By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile
LEXINGTON,
KY— A total of six divisions of International Stallion Stakes (ISS) compose
part of the nine-race card at The Red Mile Friday, Oct. 4. Freshman trotting
fillies compete in four divisions of the $290,200 ISS while the freshman pacing
fillies race in two divisions of the $239,000 ISS.
Love
A Good Story, off a victory in an $83,000 division of Bluegrass, starts from
the pylons in the first division of the filly trot. The Chapter Seven
filly—owned by Pinske Stables, Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Daniel
Plouffe—collected her seventh victory from nine starts when hitting the finish
in 1:52.2 to pull a 7-1 upset last week. The winner of $216,187 will have Andy
Miller in the bike for trainer Julie Miller.
Crucial,
a three-quarter sister to Ineffable (who sold for $600,000 at night one of the
Lexington Selected Sale), will compete against Love A Good Story from post 3.
The Ron Burke-trained daughter of Father Patrick enters off consecutive
third-place finishes in the $250,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes Final and the
$215,000 Kentuckiana at Hoosier Park. Chris Page steers the winner of $127,023
for owners Burke Racing Stable, William Donovan, J&T Silve-Prunel &
Libby and Weaver Bruscemi.
Ramona
Hill races widest of her seven foes in the second ISS split as she puts her
unbeaten record on the line against Sister Sledge, who starts from post 1 after
losing for the first time in eight starts last week. Trained by Tony Alagna for
owners Brad Grant, Crawford Farms Racing, Robert Leblanc and In The Gym Partners,
Ramona Hill blasted off a pocket trip under a hand drive to a 1:52.4 win in an
$82,000 division of Bluegrass. The winner of $66,000 will try to stay
undefeated in her fifth pari-mutuel bow and will have Andrew McCarthy in the
sulky.
Sister
Sledge added Lasix when racing as the 1-2 favorite in an $82,000 division of
Bluegrass but flattened through the lane and settled for third in a 1:54.1
mile. The Ron Burke-trained daughter of Father Patrick—who has banked $274,402
for owners Burke Racing Stable, Jason Melillo, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby
and Weaver Bruscemi—neighbors on the gate the Per Engblom trainee Shishito, who
won an $83,000 division of Bluegrass in 1:52 to up her bankroll to $222,776 for
owners Black Horse Racing and John Fielding. Yannick Gingras drives Sister
Sledge while Dexter Dunn drives Shishito.
Trainer-driver
Ake Svanstedt sends Common Sense S from post 8 in the third ISS division off a
1:53.3 win in an $82,000 division of Bluegrass where she bested Sister Sledge.
Co-owned by Svanstedt Inc. with the S R F Stable, the Trixton filly has five
wins to her credit from nine starts and $122,600 earned.
Erv
Miller upgrades Heaven to Grand Circuit company in the same division after the
Father Patrick filly won a late-closing event last week at Lexington going wire
to wire in 1:55.1 to break her maiden in her 11th start. Owned by
Ervin Miller Stable, Louis Willinger, George Golemes and Happy Hour Racing,
Heaven has earned $34,942 and will start from post 5 in rein to Marcus Miller.
Doherty
Memorial runner-up Sherry Lyns Lady leads the final ISS filly trot off a 1:54.2
victory in the Kentuckiana at Hoosier Park. Hitting the board in eight of nine
starts but winning only twice, the Jim Campbell-trained Father Patrick filly
has accrued $264,154 in earnings for owners Coyote Wynd Farms and will start
from post 3 with Tim Tetrick driving.
In
the earlier division of ISS for two-year-old pacing fillies, Reflect With Me
looks to reenter the winner’s circle off two check-earning finishes in the
She’s A Great Lady. The Tony Alagna-trained Captaintreacherous filly—with
$156,225 earned for owners Brittany Farms LLC and Brad Grant—will start from
post 2 with Andrew McCarthy in the bike.
Flanking
the likely favorite, Looksgoodinaromper makes her first Grand Circuit foray.
The Pet Rock filly thrived on the Ohio Sires Stakes circuit, hitting the board
in all seven starts while collecting five victories and amassing $273,650 in
earnings for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Chris Page
drives the Ohio Sires Stakes champ from post 3 for trainer Ron Burke.
Kentucky
Sires Stakes champ Gai Waterhouse will attempt to rebound in the later ISS
frosh-filly pace dash. The Domenico Cecere trainee—entering from a 1:50.3
pocket-popping score in the $250,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes championship—stalked
the pacesetter again but gave chase to finish third as the 8-5 favorite in a
$140,750 division of Bluegrass. The daughter of Western Ideal—earning $171,890
for owner Lindy Farms of Connecticut—will have Yannick Gingras in the sulky.
The
nine-race program also features two late-closing events for two-year-old
trotting colts and a single late-closing dash for pacing fillies and mares.
Racing gets underway Friday with first-race post at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).
