Driver Dexter Dunn launched Nancy Takter trainee Diamondsnpearls to the fore and fired a track-record mile in the lone $25,000 division of Kentucky Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies on Tuesday (June 13) at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel.
Stacked three-wide past a :26 first quarter, Dunn let Diamondsnpearls roll to a :54 half chased by Calgary (driven by Yannick Gingras). Her peers struggled to keep pace as the daughter of Captaintreacherous ripped to three-quarters in 1:21.2 and stayed to task in a slowed final quarter to stop the clock in 1:51.2. She finished three lengths better than Keep My Secret (Tony Hall) with Queens Reign (Andy Miller) braving a wide mile for third and Sugar Britches (John MacDonald) took fourth.
The mile by Diamondsnpearls knocks two-fifths of a second off the previous record of 1:51.4 set last season on the same day by Dont Fence Me In and Captains Princess. Marvin and Lynn Katz and Sam Goldband own Diamondsnpearls, who won her second race from 17 starts and has now earned $112,009. She paid $8.12 to win.
Sophomore pacing colts and geldings sparred in a pair of $25,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes divisions. Admiral Hill (Dexter Dunn) punched from a pocket ride around the final turn to take the faster of the two splits with a 1:52 mile. The 4-5 favourite stalked Caviart Callum (Andy Miller) through splits of :25.2 and :55.4 before laying his attack to three-quarters in 1:24.1 and sealing the win by a half length. Badger (Dale Hiteman) rallied from the back for third and Lootable (John MacDonald) took fourth.
Chris Ryder conditions Admiral Hill, a gelding by Sweet Lou, for owner-breeder Tom Hill. The gelding won his fourth race from 11 starts and has now banked $131,498. He paid $3.68 to win.
A Cool Moment (Joey Putnam) motored practically pillar-to-post in the other Kentucky Sire Stakes division for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, pacing the mile in 1:52.2. Putnam put the Captaintreacherous gelding on the lead and coasted through front fractions of :27.1 and :56.3 to ready for a challenge from 1-9 favourite Larceny (Dexter Dunn) up the backstretch. And though Larceny launched a first-over assault to three-quarters in 1:23.4 and even extended to a slight lead, Putnam waited to give A Cool Moment his cue until the top of the stretch. A Cool Moment surged back to the lead and slid to a length victory with Caviart Aiden (Yannick Gingras) left in third and Always Barefoot (Atlee Bender) fourth.
Unraced as a two-year-old, A Cool Moment has now won four races from six starts and banked $29,300 for owners J P Racing LLC and James Brown. Joe Putnam trains the $16.22 winner.
Sparks Fly (Atlee Bender) posted the faster mile of the two $25,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes divisions for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings with a 1:54 coast-to-coast effort. Bender planted the Erv Miller trainee on the point and pocketed even-money favourite Brodeur (Tony Hall) while rating a mile of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:25.4. Sparks Fly had ample in reserve as Brodeur angled off the pegs in the drive for home to hold a half length with Novel (Dexter Dunn) left in third and Scotty Deo (Charlie Norris) in fourth.
Erv Miller trains and co-owns Sparks Fly, a colt by Bar Hopping, through his Ervin Miller Stable Inc. with Douglas Overhiser. He won his third race from seven starts and has now earned $30,200. Sparks Fly paid $7.64 to win.
Tony Hall and Anette Lorentzon won earlier in the other glamour boy trot with Mohatu As in 1:54.1. Hall sat second with the son of Lionhunter while Stevie Ray (Matt Krueger) cut a clip of :28.1, :56.2 and 1:24.4 before pouncing. Once unleashed, Mohatu As surged to victory by three-quarters of a length with Yo Tater (Verlin Yoder) back in third and Morning Edition (Atlee Bender) in fourth.
Mohatu As won his seventh race from 19 starts and has now earned $108,435 for owner-breeder ACL Stuteri AB. He paid $5.04 to win.
Mambacita (Yannick Gingras) feasted on a juicy jogburger in the lone $25,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes division for three-year-old trotting fillies. The Tony Alagna-trained daughter of Tactical Landing received 1-9 respect on the board and on the point as she carved a tempo of :28, :57.2 and 1:25.2 to win under wraps by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:54.2. Una Madonna (Andy Miller) gave chase off a pocket trip in second with Caviart Gwen (Philip Scott Sonsteby) in third and Cessna Pride (John MacDonald) fourth.
Alagna Racing LLC, Crawford Farms Racing and Pryde Stables Inc. own Mambacita, a now five-time winner from 18 tries with $559,031 in the bank. She paid $2.32 to win.
Kentucky Sire Stakes continue at Oak Grove on Sunday, June 25 with the second and final preliminary for two-year-olds. The sophomores will compete in their final preliminary on Tuesday, June 27. All eight $100,000 finals will go postward on Tuesday, July 4.
Racing continues at Oak Grove on Sunday, June 18 and follows a Sunday through Tuesday schedule. First-race post time is 3 p.m. CDT.
(Oak Grove Racing)