Gobstopper zipped off cover after quick early fractions to score a 1:50 career-best victory in the $111,111 fourth preliminary of the Kentucky Championship Series for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 1 at The Red Mile.
Leaving from post seven in an oversized field of a dozen, driver Dexter Dunn pushed into a mid-pack seat with opening leg winner Gobstopper as Wishawave (Scott Zeron) hustled to the front from the pylon post. Wishawave relinquished command as Atlantic Ivey (Atlee Bender) brushed forward to the top through a :26.1 first quarter, but Zeron soon tipped out of the pocket to circle back to the lead.
As Wishawave rolled to a :54.2 half, 8-5 favourite Night Agent (Andy McCarthy) edged off the pylons from fourth to advance uncovered up the rim with Gobstopper securing a tow second-over.
Night Agent marched to within a length of the leader by three-quarters in 1:22.2 but gave way spinning for home while Dunn fanned off cover with Gobstopper and darted towards the lead. Gobstopper got the jump on his rivals and held firmly to the finish for a half-length win chased by Rumble And Sway (Tim Tetrick), who rallied from third-over for second after winning in round three, with Blazin Lou (Marvin Luna) kicking from near last for third.
Tony Dinges trains Gobstopper, a colt by Sweet Lou out of Captiva Island, for owner Rick Berks of Paris, Kentucky. The colt earned his fourth win from seven starts and now has $185,873 in earnings.
He was the 2-1 second choice and paid $6.90 to win.
Debonaire, driven by Andy McCarthy, rode the pylons to victory in the lone $41,667 Kentucky Commonwealth Series dash for freshman pacing males. Debonaire sat third at the pylons through fractions of :28, :55.4 and 1:24.2 before building momentum with an inside seam to collar pocket-popping Crazygirlsburnsage (Josert Fonseca) by three-quarters of a length in a career-best 1:51.3 mile. Hascalovici (Dexter Dunn) finished third after leading most of the way.
Tony Alagna trains the two-time Commonwealth winner Debonaire, a Bulldog Hanover-Baby Your The Best colt, for owners Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky, Steven Head of Edgewater, Maryland and Micki Rae Stables of Sudbury, Massachusetts.
He paid $16.50 to win as the 7-1 third choice in the field of seven.
Alagna had a training hat trick on the day. In addition to his victory with Debonaire, Alagna won two of the three $20,833 Kentucky Golden Rod divisions for freshman pacing males with the Todd McCarthy-driven Reflector (1:51.1), a Bulldog Hanover colt out of stakes-winning mare Reflect With Me, and with A Bettor Dream (1:51.4), a Bettors Delight-A Day To Dream colt driven by Andy McCarthy. The latter McCarthy brother also won the other Golden Rod division of the day with Noel Daley trainee Fairway To Heaven (1:51.3).
The two $13,889 Wildcat splits went to Give Me And Ace in 1:52.2 with Dexter Dunn in the driver's seat for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and the Brett Pelling stable's Hazard in 1:52.4 with Todd McCarthy collecting another stakes score.
Live harness racing at The Red Mile resumes on Wednesday, Sept. 2 with a 12-race card headlined by the Kentucky Championship Series fourth preliminary for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings. First-race post time is 1 p.m.
(With files from The Red Mile)