Lexington, KY – Adios and Carl Milstein Memorial champ Prince Hal Hanover returned from a defeat in the Little Brown Jug and stretched his speed for a dominant 1:47.2 performance to win the second of three divisions for the $212,000 Bluegrass 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace – a division sponsored by Anvil and Lace Farm – on Saturday (Sept. 27) at The Red Mile.
Fallout (driven by Tim Tetrick) flew for the lead early and cut a :26.2 first quarter before driver Todd McCarthy slipped out of the pocket and perched Prince Hal Hanover onto the point. Prince Hal Hanover rolled by a :54 half and hit the accelerator in the far turn once confronted by headstrong Madden Oaks (Braxten Boyd) as he attempted a first-over bid out of third. Madden Oaks folded in his challenge after three-quarters in 1:21.1 while Prince Hal Hanover reached deeper into the well and widened his advantage in the final eighth to register a 2-3/4-length victory. Railroad Station (Yannick Gingras) brushed by tired horses to the center of the track for second with Madden Oaks settling for third and Fallout taking fourth.
“That was a good effort for him,” Todd McCarthy said. “He’s had a big year and it’s a real credit to Ian [Moore] and the job he’s done with the horse. He’s just such a hearty bugger – he shows up and he does his job. Once he took off again, he paced all the way to the wire. He was very impressive.”
Dr. Ian Moore trains Prince Hal Hanover, a Captaintreacherous colt out of a former Moore pupil and Breeders Crown winner in Percy Bluechip, for Prince Hal Hanover Stable. The colt won his sixth race from 15 starts this season and his eighth race from 25 starts in her career, earning $1,009,095. He paid $3.08 to win.
Captain Optimistic (Scott Zeron) commandeered his competition and stayed game from fast fractions to score a 1:48 victory in the first Bluegrass male pace division, sponsored by the Tall Dark Stranger Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms.
Zeron zipped Captain Optimistic to the lead out of post 6 and clocked a :26.2 first quarter when grabbing control from pylon-starter D A Love Boat (Yannick Gingras). Captain Optimistic maintained his speed up the backside to a :53.3 half and through the final turn, passing three-quarters in 1:21. Waffle Blue Chip (Tim Tetrick) charged from third coming for home to challenge Captain Optimistic as he wavered from his early speed, but Captain Optimistic fought to the finish and held off Waffle Blue Chip by three-quarter lengths at the line. TH Colby (Todd McCarthy) came from second over for third and D A Love Boat gave pursuit from fourth.
“He’s been good for us all year,” said Alan Katz, who co-owns Captain Optimistic through 3 Brothers Stables. “It’s a pleasure owning him. He’s never put a bad race in. I wish I had more like him. He can go either on the front or come from behind, it don’t matter. He gives them all he’s got.”
Nancy Takter trains Captain Optimistic, a Captaintreacherous-Cinamony colt with 11 wins from 24 starts and $861,328 earned, for owners 3 Brothers Stables, Marvin Katz and Caviart Farms. Sent as the 1-5 chalk, he paid $2.42 to win.
Fusion (Todd McCarthy) capitalized off fast fractions to score a 1:48.4 win in the final division of the Bluegrass male pace, sponsored by the Tall Dark Stranger Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms.
McCarthy placed Fusion into fifth out of post 2 and sat off a shuffle for the lead through a :27.1 first quarter. Interstatedaydream (Andy Miller) relinquished command to 2-5 favorite Papis Pistol (Jason Bartlett), who then endured pressure from Strangerinthenight (Marvin Luna) before letting that rival go in a :53.1 half. Strangerinthenight maintained his speed through the turn as McCarthy found brief cover for Fusion to follow outside from Delray Beach (Devon Tharps) before flipping three wide past three-quarters in 1:20.3. Fusion progressed down the center of the track in the stretch, passing tiring horses while staying strong under late pressure from rallying Lite Up The World (Doug McNair) to clinch a nose victory. Banderas (Scott Zeron) closed from near last for third and Strangerinthenight held fourth.
“He kind of fought like his mother did there at the wire,” said Adam Bowden of Diamond Creek Racing, who bred the Always B Miki colt out of three-time Dan Patch Award winner Pure Country. “She was one of those fillies that we loved from the second she came and she’s finally given us another good one here.”
Brett Pelling trains Fusion, a now five-time winner from nine starts this season and a nine-time winner from 15 starts in his career. The colt has bagged $211,947 and returned $18.46 to win.
Racing resumes at The Red Mile on Friday (Oct. 3) with International Stallion Stakes divisions for 2-year-old trotting males and 2-year-old pacing fillies. Friday’s card will also feature a $19,846.16 carryover in the 50-cent Pick 5, which starts in Race 3 and has a takeout of just 12 percent.
First-race post time at The Red Mile is 1 p.m. (EDT).