by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager

Lexington, KY — Grand Circuit action continued at The Red Mile on Friday (Oct. 7) with four divisions in the $303,000 International Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters. Each of the divisions carried a purse of $75,750.

Possess The Will rallied on the outside to win his ISS division in a national season’s record time of 1:54.

The second division saw Fashion Farms’ Possess The Will rally in the stretch to score in a time of 1:54, a national season’s record for a freshman trotting colt on a mile track. Trained by Jim Campbell and driven by Tim Tetrick, the son of Donato Hanover-Aurora Hall posted his second straight stakes win at The Red Mile and his fourth overall in eight starts. Possess The Will has now earned $173,289 in his juvenile campaign.

Wellwood Memorial runner-up Money On My Mind and Andy Miller cut the fractions in this mile, hitting the quarter in :28, the half in :56.2 and the three-quarters in 1:25.4.

Possess The Will sat fourth throughout the mile, followed the cover of Gym Tan Laundry (Brian Sears) on the final turn, then won a tight photo with that one in the 1:54 clocking. Muscolo (Ray Schnittker) finished third, while Money On My Mind slipped to fifth.

“I have a lot of confidence in my colt, he’s been good all year, except for a little stint in Canada when he got sick,” said Tetrick. “He raced really well last week and today we changed up and came off cover and he was just as good today. He trotted all the way to the wire and beat some nice colts doing it.

“I think he’s right up there (with the best of the division). He’s got a lot of speed and he can carry it a long ways. Every week he gets better and stronger. He’s a really big, growthy colt, so he’s catching up to his gait quicker than a lot of them do and he’s carrying it well.”

In the opening division, Richard Keys’ homebred Big Chocolate took advatange of a pocket trip to score in a lifetime best 1:54.3. Davd Miller was in the bike for trainer Homer Hochstetler as the son of Chocolatier-Shez Mine won for the second time in 10 trips behind the gate, while lifting his bankroll to $201,560.

Nagini and Ron Pierce fired out of the seven hole to take the lead at the opening quarter in :28.2 with Big Chocolate sitting comfortably in the two hole. The leaders remained in the same order through the half-mile marker in :58.

Heading to the 1:27 three-quarter pole, Mr Chicago and Yannick Gingras took their shot at the leader by coming first over, but turning for home that bid was short lived. That allowed Big Chocolate room to vacate the pocket and he powered past Nagini to take the lead and went on to an impressive victory.

Lindys Jersey Boy (Tim Tetrick) rallied to finish second, while Mr Chicago was third. Nagini made a break in the stretch and faded to sixth.

“I liked him from the get go,” said trainer Homer Hochstetler of Big Chocolate. “He was always a nice, big, strong, very kind horse. He’s had a few issues, not soundness issues, but physical issues this summer. But he looked like he was good tonight.

“Personally I like him better off the back, but he’s pretty handy off the gate and he doesn’t really get steamed up too much. Where he was tonight, I thought David drove him perfect.

“I think he’s one of the best colts going. I thought that all summer.”

Nigel Soult photos

From Above won the third division in a time of 1:54.4, a lifetime best.

In the third division, From Above rallied down the stretch for the second straight week to post his fourth victory in five lifetime starts in lowering his mark to 1:54.4. A winner in the Bluegrass Stakes in his last start, the son of Donato Hanover-Marita’s Victory was driven to victory on Friday by Brian Sears. Greg Peck trains the colt and co-owns along with Jeff Snyder, Patricia Bolte and Guida Racing Stable. From Above paid $13.00 in taking his career bankroll to $83,050.

Pekoe Fashion (Dave Palone) was the early leader at the quarter in :29, then yielded to Power Play (David Miller) who led at the half in :56 and the three-quarters in 1:25.2.

Down the stretch, Power Play bumped into a fast closing Delano on the outside and then interfered with Pekoe Fashion on the inside, which virtually took all three of those horses out of the race. That allowed From Above to grab the lead and he went on to score over Uncle Peter (Jimmy Takter) with Norway Hanover (Jody Jamieson) third. Delano recovered to finish fourth, with Pekoe Fashion fifth and Power Play sixth.

“Brian, if you watched him, obviously he’s got the ice in his veins,” said Peck. “He sat there gapped — I had my heart in my throat there for awhile — he just timed it right and that’s why he’s Brian Sears.

“It’s just nice to be here with the partners that I have on this horse. It just makes it a lot of fun..it really, really does.

“He has a lot of class, he’s light on his feet and he has an impeccable pedigree. As Lou Guiida said when we bought him last year, if you look at a pedigree from 1-10, he’s an 11. So let’s hope that carries with him.”

The final division went to Adam Victor & Son Stable’s Magic Tonight with a wire-to-wire effort in 1:55.4. Ron Pierce was in the bike for trainer Noel Daley as the Andover Hall-Miss Possessed colt made it back-to-back Grand Circuit wins at The Red Mile. The victory was his third in just five career starts, lifting his bankroll to $93,800.

Pierce put Magic Tonight on the front end from post three and then tapped the brakes as the field hit the opening quarter in :30.2. They continued to lead through rated middle fractions of :58.3 and 1:28. Down the lane it was all Magic Tonight as he trotted a final quarter in :27.4 to hit the wire in 1:55.4. Melt In Your Mouth (Jody Jamieson) took advantage of the pocket trip to finish second while Scary Good (Brian Sears) was placed third after Highland Yankee was set back to fifth for a pylon violation.

“We cruised down to the quarter in :30.2,” said Pierce. “I stepped him up a little bit down the back, 29 seconds or so, and he felt fine going into the last turn. He was still trotting real nice, very relaxed. I asked him for a little bit more and he did. Turning for home, they started to come at us, and I asked him for a lot more and he just took off.

“Noel did a great job in pointing him towards this meet; he’s really come a long ways.”