Another exciting night of Grand Circuit racing at The Red Mile featured eight more divisions of the Bluegrass Series for two-year-old pacing colts and three-year-old pacers of both sexes.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts
Overcoming an outside post seven start via a perfect second over trip, 4-5 favourite Cartoon Daddy and driver Yannick Gingras captured the first of four freshman pacing colt divisions, which carried purses of $82,250 to $83,250.
Talking Points (David Miller) overtook Gallic Beach (Tim Tetrick) in a :27.4 opening quarter and continued to set the pace through middle splits of :55 and 1:23.1. Meanwhile, Jake Blue Chip (Corey Callahan) tipped first up from fourth with New York Sires Stakes champion Cartoon Daddy following his cover and then fanning three-wide at the head of the stretch. Cartoon Daddy charged home in :26.3 for the 1:50.1 career-best triumph with Gallic Beach finishing a half-length behind after closing along the pylons over Talking Points.
"I knew the cover was good enough," said trainer Ron Burke when asked if he was concerned about the cover at the top of the stretch. "That was a good enough trip that he should win if he was the best. He raced good. The horse up the rail bothered me more than the trip."
The Burke Racing Stable shares ownership of the Art Major-Ask Alice colt, who was a $60,000 Harrisburg Sale yearling, along with partner Joseph Di Scala Jr.
With a big backstretch brush, 2-5 favourite Lost For Words claimed the lead and never looked back en route to victory in the second division with David Miller aboard for trainer Brian Brown.
After a tepid :30-second opening panel, Lost For Words sprinted from third to first and hit the half in :56.1. He continued on to three-quarters in 1:24.4 and opened up a few lengths at the head of the stretch. Although bearing in slightly down the lane, which Miller later noted "was something new," he finished off the mile strong for the 1:51.1 victory to equal his lifetime mark. Early leader Bet You (Brett Miller) and Penji Hanover (Scott Zeron) followed in second and third, respectively.
"He had to work pretty good to get back there, but he got a third quarter breather and he was strong coming home," said Miller of trip with the Well Said-Thou Shalt Not colt, who paced his last three-quarters in 1:21.1.
Lost For Words was a $50,000 yearling at the Lexington Select Sale and is owned by Country Club Acres Inc., William J. Robinson, Richard Lombardo, and Strollin Stable.
With his undefeated win streak on the line and the support of the wagering public, overwhelming 1-9 favourite Artspeak lived up to the hype in the third division.
Driven by Scott Zeron, Artspeak left from post four and worked his way to the lead, clearing Sicily (Corey Callahan) past the :27.2 first quarter mark. The Tony Alagna trainee then raced past the half in :55.4 without facing any challengers until Blood Brother (Yannick Gingras) went on the attack. Tipping first up from third, Blood Brother moved up the pressure the leader as they raced by three-quarters in 1:24.3. However, Artspeak pulled clear entering the stretch and prevailed in 1:51.3 by three-quarters of a length over Sicily, with Traceur Hanover (Tim Tetrick), the second choice at odds of 13-1, closing late for third-place over Blood Brother.
"They got close to me because we went a soft third quarter there, but when they looked him in the eye he took off like a good horse," said Zeron. "He's pretty smart. He has a closed bridle so he can't see them coming, but he can definitely hear them, even through the earplugs he can hear them. He was pretty full tonight.
"He acts like an aged pacer already so my job is easy," added the young reinsman.
With his seventh career win, Artspeak went over the $500,000 mark in earnings. Among his victories are the New Jersey Sire Stakes Final, a division of the Nassagaweya Stakes and the Metro Pace. A $100,000 Lexington Select Sale yearling, the Western Ideal-The Art Museum colt is owned by breeder Brittany Farms, Toronto's Marvin Katz, Joe Sbrocco and In The Gym Partners.
In The Arsenal pulled off an upset in the final division of the night, producing a $52.20 win payout after his speedy 1:49.4 score.
The early leavers raced wide into the first turn with Southwind Masimo (Michel Lachance) touching down on the front briefly before Well Well Well (Ray Schnittker) cleared at the :27.3 first quarter mark. Southwind Masimo retook the lead down the backstretch with In The Arsenal and driver Brian Sears hot in pursuit and The Wayfaring Man (John Campbell) on his back. In The Arsenal cleared to command at the half in :55 and proceeded to lead the way past three-quarters in 1:23 with The Wayfaring Man left uncovered and Freedomformysoul (Mark MacDonald) looking to go three-wide behind him at the top of the stretch. Back on top though, In The Arsenal began to edge away to a two length lead and held off the late-closing 9-5 favourite, Rich Wisdom (Yannick Gingras). Freedomformysoul finished third.
"He won the Sheppard early on a half-mile track. He showed his ability," said Sears of the American Ideal-Ladyotra colt, who is trained by Kelvin Harrison. "He's been a little unruly at times, but he's got a very good gait and he's very willing and loves to race horses. He just tries all the way. The only thing we've had problems with is his manners at times, but like I said, he's got tonnes of talent.
"He felt so good going around the last turn, I was pretty confident. I know the numbers were pretty good, but he's so good-gaited. He was carrying me right along and he fought gamely right to the wire."
Three-Year-Old Pacing Colts
Fresh off his first wins of the season in the Little Brown Jug, 7-5 favourite Limelight Beach kept his winning momentum going in the first of two $92,600 Bluegrass divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Leaving from post six, Limelight Beach grabbed the lead around the first turn and fronted the field through panels of :27.4, :56.1 and 1:23.1 en route to the 1:49.1 career-best triumph. Second choice Hes Watching (Tim Tetrick) journeyed first over to place, finishing just ahead of pocket-sitter Big Boy Dreams (Brian Sears).
"He was coming into his own going into the Jug and obviously came up big that day and it was a huge mile here tonight," said winning driver Yannick Gingras after the race. "In the first turn, there was not much speed and I was able to rate him to the half and you know Hes Watching is going to use you after them, but I figured after :56 my horse could come a big half too. I don't know exactly where he got away, but he probably had to come a back half in :51 and change or :52 flat anyway to get me so I was confident."
Burke trains the Somebeachsomewhere-Benear gelding for his Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, M1 Stable and Wingfield Brothers.
Always B Miki accelerated away from his foes in deep stretch to score a dazzling 1:47.4 career-best victory as the 1-5 favourite in the fastest division.
Melmerby Beach (Corey Callahan) established the lead over Somestarsomewhere (Yannick Gingras) into a :26.3 opening panel. Always B Miki and driver David Miller then rushed by down the backstretch after getting away mid-pack and hit the half in :54.4. As he approached three-quarters in 1:22.1, Melmerby Beach was flushed back out. However, Always B Miki dug in down the lane, sprinting home in :25.3 to a six and a quarter-length victory. Melmerby Beach prevailed in a photo for second-place over Capital Account (Brett Miller).
"He gives me chills too. He can motor along pretty good there," said Miller from the winner's circle. "He goes along pretty easy. He's kind of hard to judge his speed because he does it so easy, but I knew he was pacing pretty good down by the wire."
Joe Holloway trains the Always A Virgin-Artstopper colt for Bluewood Stable, Val Dor Farms and Roll The Dice Stable.
Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
Gettingreadytoroll survived a first over journey and hauled down her competition late to deliver on her 4-5 pari-mutuel promise in the first of two $73,300 filly stakes, carrying Yannick Gingras back to the winner's circle.
Outsiders Beautiful Lady (Tim Tetrick) and It Was Fascination (Scott Zeron) traded turns on the lead early on through a :27.1 opening panel. The former filly retook command down the backstretch and rolled by the half in :55 and three-quarters in 1:22.3 with Gettingreadytoroll advancing first over from fifth. Gettingreadytoroll eventually took over the lead as she sprinted down the stretch in :26.3 with Precocious Beauty (Brian Sears) chasing her home in second. The winning time of 1:49.2 was a new lifetime mark for Gettingreadytoroll. It Was Fascination finished third.
“I thought she was the best horse in the race,” said Gingras after the race. “The second best horse was on my back [Precocious Beauty]. I was a little worried about that, but I wanted to make sure I cleared as late as I could so that way she keeps her mind on business.”
Jimmy Takter trains the Rocknroll Hanover-Captain Holly filly for his wife Christina and Toronto brothers John and Jim Fielding.
Fashion Farms homesbred filly Gallie Bythe Beach kicked home from off the pace in the other division to steal the glory in the final strides.
Ali Blue (Brett Miller) established the lead over Allstar Rating (Yannick Gingras) and Act Now (Brian Sears) through a :27-second opening panel and blazed to the half in :53.2. As she neared three-quarters in 1:21, Allstar Rating pulled the pocket and the top two battled into the stretch. Act Now came sprinting past the dueling fillies, but Gallie Bythe Beach had the quickest closing speed and nabbed the career-best victory at the wire in 1:49 flat with Tim Tetrick aboard. Beach Gal (Scott Zeron) finished third.
“My [filly] had to earn it,” said Tetrick. “Brian’s [filly] made the lead and had a length on me at the old tunnel, but my [filly] fought back and got up for the win.”
Jim Campbell trains the Somebeachsomewhere-Galleria filly, who is also a Jugette elimination heat winner this year.
Live racing resumes on Sunday, September 28 with the $173,400 Bluegrass for three-year-old filly trotters and the $187,200 Bluegrass for three-year-old colt trotters. Post time is slated for 1 p.m. EDT.