By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile
LEXINGTON,
KY—Ron Burke trainee Pyro survived a heated clip to take the quickest of two
$30,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) divisions at The Red Mile on Saturday,
Sept. 7.
Pyro
sat third while Tony Alagna trainee U S Captain cleared command from post 7
before a :26 first quarter. Driver Elliott Deaton then tipped Pyro from third
and circled to the front up the backstretch while U S Captain’s stablemate,
odd-on favorite Captain Ahab, rushed uncovered towards the top nearing a :52.3
half.
Captain
Ahab failed to clear the lead from Pyro circling the final turn and began to
backtrack past three-quarters in 1:21.2. Odds On Boca Raton circumvented his
tiring stablemate entering the stretch and gave chase while U S Captain slipped
from the pocket to challenge the leader late. Pyro kept a neck in front to stop
the clock in 1:49 while U S Captain and Odds On Boca Raton settled for second
and third respectively.
Returning
$29.80 to win, Pyro collected his fourth victory from 15 starts this season and
his sixth from 28 overall, earning $121,491. The Sweet Lou gelding—bred by
Diamond Creek Farm LLC—races for owners Burke Racing Stable, Larry Karr,
Phillip Collura and Weaver Bruscemi.
Dancin
Lou darted from a pocket trip to deliver as the odds-on choice in the other
KYSS colt split, winning in 1:49.2.
Leading
the field past a :28.2 first quarter, Dancin Lou yielded command to Can’t Beach
That, who brushed uncovered from fourth moving to a :55 half. He slowed the
tempo approaching three-quarters in 1:23 but failed to withstand a stretch bid
from Dancin Lou, who pounced from the pocket to win by one-and-a-half lengths.
Can’t Beach That settled for second while Major Deception, stalking the top
two, held third.
Bred
by Anvil And Lace Farm, Dancin Lou won his eighth race from 13 starts this
season and his ninth from 23 overall, earning $120,203. Tahnee Camilleri
conditions the Sweet Lou colt for owners David Kryway and 1362313 Ontario Ltd.
Marcus Miller drove the $3.20 winner.
Sent
the 1-9 favorite, Beautyonthebeach nears a potential KYSS sweep as she
collected her third-consecutive victory in preliminary competition when taking
the sole $30,000 dash for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Driver
Elliot Deaton dashed the heavy-betting choice to the top from post 8 moving to
the first turn and faced little challenge from there. The daughter of
Somebeachsomewhere set fractions of :27.2, :55.1 and 1:23.2 on the lead while
only enduring mild far-turn pressure from stablemate Prescient Beauty, who
quickly gave way turning for the finish. Beautyonthebeach widened to a
four-and-a-quarter length victory at the finish while chased by pocket-sitter
Summer Charm. Alii Nui took third.
A
homebred for James Avritt Sr., Beautyonthebeach won her fourth race from 11
starts this season and her ninth from 24 overall, earning $349,873. Gregg
McNair trains the $2.10 winner.
The Red Mile will host the $250,000
KYSS finals and $50,000 consolations over two nights: Saturday, Sept. 14 and
Sunday, Sept. 15. A double draw will occur for both cards on with the entry box
closing Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 9:30 a.m. The Saturday card, featuring the
consolations, begins with first-race post at 7:00 p.m. (EDT) while the Sunday
card, featuring the KYSS finals, starting at 3:00 p.m. (EDT).
