of 16-3-0-2. Captains Princess has amassed $82,483 in purse money. Alagna also trains this winner and co-owns with Brad Grant, Al Libfield and Marvin Katz. Captains Princess was bred by Alagna Racing, Grant and Melvin Segal.
Oak Grove will host four $150,000 finals for the four-year-old Kentucky-bred series on Tuesday. Post time is 3 p.m. CST.
(With files from Kentucky Harness Association)