Lexington, KY — The four divisions of the Allerage Farms on the Kentucky Futurity undercard at The Red Mile on Sunday (Oct. 5) saw a pair of track records lowered when favorites Periculum and Twin B Joe Fresh found the winner’s circle in their respective divisions.
Periculum overpowered stablemate Aetos Kronos S late in a duel to the finish of a track-record 1:49.3 mile in the $160,000 Grade 3 Allerage Trot, sponsored by Armitage Farms.
Leaving from post two, driver Scott Zeron floated Periculum into sixth behind Aetos Kronos S (driven by Dexter Dunn) and French Wine (Jason Bartlett) while Logan Park (Doug McNair) motored off the car for the lead to a :26.4 first quarter. Logan Park muscled up the backstretch under minimal challenge to a :55 half, where Aetos Kronos S pulled off the pegs and committed for an uncovered blitz with French Wine and Periculum following suit on the rim. Aetos Kronos S pushed past tiring Logan Park through three-quarters in 1:23.1 and set down on a straight path for home as French Wine and Periculum fanned off cover. Periculum built momentum to the center of the track and reached forward in the last eighth to edge a neck in front of Aetos Kronos S at the finish. French Wine settled for third between horses, beaten under a length, with Get A Wish DK (Tim Tetrick) rallying over the top of the competition for fourth.
“I gave myself a few options heading into the first turn in case Dexter wanted to power-move [Aetos] Kronos and then I had French Wine in front of me,” Scott Zeron said after the race, “so I just weighed the options and ended up in a good situation.”
The 1:49.3 win by Periculum matches his lifetime-best taken at The Meadowlands in the John Cashman Memorial on Hambletonian Day and also lowers the track record for aged trotting stallions from 1:50.1, set in early September 2020 by Paul Kelley trainee The Veteran in an overnight race. This win is also his fifth of the year from nine starts and the 16th in his career from 59 starts, pushing his career earnings to $1,901,854. Marcus Melander trains the 6-year-old stallion by Muscle Hill-Amour Heiress for owners Brixton Medical Inc. and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd.
Sent the 3-5 favorite, Periculum paid $3.58 to win.
Twin B Joe Fresh (Dexter Dunn) led every step in the $64,000 Catch The Fire Allerage Mares Pace, sponsored by Sugar Valley Farms, and withstood a late bid from Sylvia Hanover (Tim Tetrick) to post a track-record win in 1:47.3. Dunn sent Twin B Joe Fresh to the top and cruised through a clip of :27.1, :54.4 and 1:21.4 while peeling away from Sylvia Hanover when accelerating through the last turn. She spun for home on a 2-1/2-length lead that gradually diminished as Sylvia Hanover gathered speed in the last eighth. Twin B Joe Fresh held firmly for the win by a half length with Yankee B Something (Andy McCarthy), the only other starter in the race, well behind in third.
“I can’t say what she’s earned; she’s earned a lot of respect,” trainer Chris Ryder said after the race. “Occasional people I run across drive three, seven hours to come and watch her race, so what bigger compliment can a horse get than that? We’re just thrilled that she came through and put on a show. What can I say? She’s just a fantastic experience.”
Last year’s Dan Patch Horse of the Year, Twin B Joe Fresh notched her sixth win from nine starts this season and her 36th victory from 49 starts in her career, accruing $2,862,479 in earnings for owners Chris Ryder, Dexter Dunn, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak. Her 1:47.3 victory also lowers the track record for older pacing mares of 1:48 set in October of 2020 by Nancy Takter trainee Kissin In The Sand.
Ryder after the race also said that Twin B Joe Fresh appears set to continue her racing career into her 6-year-old season.
“As long as she stays as good as she is, I believe we’ll race next year,” Ryder said. “It’s not official, but it’s looking that way.”
Off the 1-9 favorite, Twin B Joe Fresh paid $2.24 to win.
Date Night Hanover (Dexter Dunn) kept her composure chasing Warrawee Michelle in a far-turn sprint and regrouped for a stretch rally to down the favorite in the final strides of a 1:49.2 mile to win the $80,000 Helpisontheway Allerage Mare Trot, sponsored by Wiesman Farms.
Dunn situated Date Night Hanover behind Warrawee Michelle (Ake Svanstedt) to race fourth through a :27.4 first quarter cut by Nelsonbriteagle NO (Todd McCarthy). Svanstedt lifted Warrawee Michelle out of third up the backstretch and brushed to the lead while Date Night Hanover tracked her move but stalled into a :55.4 half. Warrawee Michelle maintained her speed through the turn and a gap developed behind for Dunn to tuck Date Night Hanover into as he held her together in the sprint to three-quarters in 1:22. Dunn then tipped Date Night Hanover outside for a last-ditch charge and sprinted in tandem with Warrawee Michelle through the last eighth before nudging a nose in front at the beam for the win. Nelsonbriteagle NO gave pursuit in third, another two lengths behind, and Bravo Angel S (Jason Bartlett) chased off a ground-saving trip for fourth.
“I was more wondering whether I got up or not,” Dexter Dunn said after the race when asked about the mile time. “It was pretty tight on the finish. Ake’s mare is obviously a great mare and was fighting back really hard at this girl, but this is by far her favorite track. She’s got a great record here and she put in a great effort today.”
Marcus Melander trains Date Night Hanover, a 4-year-old trotting mare by Chapter Seven-Don’t Wait Up, for owners Jeff Snyder and Onda Racing Stable LLC. She won her third race from 11 starts this year and her 12th race from 39 starts in her career, amassing $932,896 in earnings. Off the third choice in the betting, she paid $10.64 to win.
Ken Hanover (David Miller) swarmed tiring Captain Albano (Todd McCarthy) in the last turn and maintained his speed to the finish of a 1:48.1 mile to win the $145,500 Grade 3 Allerage Open Pace, sponsored by Jeff and Paula Gural.
Captain Albano rolled forward on the outside through a :27.2 first quarter but struggled to clear command from Captain Luke (Dexter Dunn) up the backstretch. McCarthy eventually planted Captain Albano on the point just before a :54 half, where Miller gave Ken Hanover his cue to attack out of fourth. Ken Hanover swooped by Captain Albano past three-quarters in 1:21.3 and paced sturdily to the finish for a half-length win. Abuckabett Hanover (Scott Zeron) ripped from last to take second with Admiral Hill (Yannick Gingras) also closing to take third and Muskateer Hanover (Tim Tetrick) pushing between horses for fourth.
“Right off the gate there were two or three of them pushing out of there and I was able to catch a seat,” David Miller said after the race. “But [by a quarter] in :27.2 I was like ‘That’s not enough.’ Toddy had to work to get to the lead. My horse, he just felt really good today. He’s been a really good horse since he was 2. He’s gotten way better, way stronger the older he’s gotten.”
Roland Mallar trains Ken Hanover, a 5-year-old son of Captaintreacherous-KJ’s Justine, and co-owns the stallion with Patrick Leavitt, William Jordan and Dennis Osterholt. The stallion won his seventh race from 12 starts this season and his 20th race from 55 starts in his career to push past the million-dollar plateau with $1,038,800 in earnings. He paid $11.34 to win.