LEXINGTON, KY — Off a fourth-place disqualification in the Little Brown Jug as he attempted to claim the Pacing Triple Crown, millionaire Stay Hungry came back and battled widest of all in a four-horse stretch-bound sprint, getting a neck in front on the wire to take the first division of two divisions of the $183,000 Somebeachsomewhere Bluegrass Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace, sponsored by the Somebeachsomewhere Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms, at The Red Mile on Sunday, Sept. 30.
Driver Doug McNair positioned Stay Hungry fifth, in behind stablemate American History, as Ideal Feeling paced on the lead to the quarter. Grand Teton soon vacated the rail from third and brushed for the lead following a :27.3 opening quarter.
Stay Hungry flushed American History for cover as Grand Teton continued a quick clip to the half in :54.1. American History progressed wide of horses and dragged Stay Hungry to within two lengths of the lead nearing the top of the stretch.
Following three-quarters in 1:21.2, American History took a short lead before Grand Teton reclaimed command to his inside. Stay Hungry, off cover, rallied through the center of the track as Grand Teton fought for the lead to the inside but could not outkick the winner to the line and settled for second in the 1:48.2 mile. Bounding Dragon snuck through a seam to the pylons for third and American History faded to fourth.
Winning his sixth race from 13 starts this season and his 12th from 22 overall, Stay Hungry, a colt by Somebeachsomewhere, has compiled $1,239,459 in earnings for owners Brad Grant and the Irwin Samelman Estate. Tony Alagna trains the $3.60 winner.
Thinkbig Dreambig brushed to the front after the quarter and led the rest of the way in progress to a 1:48.2 lifetime-best victory in the second Bluegrass division.
I'm A Big Deal took the lead early as Nutcracker Sweet rushed from post nine for the top heading to the quarter. Nutcracker Sweet swooped to command past the :27.2 opening quarter as his stablemate Thinkbig Dreambig gradually advanced towards the lead.
Passing the half in :54.2, Thinkbig Dreambig maintained his speed while under first-over pursuit from Hayden Hanover, closing from fifth around the final turn. Hayden Hanover drew to within two lengths of the lead by three-quarters in 1:21.4 but continued to chase the son of Bettor's Delight in the stretch before settling for second. Rush To Judgement, tracking from second over, closed for third with Nutcracker Sweet holding fourth.
Trained by Jimmy Takter for owners Brixton Medical Inc., John Fielding, Goran Anderberg and Goran Falk, Thinkbig Dreambig, driven by Yannick Gingras, won his sixth race from 15 starts, earning $450,537. He paid $3.20 to win.
The Trond Smedshammer-trained Explosive Matter filly Phaetosive won her fourth-consecutive race and her seventh from nine starts this season when she cruised to a 1:51.3 victory in the third of three divisions of the $206,000 Cantab Hall Bluegrass Three-Year-Old Filly Trot, sponsored by Hanover Shoe Farms and Brittany Farms, on Sunday, Sept. 30 at The Red Mile.
What A Knockout led early as Lily Stride, from post one, inherited the pocket and Phaetosive floated into third. Past the first quarter in :28.4, What A Knockout trotted unchallenged to a :56.1 half while Seviyorum, racing second to last, tipped off the rail and began an uncovered bid.
Smedshammer flushed first over with Phaetosive heading into the final turn and swiftly overtook What A Knockout past three-quarters in 1:24.1. Phaetosive kept to task through the stretch as Lily Stride finagled out of the pocket to snag second from Seviyorum in third. Piranha Fury, off a rail trip, closed for fourth.
Surpassing $800,000 in career earnings, Phaetosive, competing for the Purple Haze Stables LLC, collected her 11th victory in her 16th start career. Sent the 1-9 favorite, she paid $2.10 to win.
Odds-on favorite Supergirl Riley circled to the top past the half and kicked to a three-and-three-quarter length victory in the first split of the Bluegrass filly trot, winning in 1:52.2.
The Erv Miller-trained daughter of Muscle Mass pushed for the lead early before yielding to Urban Legend toward the center of the track. By the first quarter in :28, Marcus Miller pulled Supergirl Riley from the pocket to cleared control before a :56 half.
Live Laugh Love, positioned fifth, tipped first over and rushed towards the pacesetter around the final turn. Supergirl Riley maintained a half-length lead past three-quarters in 1:24.3 and sped into the stretch, expanding her margin to two-and-a-half lengths with Live Laugh Love chasing in second. Fury Road, who edged off the rail and into the second-over spot around the final turn, trotted another two-lengths back in third with Passionate Miss closing from the back for fourth.
Owned by Paymaq Racing, George Golemes and Harvey Eisman, Supergirl Riley won her fifth race in 14 starts this season and her ninth from 23 overall, collecting $375,763 in earnings. She returned $3.80 to win.
Andrew McCarthy launched Chuck Sylvester-trainee Hey Blondie from off cover to take the second Bluegrass split in 1:51.1.
S M S Princess cleared control from post seven with Top Expectations, from post one, sitting the pocket. Hey Blondie sat fifth past the quarter in :28 and stayed in position as S M S Princess quickened to the half in :55.2.
Nixie Volo, from third, angled first over rounding the final turn with Bella Glos second over and Hey Blondie in behind. S M S Princess held onto a half-length lead by three-quarters in 1:23.4 and braced for the backfield blitz into the stretch.
Bella Glos fanned off cover and surged to the front under pursuit of Hey Blondie and Pat Matters kicking wide from fourth over. Hey Blondie overpowered Bella Glos late in the stretch and surged to a three-quarter length victory with Pat Matters finishing two-lengths behind in third and Top Expectations holding fourth.
Winning her third race from 11 starts this season and her eighth from 24 overall, Hey Blondie, by Cantab Hall, has accrued $473,935 in earnings for owners Steve Jones, Mary Kinsey Arnold, Paul Borgogna and David Mc Duffee. She paid $8.20 to win.
Trainer Jimmy Takter swept the top three spots when he piloted Tactical Landing to a 1:51.1 lifetime best ahead of harness racing stablemates Zephyr Kronos and Wolfgang in the second of two divisions of the $242,000 Explosive Matter Bluegrass Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot, sponsored by the Explosive Matter Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms, at The Red Mile on Sunday, Sept. 30.
Zephyr Kronos swept to the front ahead of Wolfgang, another stablemate, in the pocket. Jimmy Takter placed Tactical Landing wide in fourth through the first quarter in :28.4 before gradually advancing towards the lead. Following a :56.2 half, Tactical Landing gained separation.
Tactical Landing held a two-and-a-half length lead while Muscle M Up attempted to gain position first over. By three-quarters in 1:24.2, Tactical Landing spun into the stretch while Zephyr Kronos cut his deficit from second well ahead of Wolfgang battling for third. Patent Leather, from last, rallied through the center of the track to take fourth.
An $800,000 yearling purchase at the 2016 Lexington Select Sale, Tactical Landing, a colt by Muscle Hill out of the Varenne mare Southwind Serena, won his fifth race from nine starts this season and of 11 overall, earning $313,600 for The Tactical Landing Stable. He paid $3.60 to win.
Sent the 1-2 favorite, Met's Hall delivered a wire-to-wire 1:51.2 performance in the first division of the Bluegrass colt trot.
Andy Miller put the Julie Miller-trained Cantab Hall colt on the point as Evaluate secured the pocket from post one. Met's Hall trotted to the quarter in :28.2 and faced no pressure to the half, timed in :56.1.
Maxus, positioned fourth, moved first over heading into the final turn tracked by Shoshie Deo second over. Met's Hall maintained a length lead past thre-quarter in 1:25.1 and initiated a sprint into the stretch. Maxus lost stride, leaving Evaluate to chase from the pocket two lengths away at the wire along with Fashionwoodchopper in third. Shoshie Deo took fourth.
Earning $964,754, Met's Hall won his fourth race from nine starts this season and his ninth from 20 overall. The $3.00 winner races for Stroy Inc. and the Andy Miller Stable Inc.
Grand Circuit action continues at The Red Mile on Thursday, Oct. 4 with divisions of the $350,000 est. International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters. First-race post Thursday will be at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).
By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile