'Captain' Wins Clash Of Titans; Shebestingin Sets World Record

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Many of racing’s brightest stars were at The Red Mile for Saturday’s 12-race card, which featured the International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings and the Tattersalls for three-year-old pacing fillies and the three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

Tattersalls - $215,500 1st division for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings

Captaintreacherous was collared halfway down the lane by Vegas Vacation, but Tim Tetrick urged on the Tony Alagna trainee and he responded and battled back to claim a 1:47.2 score in the heavyweight tilt.

Captaintreacherous powered to the lead from Post 5 and sailed through first-half fractions of :26.4 and :53.3 before being pressed to the three-quarter pole in 1:20.2 by Vegas Vacation. The Little Brown Jug winner poked a head in front down the lane, but Captaintreacherous summoned up all of his toughness and used a :27-second closing quarter to win over Vegas Vacation. Beach Memories was third.

“He’s tough as nails, I give him all the credit,” said driver Tim Tetrick. “He was passed there, that other horse [Vegas Vacation] was by him and he fought right back. He was as game as Dick Tracy, he just would not give up. This horse is funny, you have to keep him interested and keep him going. He really won’t go and feel like he’s going until he sees somebody. At the draw-gate there Brian [Sears driving Vegas Vacation] still had his earplugs in and I thought ‘Oh crap, this ain’t good’, but you never give up on ‘Captain’ – I never do. He makes me nervous every race I’m in with him because he’s so laid back. But champions win, and that’s what he does.”

“I would say that’s as exciting a race as I’ve seen in a long, long time, perhaps even ever,” said owner Marvin Katz. “These are great horses competing with each other. They’re athletes, they’re world class athletes and we saw a real performance today by both of them.”

The son of Somebeachsomewhere-Worldly Treasure now boasts a 10-1-0 record from 11 starts this season after compiling a record a 8-1-1 from 10 starts in last year’s freshman campaign. Captaintreacherous Racing of Versailles, KY owns the career winner of $2,533,550.

Tattersalls - $215,500 2nd division for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings

With a rainstorm rolling in later in the afternoon, driver Yannick Gingras maneuvered Sunfire Blue Chip out of the two-hole down the stretch and came charging home for the 1:49.4 victory.

Gingras first rolled the Adios champion to the lead over insider Fool Me Once (Brian Sears) by the :26.4 opening quarter mark, but Fool Me Once moved back out for the retake as the colts headed into the backstretch. Fool Me Once reached the half in :54.3 while Twilight Bonfire (David Miller) began a first over attack from third with Wake Up Peter (Ron Pierce) following his cover. Twilight Bonfire edged out in front, but Fool Me Once fought back past the 1:23.1 third quarter mark and continued to lead the way into the stretch before Gingras moved Sunfire Blue Chip around the fading first over attacker and came charging by to prevail. Dedis Dragon (Tim Tetrick) came on for second, finishing one length behind. Fool Me Once maintained the edge over Apprentice Hanover (Jody Jamieson) in a photo for show.

Following the race, Sunfire Blue Chip survived an inquiry after the judges reviewed the replay to ensure that he did not interfere with Wake Up Peter in the far turn.

The American Ideal-Shot Togo Bluechip colt is trained by Jimmy Takter and owned by his wife Christina along with John and Jim Fielding of Scarborough, Ont., R A W Equine Inc. of Burlington, Ont. and Sweden's Brixton Medical Ab. He's won half of his 20 career starts, including seven this year, while earning over $600,000 lifetime.

Tattersalls Glen Garnsey Memorial - $122,500 1st division for three-year-old pacing fillies

Shebestingin became the fastest female performer in the history of harness racing when she blazed over The Red Mile in 1:47 for driver David Miller.

The electrifying performance saw Authorize sprint to the quarter in :26.4 before being pressed by Shebestingin to the half in :53.1. Shebestingin cleared before the final turn, but she came under attack from Scandalous Hanover, who prompted the leader to the three-quarter pole in 1:20. Shebestingin turned her aside coming into the lane, however, and used a :27-second final quarter to secure the historic performance. Scandalous Hanover was second, with Authorize finishing third.

The 1:47 clocking eclipsed the former mark of 1:48.2 set by American Jewel at Mohawk Racetrack in the 2012 edition of the Fan Hanover Stake.

“She’s always been a really fast horse and obviously she’s learned to carry it,” said driver David Miller. “The conditions are right, the track is perfect and she whacked out a great mile. When I was getting around the turn it was like 1:18, 1:19 and I was thinking ‘Oh man, this is way too much.’ She still had a hold of me and I called on her through the stretch and she actually went on. I was surprised she went that much, but she’s a good horse.”

Joe Holloway trains the daughter of Bettors Delight-Armbro Tussle for Val Dor Farms, Ted Gewertz and L And L Devisser LLC. It was the ninth win of the season and the 12th lifetime tally for the career winner of $480,240.

Tattersalls Glen Garnsey Memorial - $122,500 2nd division for three-year-old pacing fillies

Carols Desire turned a two-hole trip into an impressive victory in a time of 1:49.4 for driver Yannick Gingras.

The Ron Burke trainee stalked tempo-setter Parlee Beach through fractions of :27.2, :53.4 and 1:21.2 before angling to the outside and sprinting to the lead en route to the win. Parlee Beach was a determined runner-up, with Mattie Terror Girl taking home third prize.

“The horse has been very good, and it helps her a lot now because she’s in the Harrisburg Sale and will actually make her a little more valuable,” said trainer Ron Burke.

The daughter of Real Desire-Carolache, who is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Randy Ringer and Phillip Collura, improved this year’s record to 7-2-5 from 20 starts with the win. The seven-time winner has stashed away $345,482 in lifetime earnings.

International Stallion Stakes - $67,750 1st division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings

Somestarsomewhere turned in an eye-catching clocking of 1:49.2 for the tandem of driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke.

The colt sat a pocket trip behind Somewhere In L A to the quarter pole in :27.1 before taking matters into his own hands. Somestarsomewhere brushed to the front in the backstretch and led the field through middle splits of :54.1 and 1:22 before using a :27.3 closing quarter to seal the deal. Journeyman was next best, with Idealbeach Hanover taking home the show dough.

"I tried to get a breather in the third quarter, which I had gotten and when David [Miller driving Somewhere Fancy] came after me in the third quarter. I thought it would take a pretty good last quarter to beat me from there," said Gingras. "I talked to Ronnie [trainer Burke] and last week he thought the horse would step up. He didn't really get around the turns at The Meadows. He thought the great surface and the mile track would really help him and it really did."

The son of Somebeachsomewhere-Lovely Assistant improved his rookie record to 3-1-2 from eight trips to the track for the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Michelle Yanek and Larry Karr. The youngster, who was a $110,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale, has potted $64,637 to date.

International Stallion Stakes - $68,750 2nd division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings

Ideal Magic earned a new lifetime mark of 1:51.2 while notching his third win of the season for trainer Tony Alagna.

Tim Tetrick was paired up with the rookie, who watched On Golden Ponder throw down an opening quarter of :27.3. Tetrick hustled his charge to the lead in the backstretch, and after slicing out middle panels of :55.2 and 1:23 the pacer used a :28.2 closing quarter to fend off a late charge from runner-up Ari Allstar. Smack Talk rallied well to finish third.

"He's a big powerful colt, he's got a big long gait on him and once he gets moving he can carry the mail pretty good," said Tetrick. "He's had no luck this year. When I first baby raced this horse I really liked him, he's got a lot of talent. I told Tony he's got everything to be a good horse, he just hasn't had any luck which is probably the most important part of it.

"At the top of the lane today we raced and Jody [Jamieson driving Ari Allstar] got to get back in behind me for a while and braven up, and I was a little worried about that," he added. "But when he popped out my horse fought him so it was a good race all the way to the wire."

Cheap Speed Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Eagles Soar Partners and Louis Willinger share ownership on the career winner of $52,475, who was a $52,000 purchase from last year’s Lexington Select Yearling Sale.

International Stallion Stakes - $67,750 3rd division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings

Favourite So Surreal wore down pacesetter Carracci Hanover in deep stretch to score his first sub-1:50 victory while making just his sixth career start.

Carracci Hanover (Yannick Gingras) made a quarter-pole move sweeping from third to first as the field travelled past the :27.3 opening marker. He continued to lead the way past middle splits of :55 and 1:22.4 while Tim Tetrick moved So Surreal underway from fifth. So Surreal moved up alongside the leader as they entered the stretch and won the stretch duel, getting by for the half-length victory in 1:49.4. Carracci Hanover settled for runner-up honours while Hes Got It (David Miller) finished third.

"He was very good in the one baby race he had and then he hurt his foot in the stall," explained Ted Gewertz, who co-owns the half-brother to double millionaire Well Said with trainer Ray Schnittker and fellow New Yorkers Jonathan Kurnit and Steven Arnold. "He was off six weeks until we brought him back slowly."

The Somebeachsomewhere-Must See colt, who was a $125,000 Harrisburg Sale purcase, now boasts a record reading 3-3-0 in six starts with earnings soaring to $91,547. He will be heading to the Breeders Crown eliminations next week.

International Stallion Stakes - $68,750 4th division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings

Despite the track being downgraded to 'sloppy' for the final stakes event of the day caused by a late afternoon rainstorm, Limelight Beach braved the wet weather and wore down the pacesetting Stevensville for back-to-back Grand Circuit victories in Lexington.

Stevensville (Ray Schnittker) carved out fractions of :29.1 :59.3 and 1:30.1 with pressure mounting in the form of first over Limelight Beach and David Miller. Limelight Beach eventually overtook the leader in the stretch to win by a neck in 1:57.1. Stevensville finished a half-length behind in second and Doo Wop Hanover (Ron Pierce) came on for third.

Brian Brown trains the Somebeachsomewhere-Benear gelding, who was a 1:49.4 winner in last weekend's Bluegrass Series, for Ohio owners James Stambaugh, Milton Leeman, and Charles Wingfield. Now six-for-10, Limelight Beach has banked over $210,000 in purses to date.

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