Sophomores Shine at Oak Grove

By Kimberly French, for the Kentucky Harness Association

Lexington, KY — On Monday (June 27) 3-year-old Kentucky-bred trotters and pacers competed in eight $25,00 legs of the Oak Grove Early Sire Stakes at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel. While favorites performed according to form, there were some surprising winners, especially in the $22,000 Open Pace.

Favorites Score in Filly Trotting Contests

In the first two races of the day Criquette Hall (Yannick Gingras) and Pioneer As (Tony Hall) rewarded their backers with victories in their respective legs.

Criquette Hall ($3.20) led at every pole to record a win in 1:54.3 for trainer Ron Burke. The daughter of Cash Hall set a new lifetime mark and improved her record to 16-7-1-3. Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Frank Baldachino, Beasty LLC and Larry Karr, Criquette Hall has won four of her last five races since taking up residence in Burke’s shed row.  She was previously with Bob McIntosh.

Pioneer As (Tony Hall) had to work a little bit harder than Criquette Hall but scored by a nose over Blue Bayou Deo (Anthony Macdonald) to win her sire stakes leg by a nose in 1:53.4. Trained by Anette Lorentzon, Pioneer As is owned by ACL Stuteri AB and races as a homebred. The daughter of Devious Man has now banked $105,423 and has compiled a record of 16-5-2-2.

Pioneer As paid $4.00 to win as the even-money favorite. Blue Bayou Deo returned $4.60 with third place finisher Those Blues (Dexter Dunn) also paying $4.60.

Pacing Colts Rocknroll Gold, Dancin Sancho Visit the Winner’s Circle

Rocknroll Gold (Andy Miller) outfooted Summer Trader (Hall) and Danger Zone (Andrew McCarthy) to win his respective sire stakes leg. Trained by Edwin Gannon Jr., Rocknroll Gold recorded a time of 1:53.1 for his mile and was placed first after a break by the favorite Mayor Ofthemoment (Dunn).

Owned by Zippett Racing Stable, Rocknroll Gold has earned $84,777 and has a record of 21-5-4-1.

The gelding paid $11 to win as the public’s third choice. Summer Trader paid $5.80 and Danger Zone supplied $10 for the show spot.

Dancin Sancho (Trevor Smith) rewarded his backers with a win in 1:51.4 for trainer Todd Luther. Owned by Black Magic Racing, Dancin Sancho now has a record of 7-3-1. All three of his wins have come this season after going winless as a 2-year-old. The gelding has now amassed $49,794 in purse money.

Dancin Sancho paid $4 to win. River Ness (Gingras) paid $5.20 to place and Rule Of Law (Hall) was $12 to show.

Ainthesamewithoutu, Sake Bomb Take Filly Paces

Ainthesamewithoutu (Hall) scored a mild upset in her sire stakes leg after overhauling favorite Msdinosis Blugrass (Dunn) in the stretch to prevail in 1:52.3. It was the second sire stakes win on the day for Hall and trainer Lorentzon.

Owned and bred by her trainer, the daughter of Sweet Lou collected her first win of the season and fourth overall from 13 starts. Ainthesamewithoutu has now earned $79,790 and this win was a new lifetime mark.

Ainthesamewithoutu paid $31. Msdinosis Blugrass provided $4.60 and Acrimony (Smith) paid $11.80.

Sake Bomb (Gingras) provided her driver and trainer (Gannon) with their second sire stakes wins on the card. The daughter of Betting Line engaged in a spirited stretch duel with Style For A Mile (Dunn) and came out on top by a neck in 1:52.1.

Owned by Zippett Racing Stable, Joseph Di Scala Jr., and Evan Katz, Sake Bomb has a record of 13-4-2-1 and has earned $42,843.

The filly paid $10.40 for her victory. Style For A Mile offered $3.20 for her second-place finish. Lookatmyrapsheet (Charlie Conrad) was third and provided her backers with $5.20.

Ezra, Nevermind Deliver in Colt and Gelding Trots

Ezra (Trace Tetrick) may have decided the Bluegrass suits his better than the Hoosier State with a 1:53.3 win over heavy favorite Gigondas (McCarthy) and second choice Golden Wall As (Hall). The gelded son of Swan For All assumed command at the beginning of the mile and never faltered during his mile. Ezra is trained by Erv Miller and competes as a homebred for his conditioner, as well as Geis Enterprise LLC.

The gelding’s record is 16-6-1-2 and he has banked $71,319. Ezra paid $33.80 to win. Gigondas provided $2.80 and Golden Wall As paid $2.40.

Nevermind (Nicolas Roussel) made the first start of his career a victorious one. Trained by his pilot, Nevermind used a :27.2 final quarter-mile to stop the clock in 1:53.1. The son of Trixton left race favorite Ducasse (McCarthy) and fifth choice Fireinmyveins (A. Miller) in his wake.

The colt races as a homebred by D Farm LLC and paid $42.80 to those that wagered on him. Ducasse paid $3 to place and Fireinmyveins was $3.60 to show.

Primed N Powerful Pulls the Upset

The 9-year-old gelding Primed N Powerful (Christian Lind) outgamed New York Sire Stakes champion Eye Ofa Tiger As (Hall) and world champion Yes (Macdonald) to capture the $22,000 Open Pace.

Trained by Ronald Best, the Primed N Powerful has earned $365,240 and has visited the winner’s circle on 62 occasions from 213 starts.

Primed N Powerful is owned by Sherry Boledovich and Jamaica Patton. He appears to have an affinity for Kentucky as he trotted the swiftest mile of his career last year at Red Mile.

A wager on the son of Psychic Spirit returned $127.20. Eye Ofa Tiger As paid $3.60 to win and third-place finisher Gettin Serious (Dunn) provided $7.80.

The Oak Grove Early Sire Stakes series consists of two $25,000 legs, a $25,000 consolation and $100,000 final.

The second leg for 2-year-olds will be July 3 and for 3-year-olds on July 4. The consolations and finals for 2-year-olds will be held July 17 and for 3-year-olds on July 18.

Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel features live harness racing on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. First post is 3 p.m. C.T. For more information, please visit the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s website by clicking here.