A total of six International Stallion Stakes (ISS) divisions will be contested during the Red Mile’s nine-race program of racing on Friday (Oct. 4).
Freshman trotting fillies will compete in four divisions of the $290,200 ISS, while the freshman pacing fillies will race in two divisions of the $239,000 ISS.
Love A Good Story, off a victory in an $83,000 division of Bluegrass, will start from the pylons in the first division of the filly trot. The Chapter Seven filly—owned by Pinske Stables, Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Daniel Plouffe—collected her seventh victory from nine starts when hitting the finish in 1:52.2 to pull a 7-1 upset last week. The winner of $216,187 will have Andy Miller in the bike for trainer Julie Miller.
Crucial, a three-quarter sister to Ineffable (who sold for $600,000 at Night 1 of the Lexington Selected Sale), will compete against Love A Good Story from Post 3. The Ron Burke-trained daughter of Father Patrick enters off consecutive third-place finishes in the $250,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes Final and the $215,000 Kentuckiana at Hoosier Park. Chris Page steers the winner of $127,023 for owners Burke Racing Stable, William Donovan, J&T Silva-Prunel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi.
Ramona Hill will start from the outside Post 8 the second ISS split and will put her unbeaten record on the line against Sister Sledge, who will start from Post 1 after losing for the first time in eight starts last week. Trained by Tony Alagna for owners Brad Grant, Crawford Farms Racing, Robert Leblanc and In The Gym Partners, Ramona Hill blasted off a pocket trip under a hand drive to a 1:52.4 win in an $82,000 division of Bluegrass. The winner of $66,000 will try to stay undefeated in her fifth pari-mutuel bow and will have Andrew McCarthy in the sulky.
Sister Sledge added lasix when racing as the 1-2 favourite in an $82,000 division of Bluegrass, but flattened through the lane and settled for third in a 1:54.1 mile. The Ron Burke-trained daughter of Father Patrick—who has banked $274,402 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Jason Melillo, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi—will neighbour on the gate the Per Engblom trainee Shishito, who won an $83,000 division of Bluegrass in 1:52 to up her bankroll to $222,776 for owners Black Horse Racing and John Fielding. Yannick Gingras drives Sister Sledge while Dexter Dunn drives Shishito.
Trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt will start Common Sense S from Post 8 in the third ISS division off of a 1:53.3 win in an $82,000 division of Bluegrass where she bested Sister Sledge. Co-owned by Svanstedt Inc. with the S R F Stable, the Trixton filly has five wins to her credit from nine starts and $122,600 earned.
Erv Miller upgrades Heaven to Grand Circuit company in the same division after the Father Patrick filly won a late-closing event last week at Lexington where she went wire to wire in 1:55.1 to break her maiden in what was her 11th start. Owned by Ervin Miller Stable, Louis Willinger, George Golemes and Happy Hour Racing, Heaven has earned $34,942 and will start from Post 5 in rein to Marcus Miller.
Doherty Memorial runner-up Sherry Lyns Lady will lead the final ISS filly trot off of a 1:54.2 victory in the Kentuckiana at Hoosier Park. Hitting the board in eight of nine starts but winning only twice, the Jim Campbell-trained Father Patrick filly has accrued $264,154 in earnings for owners Coyote Wynd Farms and will start from Post 3 with Tim Tetrick driving.
In the earlier division of the ISS for two-year-old pacing fillies, Reflect With Me will look to return to the winner’s circle off two cheque-earning finishes in the Shes A Great Lady. The Tony Alagna-trained Captaintreacherous filly—with $156,225 earned for owners Brittany Farms LLC and Brad Grant—will start from Post 2 with Andrew McCarthy in the bike.
Flanking the likely favourite, Looksgoodinaromper will be making her first Grand Circuit foray. The Pet Rock filly thrived on the Ohio Sires Stakes circuit, as she hit the board in all seven starts while recording five victories and amassing $273,650 in earnings for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Chris Page will drive the Ohio Sires Stakes champ from Post 3 for trainer Ron Burke.
Kentucky Sire Stakes champ Gai Waterhouse will attempt to rebound in the later ISS frosh-filly pace split. The Domenico Cecere trainee—who is entering from a 1:50.3 pocket-popping score in the $250,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes championship—stalked the pacesetter again but gave chase to finish third as the 8-5 favourite in a $140,750 division of the Bluegrass. The daughter of Western Ideal—who has earned $171,890 for owner Lindy Farms of Connecticut—will have Yannick Gingras in the sulky.
The nine-race program also features two late-closing events for two-year-old trotting colts and a single late-closing dash for pacing fillies and mares. Racing gets underway Friday with first-race post at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).
(Red Mile)