By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile
LEXINGTON,
KY—Metro Pace winner Tall Dark Stranger collected his seventh-consecutive
victory to maintain his perfect record with a 1:50 victory in the third of four
divisions for the $275,000 Betting Line International Stallion Stakes—sponsored
by the Betting Line Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms—on the Saturday, Oct. 5
card at The Red Mile.
Leaving
from post 1, Tall Dark Stranger sat fourth to a :28.1 first quarter set by Tell
Them Lou before driver Yannick Gingras angled the 1-9 favorite from the cones
to pursue the lead. The Nancy Johansson-trained son of Bettor’s Delight
overtook the helm before a :55.1 half and faced little challenge through
three-quarters in 1:23.1 in progress to a two-length victory over pocket-sitter
Captain Barbosa. Father Nuno closed for third.
“He
had just had great presence when he was brought out for us to look at [as a
yearling],” Johansson said after the race. “I think charisma is one of the most
important attributes a racehorse can have. He was very easy to work with, very
willing to please, always showed tremendous speed…it was pretty easy to train
him down. He was strong across the wire [today]—Yannick [Gingras] said he had
plenty of pace left.”
Earning
$411,265, Tall Dark Stranger races for owners Crawford Farms Racing, Marvin
Katz, Caviart Farms and Howard Taylor. Yannick Gingras steered the colt bred by
James Avritt Sr. who paid $2.10 to win.
“I
think people here are knowledgeable and understanding this horse is doing this
very easily—it’s spectacular,” co-owner Marvin Katz said after the race. “I
listened to Jimmy Takter [when] he said ‘This is the best horse [at the
Lexington Sale and] you got to be in’ and I said I was in. That was it. It
didn’t take much thinking—when Jimmy said you got to be in, that was it.”
World-record
holder Elver Hanover also remained undefeated when winning his Betting Line
division in 1:50.3.
Driver
Chris Page placed the 1-9 favorite fourth as Seeyou At Thebeach led the field
to a :27.3 first quarter. Page pulled Elver Hanover from fourth soon after and
swept to the front before a :55.3 half. From there the Yankee Cruiser gelding
slowed the tempo to three-quarters in 1:24 while pressed by Team Best moving to
headstretch, but promptly turned away that rival as well as a pocket-popping
move from Seeyou At Thebeach in the final eighth to win. Seeyou At Thebeach
settled for second while Captain Groovy took third.
“The
opportunity was presented in front of me and just like anything else you’ve got
to take the reins,” Page said of driving a Grand Circuit-caliber horse after
the race. “I’d like to thank all the owners and Ronnie [Burke] and the whole
staff to have the faith in me to guide these nice horses which are high-priced investments.
I was joking with the groom coming out here [and said] if every horse was like
this horse it would make our jobs easy. The horse is a complete professional
and does nothing wrong. He drives with two fingers and definitely makes my job
easy.”
Victorious
in nine starts, Elver Hanover—bred by Hanover Shoe Farms—has earned $397,825
for owners Burke Racing Stable, Bridgette Jablonsky, Jason Melillo and J&T
Silva-Purnel & Libby.
“It’s
been the best experience of our lives,” said Purnel of Purnel & Libby after
the race on owning stakes-winning horses with Ron Burke and the partnership of
Weaver Bruscemi. “Obviously Ronnie’s the best trainer in the business. Without
them, I don’t know…it’s great.”
Capt
Midnight rebounded from a third-place finish in the $562,500 Metro Pace with a
1:49.4 victory in the opening division of the Betting Line.
Roll
With JR took command into the first turn while Catch The Fire dove into the
pocket and Capt Midnight floated into third. He led the field through a :27.2
opening quarter but yielded the lead as Capt Midnight pulled wide and brushed
to control through a :55.2 half. The Captaintreacherous colt continued to lead
through three-quarters in 1:23 and strode clear of his competition to win by
three lengths. Fortify closed for second and Roll With JR gave chase for third.
