Hambo winner Tactical Approach tries for Kentucky Futurity score

October 6, 2023

Lexington, KY — Having secured the second jewel of Trotting’s Triple Crown, Tactical Approach will look to add another onto his resume when he starts as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the $450,000 131st Kentucky Futurity, which wraps the 15-race card and the Grand Circuit meet on Sunday (Oct. 8) at The Red Mile.

Tactical Approach trotted a down-the-road effort last week to clock a 1:50.1 mile in winning his division of Bluegrass against the likes of Air Power and French Wine, who sandwich him on the starting gate. Scott Zeron drives the Nancy Takter pupil from post seven in the 11-horse contest.

Oh Well, second to Tactical Approach in the Hambletonian, has the chance to strike revenge from post five. Tim Tetrick steers the Marcus Melander trained son of Muscle Hill off his 1:51.2 performance in Bluegrass action last week. His stablemate Kilmister, who missed the Hambletonian final from an off-the-board finish in his elimination, also enters off a Bluegrass win in 1:50.3 against Point Of Perfect, who’s drawn to his inside. Brian Sears drives Kilmister, the third of four entrants for Marcus Melander, from post 10.

Revenge also comes in the grasp of Ron Burke’s Muscle Hill colt Celebrity Bambino, who was the Hambletonian favorite and faltered after cutting the fractions. Celebrity Bambino ships to Lexington off a game 1:51.4 victory in the $488,400 Canadian Trotting Classic final and keeps Yannick Gingras in the bike from post two.

The Kentucky Futurity’s companion event, the 58th Kentucky Filly Futurity, goes as race 10 on the closing-day card and also draws an overflow field of 11.

Last year, Special Way dazzled over the clay for trainer Ake Svanstedt in progress to a Breeders Crown win. However, hiccups of sickness and precaution along with a defeat in the Kentucky Sires Stakes final to Mommamia Volo — racing from post three in the Filly Futurity — have opened the spotlight for her stablemate Bond, who starts a few slots wider from post nine. Bond grabbed second in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks and has not lost in her last three starts, claiming the $250,000 Delmonica Hanover at Pocono and the $281,940 Elegantimage at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Ake Svanstedt will pilot Bond while Special Way acquires the duties of Tim Tetrick from post seven.

That created a vacancy on the Hambletonian Oaks winner Heaven Hanover, who starts from post six. Marcus Melander teamster Brian Sears grabs the drive on the filly trying to get back to the winner’s circle after her last-to-first triumph to win on the first Saturday in August. The daughter of Father Patrick enters off a fourth-place finish in her Bluegrass division to Walner Payton, who lands post two after a headstrong closing victory in that 1:51.4 mile that saw her trot a final quarter in :25.3.

The $472,000 Tattersalls Pace draws two divisions towards the tail of the card with a marquee matchup in division two, race 13. Linda Toscano trainee It’s My Show draws to the far inside, himself a world-record holder for sophomore geldings with a mark of 1:46.4 taken over this oval. And then drawn to the far outside in the nine-horse field sits Confederate, himself a world-record holder for sophomores with a mark of 1:46.1 taken over this oval. The Tattersalls Pace marks the first matchup between the two millionaires since It’s My Show clung to victory in the Pepsi North America Cup back in June.

Division one collects Diamond Creek’s Sweet Lou colt Cannibal from post seven against a former peer in Seven Colors, who was purchased privately earlier this year by trainer Andrew Harris and team. Seven Colors starts from post one off a runner-up finish in the $850,000 Little Brown Jug final and keeps Dexter Dunn in the sulky while Cannibal has Yannick Gingras in the bike for trainer Nancy Takter. The nine-horse field also includes Ken Hanover, entering off a second-place finish to Confederate in Bluegrass action last week. David Miller opts to drive him from post four over 2022 Breeders Crown winner Ammo, who picks up Tim Tetrick on his return to the races off a fifth-place finish in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes consolation back in September.

The $230,000 Glen Garnsey Memorial sees the star sophomore pacing fillies split in separate divisions after a sterling face off in the Bluegrass last week. Sylvia Hanover lands in the first division, race eight, and starts from post five in rein to Bob McClure against six rivals including fellow Bluegrass division winner McSeaside from post two. Twin B Joe Fresh starts from post six in the second division with Dexter Dunn in the bike for trainer Chris Ryder off her runner-up effort from off the speed to Sylvia Hanover.

Sunday’s card opens with the four older divisions sparring in their respective dashes of the Allerage Farms. The Mare Trot goes as race one and lures M-M’s Dream in a five-horse affair off a second-place finish in the $240,000 Dayton Oaks. She draws just inside of Warrawee Xenia, who keeps Tim Tetrick in the bike.

The Mare Pace follows with a five-horse affair highlighted by Virgil Morgan Jr.’s star pacing mare Grace Hill from post two. Doug McNair comes to town for the 5-year-old daughter of Always B Miki off her back-to-back wins, taking the $162,800 Milton Stakes and the $242,500 Dayton Distaff.

Ake Svanstedt’s elegant import Alrajah One IT lands the pylon post in the $135,000 Allerage Farms Trot off an upset loss to Hillexotic in the $240,000 Dayton Trotting Derby. Dexter Dunn stays in the bike of the Maple Leaf Trot winner making just his third start of 2023 following a late-season injury that shelved him last year. Ron Burke’s double millionaire It’s Academic lands post seven in the field of 10.

The Allerage Farms Open Pace gathers seven including defending champion Allywag Hanover, who struck the upset of the year last year when nailing Bulldog Hanover in a 1:46 effort off a pocket ride. Todd McCarthy drives the 6-year-old gelding by Captaintreacherous from post seven for trainer Brett Pelling and faces yet another speed freak in 4-year-old Downbytheseaside gelding Bythemissal, who looks to return to the winner’s circle off defeats in the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby and the Dayton Pacing Derby. Yannick Gingras drives the gelding for trainer Ron Burke from post four.

The 15-race extravaganza to wrap the Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile gets underway at 1 p.m. (EDT). Sunday’s card features high-money guarantees with mandatory payouts: four $10,000-guaranteed pools for the Pick-6 (starting in race one), Early Pick-5 (race three), Late Pick-5 (race eight) and Late Pick-4 (race 12). The Red Mile will also feature $20,000 guarantees for the Early Pick-4 (race six) as well as in the trifecta pools for the Kentucky Filly Futurity (race 10) and the Kentucky Futurity (race 15). Red Mile also offers an industry-low 12 percent takeout on its Pick-5 and Pick-4.

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Hunterton Farms: Birthplace of Champions

January 4, 2025

Allegiant Tactical Landing - Too Good For You 2, 1:52.2; 3, 1:51.1f-’24 ($1,043,347) Hunterton bred, raised and sold

Hunterton Bred, Born & Sold Allegiant almighty in Breeders Crown victory

October 27, 2024

East Rutherford, NJ — Breeders Crown elimination winner Allegiant, with Scott Zeron in the bike again, won the $600,000 Breeders Crown 3-year-old filly trot at The Meadowlands on Saturday (Oct. 26), crossing the finish in a personal-best and stakes-record-equaling 1:51.1. Zeron fired his filly off the gate and took the lead easily enough, but R Melina was looking to avenge losing her elimination and overtook Allegiant for the lead in a soft :27.4 first panel. Willys Home Run took safe cover behind the first two with Elista Hanover behind them in fourth. Nothing changed as R Melina guided the field to a :55.4 half, but Elista Hanover took to the outside to chase, giving cover to elim-winner Drawn Impression while the top two rolled towards three-quarters in 1:23.2. Zeron’s filly had tons of trot saved from the catbird-seat journey when he sent her mid-track to use that saved energy for a convincing challenge to win and defeat R Melina by 2-1/4 lengths. Elista Hanover took the third spot with Drawn Impression in fourth and Warrawee Michelle closing from last for fifth. Even though it was a smooth trip, Zeron said, “It shows how tough she really is.” The win by the daughter of Tactical Landing , from the Yankee Glide mare Too Good For You, puts her on the edge of being a millionaire with $933,197 in her wallet lifetime. Bred by Atlantic Trot Inc. and Steve H. Stewart and owned by Ryan W. Smith, Allegiant scored her 10th win in 25 starts over two seasons. Zeron scored his eighth Breeders Crown trophy with his second-straight win driving Allegiant. “I was happy to sit in the second spot,” he said after the race. “She shows me no emotion (when we race).” He also praised trainer Linda Toscano, who won her ninth Breeders Crown trophy and first in this division, for how the filly has been handled. Allegiant matched the stakes record set in 2022 by Jiggy Jog S with the win and paid $6.00 to win.

Steely Knife upsets, Better Is Nice delivers in Bluegrass colt pace

September 28, 2024

Steely Knife and Better Is Nice both powered first over and persevered to win in their respective divisions of the $197,000 Captaintreacherous Bluegrass Stakes, for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 28) at The Red Mile. Steely Knife (Dexter Dunn) built momentum from a first-over push and rolled home a 1:52.2 winner in the first division of the Captaintreacherous Bluegrass Stakes. Dunn slid to the pylons to race fourth to a :28.3 first quarter cut by Cupid Shuffle (Yannick Gingras), who Gingras tried to wrangle back despite coasting to a :56 half. Steely Knife started to gather speed moving for the final turn and angled off the pylons, vaulting forward as Cupid Shuffle raced on fumes by three-quarters in 1:23. Cupid Shuffle promptly folded while Steely Knife powered forward and held firm from late rallying Mccrunch (Andy McCarthy), who sat an antsy pocket and burst through an inside seam to challenge late. Mccrunch had to settle for second, beaten a neck, while Captain Luke (Scott Zeron) — the 3-2 favorite — saved ground throughout and held third. Trained by Ron Burke, Steely Knife has now won six races from 29 career starts and banked $264,097 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Phil Collura and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby. The Always B Miki colt paid $27.90 to win.

Jiggy Jog S romps at Hollywood Dayton

September 28, 2024

Jiggy Jog S headed to Saturday’s stakes action at Hollywood Dayton Raceway with top billing, and the sport’s highest-ranked stars did not disappoint. In the Dayton Oaks, Dunn methodically guided Jiggy Jog S to the front as Call Me Goo and M-M’s Dream were part of a three-horse battle with Pioneer As for the lead in the opening quarter, which Call Me Goo reached in :27.1 by a nose over M-M’s Dream. The Ake Svanstedt-trained Jiggy Jog S, though, was in front soon thereafter and never looked back, reaching the half in :55.1 and three-quarters in 1:23.3. Call Me Goo finished second and M-M’s Dream was third. Unbeaten in six races this season, Jiggy Jog S has won 24 of 41 career starts and earned $3.1 million. The 5-year-old mare became the 16th trotter in history to exceed $3 million in North American purses with Saturday’s victory. She is ranked No. 2 in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll. Jiggy Jog S is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., Steve Stewart, John Lengacher, and Hickory Hollow Stables. The daughter of Walner -Hot Mess Hanover was bred by Vestmarka AB.

Jiggy Jog S leads big Grand Circuit night in Dayton

September 26, 2024

Harness racing’s two highest ranked horses in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, No. 1 Twin B Joe Fresh and No. 2 Jiggy Jog S , will be in action Saturday at Hollywood Dayton Raceway and, as usual, Dexter Dunn will have a great seat to watch them go. Jiggy Jog S, who is 5-for-5 this season, has been ranked no lower than No. 6 in the 15 weeks of this year’s poll. She has been No. 2 for three consecutive weeks. She enters the Dayton Oaks off a Sept. 7 win in the million-dollar MGM Yonkers International Trot, where she defeated Periculum by 3-1/2 lengths at the distance of 1-1/4 miles. “She was awesome,” Dunn said. “She couldn’t have done it much easier. I know we got pretty good fractions, but she just felt awesome.” A three-week layoff since the International Trot should not pose a problem for Jiggy Jog S, who is trained by Ake Svanstedt and accustomed to such a schedule. On Aug. 3, she won the John Cashman Memorial in a rainstorm at The Meadowlands in a stakes- and track-record 1:49.2 off a five-week respite. Only two female trotters in history, Manchego and Atlanta, have gone faster. “She’s very athletic,” Dunn said. “It’s not like she needs a lot of racing to become fit. She’s pretty naturally fit, I think. That’s the way they train her.” Jiggy Jog S, the 2023 Dan Patch Award winner for best older female trotter, has hit the board in 35 of 40 career races, winning 23 and earning $2.97 million. The daughter of Walner -Hot Mess Hanover is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., Steve Stewart, John Lengacher, and Hickory Hollow Stables. Dunn and Jiggy Jog S will leave from post six in the nine-horse field, which also includes millionaires M-M’s Dream and Refined. Jiggy Jog S won last year’s edition of the Dayton Oaks, a victory that launched her current win streak.

Maryland romps to Mohawk Million Triumph

September 22, 2024

Maryland powered home to take all the spoils in the Mohawk Million, putting an exclamation point on a stellar Saturday stakes night at Woodbine Mohawk Park for driver Dexter Dunn. After taking the inside track, literally, to impressive victories in the $347,000 Elegantimage (with three-year-old trotting filly French Champagne) and $713,000 Canadian Trotting Classic (with three-year-old trotting colt Amazing Catch), Dunn engineered a different trip, but produced the same result, in the $1 million Mohawk Million for two-year-old trotters. Meshuggah (Scott Zeron) blasted off the wings and took the lead heading into the first turn, followed by Lookatmegoamigo (Jody Jamieson), Go Ahead Makemyday (David Miller) and Lasting Dream (Bob McClure), while Maryland sat an unfettered sixth through an opening panel in :27.1. It was status quo on the front end through a half in a tepid :56.2, as Dunn continued to hold a patient hand on the 4-5 choice, positioned seventh at that point. Meshuggah was still on top through three-quarters in 1:24.3, as Lasting Dream looked to ratchet up the pressure. Monalishi (James MacDonald) arrived on the scene in third, while Maryland, improving to fourth, was five lengths off the leader, but full of trot and rolling to the outside. Maryland, whose slot owner for the Million was Hunterton Farm, began to methodically pick off his rivals down the lane, blasting to the front with ease en route to a sharp 3-1/2-length score after a :27.1 final quarter. Lasting Dream was second, Meshuggah third, Onajetplane (Andrew McCarthy) fourth and Emoticon Legacy (Louis-Philippe Roy) fifth. The final time was a stakes, track and Canadian record of 1:52.3. Maryland bested the former track and Canadian record for two-year-old male trotters set by 2017 William Wellwood Memorial winner Alarm Detector by one-fifth of a second. “He was pretty aggressive tonight,” said Dunn when asked about gapping the gate tonight. “He hasn't really been like that before and the horse outside was pretty fired up on the gate too and there was a bit going on, but we had a little bobble there before the gate left, but he luckily kept his gait. We still got away in a pretty decent position, and just around the last turn, I nearly lost him there for a bit, but he got himself up. “I was still confident, especially coming off the last turn, and he was close enough that he's fast enough.” For the son of Chapter Seven-Crucial, who won the $575,000 William Wellwood Stakes on Aug. 24 and the $527,027 Peter Haughton Memorial on Sept. 13, it was the third straight command performance and biggest payday of his career. “He’s probably the smartest colt I've been around,” said trainer Marcus Melander, who also won the 2022 Mohawk Million with Oh Well. “He wants to do his work. Then, you never know how much the other horses have left, but if he has the position to win when they're turning from home, he’ll win.” With Saturday’s win, Maryland is now 4-1-1 from seven starts, to go along with nearly $1.1 million in lifetime earnings. “I think pretty much when he was racing at the Meadowlands early, he just showed so much talent,” said Steve Stewart of Hunterton Farm. “And that last sixteenth [of a mile], he always just seems to accelerate. There was one race early that I think a horse came up on him and it looked like he was going to go right by him, and he just wouldn't let him go, and it seems like he's very versatile. “Marcus has been saying that the one thing that separates him from a lot of horses is he's so intelligent.” Maryland, owned by Courant Inc., PCW Racing, Holly Lane Stud East and Sstewartrthorn Stable, will head home to the Garden State the newly minted Million champion. "We will ship him back home to New Jersey and prepare him for the Breeders Crown, since he won last week and he's already eligible for the finals,” noted Melander. “So, that will be his next race, probably. Maybe, we'll do a qualifier in between, but that's what we're waiting for right now.” Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, the bay colt, who won his debut at The Meadowlands on June 28, was a $475,000 purchase at the 2023 Lexington Select Yearling Sale. Maryland paid $3.90 for the win. To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park . (With files from Woodbine)

Vic Zelenskyy wins again at The Red Mile

September 17, 2024

Hunterton Born, Raised & Sold, VIC ZELENSKYY (Greenshoe - Mission Brief ) won the Kentucky Gold Rod Series 3YO Colts & Geldings at The Red Mile. Congratulations to owners S R F Stable, Holly Lane Stud East Ltd and trainer Marcus Melander and driver Dexter Dunn.

It’s My Show returns in style at Red Mile

September 10, 2024

Lexington, NY — On Tuesday (Sept. 10), at the Red Mile, Canadian Pacing Derby and 2023 Little Brown Jug winner It’s My Show used a blistering final quarter mile to defeat El Rey in 1:49.2 in the $35,000 third leg of the Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) series for 4-year-old male pacers. It’s My Show (Scott Zeron) left from post position three and landed in fifth in the field of eight while the speedy El Rey (Andy Miller) assumed command right from the beginning of the mile. The public’s third choice clicked off fractions of :27.2, :55.3 and 1:22.4 while It’s My Show moved into fourth at the three-quarter pole. As the field rounded the final bend, It’s My Show began to uncork his rally in the drive for the finish line and was positioned in third behind pocket sitter Speaking Volumes (Tony Hall). El Rey had the jump on It’s My Show, but the Linda Toscano trainee came storming over the red clay with a final quarter of :25.4 to best El Rey by a half length. Speaking Volumes was third. It’s My Show, a son of Sweet Lou -Put On A Show, competes as a homebred for Richard and Joanne Young. He now sports a resume of 36-12-8-3 with $1.48 million in the bank. He paid $2.72 to win.

Hey Porter wins big at Harrahs Philadelphia

September 8, 2024

On Sunday (September 8) afternoon, Harrah’s Philadelphia hosted the $320,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series Championships for all eight stakes divisions, separated by age/sex, and gait. Each group of Pennsylvania-sired horses went for $40,000 in their respective Championship. The Bar Hopping – Chelsees A Winner gelding Hey Porter (Tyler Buter) had the biggest win margin of the day, four lengths, in winning for trainer Tony Alagna, and owner Steve Stewart. The Greenshoe – Firm To Stay miss Saints Preserve Us (Tetrick) has known nothing but Stallion Series action to date and thus is perfect after four career races, winning by a half-length over Pink Whiskey (Brady Brown), for trainer Jim Campbell, and Runthetable Stables.

Ari Ferrari J burns rubber in Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot

September 7, 2024

Yonkers, NY — Ari Ferrari J was the winner of Saturday (September 7) afternoon’s $250,000 Bob Miecuna Invitational for older trotters at MGM Yonkers Raceway after he covered the mile and a sixteenth distance in 2:00.4. With his share of the purse, Ari Ferrari J went past the $1 million mark in lifetime earnings. After showing some speed from post two, driver Jason Bartlett wheeled Ari Ferrari J to the outside in the early stages from third and made his way by early leader Cecil Hanover (Ake Svanstedt) past the :29 second opening quarter. Ari Ferrari J never faced a serious threat from there, as he glided through panels of :57.4 and 1:26 on his way to the win by two lengths. Cecil Hanover checked in second over Take All Comers (Jordan Stratton) and favored M-M’s Dream (David Miller) advanced from eighth to fourth. Amigo Volo (Dexter Dunn) collected fifth. “Being off the inside there, the gate kind of takes off on us and at times you can just give them their head a little bit and they’ll try to switch gears and run,” explained Bartlett. “So, I was more worried about just getting him off on the right foot and then just taking the race how it came. Only a couple left, so I was actually in a really good spot going into the first turn. “He won so easy last time out of the hole, and I was very excited when I saw he was in this race today. He had a start over the track and I kind of knew him at the Meadowlands and loved him there and loved him last week. We actually drew a good spot and he didn’t disappoint.” Tony Alagna trains Ari Ferrari J, a 4-year-old son of Walner bred by M Biasuzzi Stable Inc., for owner Ken Jacobs. Ari Ferrari J is an 11-time victor from 39 starts, has earned $1,014,931 and paid $16 to win as a 7-1 offering. The exacta was $156.50 and the trifecta was worth $2,841.