Zeron sweeps Kentucky Sires Stakes filly trots
August 16, 2018,by Nick Salvi, for The Red Mile
Lexington, KY — The 2018 edition of the Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) got underway on Thursday evening (Aug. 16) at the historic Red Mile, with five $30,000 divisions of leg one (three for the fillies and two for colts) covering the first five races, and Hambletonian winning driver Scott Zeron reprising his way with the ladies by winning all three of the filly splits.
Nigel Soult photo
French Cafe and Scott Zeron coasted to a 1:54.4 win in Kentucky Sires Stakes action Thursday.
French Cafe was a 1:54.4 winner in the first filly division (race two) for Zeron, who was subbing for trainer Julie Miler’s husband Andy. The pair rolled up uncovered then powered by for an open-length win over early leader Can’t Touch It (Takter) and Lindy Pearl (Brett Miller). French Cafe, by Father Patrick, won for the third time and took a new career mark for breeder-owners Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld.
Zeron came right back in the third race to score with the Dreamville Stables’ flashy Trixton filly Dark As A Pocket for a familiar connection in trainer Paula Wellwood in 1:55.4. She won her third straight and was well in hand in an uncovered move around turn two for the score over Asiago (Takter) and Feel Invincible AS (Elliott Deaton). Dark As A Pocket is a Lexington Selected Yearling Sale graduate who brought $90,000 for breeders Steve Stewart, Kemppi Stables Oy and Pond-A-Acres.
The cleverly named Taylor Swiftly was arguably the most impressive of tonight’s winners, storming by the field through the stretch in :27.3 off a second-over ride for Zeron in a 1:55.1 mile with the greatest of ease. Whispering Oaks (Gingras) was up close throughout but had no answer for the winner, while Graceful (Pat Lachance) rallied for third. Taylor Swiftly is a Lindy Farms homebred from the first crop of Trixton, and is trained by Domenico Cecere.
Peter Haughton Memorial winner Don’t Let’em went away as the prohibitive 1-9 favorite in the first race, but went off stride while settled in fourth midway up the backstretch, taking a significant show pool bridge jumper with him as he didn’t set quickly enough to recover for a placing.
Barn mate Super Schissel saved the day for the Jimmy Takter stable, with the trainer driving him to a 1:56 win while triggering a mutuel return of $84.40. Reign Of Honor (Lachance) closed to be second returning $177 to place and $150 to show, while Manatlas (Brett Miller) paid $90 to show.
This was the first career win for Super Schissel, a son of first-crop sire Uncle Peter and a $115,000 Lexington Selected Sale buy for the account of Al Libfeld and Perry Soderberg. Coyote Wind Farms is the breeder.
Mike Wilder, fresh back from a trip to Ireland for the Vincent Delaney Memorial, was a winner in the other colt split with Forecast for trainer John Butenschoen. Wilder held his charge well back early then closed hard while widest of all through the stretch, trotting a :28 end to the 1:56 mile over Practical Cat (Gingras) and Lindy’s Crazy Hall (Zeron). The winner is owned by Wiswell, Goehlen and Schick, who paid $70,000 for the Diamond Creek-bred in Lexington last fall.
KYSS freshman pacers will race on Saturday evening (Aug. 18) at The Red Mile with a 7:00 p.m. post time.