By Ray Cotolo, for The Red
Mile
LEXINGTON, KY—
The final splits of the International Stallion Stakes, these for the
two-year-old colt pacers, were contested on the undercard of the Tattersalls
Pace at The Red Mile on Saturday, October 4. A total for four divisions, with a
sum of $288,000 in purse monies, were held.
Undefeated
Artspeak made a break in the stretch, allowing In The Arsenal to slide by
rivals and win at 9/2 in 1:51.3.
In The Arsenal secured
the lead over Blood Brother and Southwind Masimo through a :28.1 quarter.
Artspeak, sitting fourth, chased In The Arsenal to the half, getting a nose in
front in :56 (:27.4).
Cartoon Daddy was
the looming threat around the far turn, recovering from a break at the start.
Yet, Artspeak held a length lead through three-quarters in 1:24 (:28).
Drifting in the
stretch, Artspeak remained in front. In The Arsenal slid up the gap opened at
the pylons, and soon gained the lead as Artspeak took a bad step and galloped.
Cartoon Daddy took second, and Artspeak recovered to finish third behind In The
Arsenal, who was home in 1:51.3 (:27.3).
Defeating the
2/5-favorite Artspeak, In The Arsenal, a son of American Ideal-Lady Otra-On The
Road Again, pushed his earnings to $154,655. He’s owned by White Birch Farms,
trained by Kelvin Harrison, and driven by Brian Sears. He paid $11.60 to win.
“He does get a
little funny in the hole at times, and gets a little crooked and anxious, but I
didn’t have any worries when I let him go,” driver Brian Sears said. “He
[Artspeak] wasn’t going to stop, but I don’t know what happened down the lane.
He got a little bit unlucky there; maybe saw something on the track. My colt
had a lot of pace, and I was real happy with him.”
Hall Of Terror
returned the biggest payoff of the ISS quartet, winning in 1:51.3 at odds of
15-1.
Talking Points
gained control easily, with Soto tucking into second, and Reggiano into third.
Talking Points, uncontested for the first half of the mile, set splits of :27
and :55.2 (:28.2).
Joe Hill edged
outward and began to pace towards Talking Points around the far turn. Hall Of
Terror drafted behind, and watched as Talking Points and Joe Hill were
eye-to-eye through a 1:23.4 (:29.2) third quarter.
Joe Hill soon
claimed a slight advantage over Talking Points in the stretch. Hall Of Terror
fanned off cover and soared to the front. Dude’s The Man came into contention
and took second, but could only manage second behind Hall Of Terror, pacing to
victory in 1:51.3 (:27.4). Soto finished third, and Talking Points was fourth.
The son of
Western Terror-Maytime Hall-Cambest returned $32.60 to win, with the $2 exacta,
over the 8/5 favorite, returning $118.80. Owned by Erv Miller Stables, Paymaq
Racing, R. Michelon, and L. Willinger, trained by Erv Miller, and driven by
Mark MacDonald, he paced a lifetime best effort of 1:51.3. This win also pushes
his seasonal earnings to $91,538.
“Erv [Miller]
really worked him hard,” driver Mark MacDonald said. “He told me that he
trained him [Hall Of Terror] up really, really hard, and he wasn’t happy with
him last week. He was a little flat; he added Lasix today, and the real-hard
training trip, the Lasix, everything worked out.”
“We got a great
trip,” MacDonald also said. “Anytime you can get a trip like that, and get
towed to the head of the stretch, you get lucky; he [Hall Of Terror] paced home
good.”
Rich Wisdom sat
behind horses battling for control, and made his move around the far turn to
sweep by rivals and win in 1:51.
Jd He’s Da’ Bomb
blasted of the gate, while Mcardles Lightning battled for the lead from the
pylons. At the quarter, Mcardles Lightning abandoned the pocket, and rushed for
control. Pacing past that split in :27, Jd He’s Da Bomb attempted to park
Mcardles Lighting, but failed to do so.
Asap Hanover soon
pulled first over, and was up to Mcardles Lighting’s wheel through a :54.3
(:27.3) half. Clearing command entering the far turn, Asap Hanover was bracing
for the challenge of 4/5-favorite Rich Wisdom, who was pacing in third through
a 1:23.1 (:28.2) third quarter.
Rich Wisdom came
alongside Asap Hanover in the stretch, soon leaving him in his dust. Mccardles
Lighting took second, while Asap Hanover held third from closing Penji Hanover
and Stover. Rich Wisdom was victorious in 1:51 (:27.4).
Returning $3.80
to win, the son of Dragon Again-Wisdom-Artsplace is owned by Burke Racing
Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Jjk Stables, and Phil Collura, trained by Ron Burke,
and driven by Yannick Gingras. Pacing a lifetime best, his bankroll now stands
at $142,290.
“I raced him in a
Sires Stake consolation in Pennsylvania, and he was okay that day,” driver
Yannick Gingras said. “Seems like he’s figured things out [since then]. He went
to Indiana, and raced really good [in the Elevation]. Both of his starts here
in Lexington have been awesome.”
“I was a little
bit worried with my colt,” Gingras also said. “He’s usually a little bit of an
aggressive colt, but today he was behind the starting car and he completely
dropped the bit on me. For the whole race, I couldn’t get him onto the bit, so
I wasn’t sure how good he was going to be, but he just kept on going.”
Sent off the
1-2-public choice, Lost For Words made his striking move around the far turn,
winning by nearly 4 lengths in 1:50.4.
The pace was set
by Gallic Beach, putting up fractions of :27.2 and :54.3 (:27.1). Berkley
drafted in the pocket, Traceur Hanover raced third, and Lost For Words sat
fourth.
Traceur Hanover
was flushed by Lost For Words around the far turn, and soon swept by pacesetter
Gallic Beach through a 1:23 (:28.2) third quarter. His lead was short-lived, as
Lost For Words fanned off cover and, under a hand drive, zoomed by his foes.
Traceur Hanover held second, and Freedomformysoul finished third in a 1:50.4
(:27.4) mile.
Owned by Country
Club Acres, William Robinson, Richard Lombardo, and Strollin Stables, trained
by Joe Holloway, and driven by David Miller, the Well Said-Thou Shalt Not-Real
Desire colt lowered his lifetime mark of 1:51.1 equaled at Lexington last week.
Now with earnings of $186,337, he paid $3.00 to win.
Live racing
resumes on Sunday, October 5 with the $89,000 Allerage Filly and Mare Trot,
$90,000 Allerage Filly and Mare Pace, $173,000 Allerage Open Trot, $160,500
Allerage Open Pace, $224,000 Kentucky Filly Futurity, and the $435,000 Kentucky
Futurity. Post time for closing day of The Red Mile’s meeting is set for
1:00pmEDT.
Race replays of
action from The Red Mile can be found on our YouTube channel:
Red Mile Harness.
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