Lexington, KY – Captain Arturovico and Unreasonable both landed as odds-on favorites in their respective $35,000 third-preliminary divisions of Kentucky Sire Stakes at The Red Mile on Monday afternoon (Sept. 14).
Ron Burke trainee Captain Arturovico (driven by Dexter Dunn) launched off a pocket ride and romped to a 1:48.4 score in the Kentucky Sire Stakes division for 4-year-old pacing males. Dunn settled from the pylon spot into a seat behind Damn The Torpedoes (Tim Tetrick) approaching a :27.1 first quarter and stayed put through a :54.2 half. He then angled from the pocket rounding past three-quarters in 1:22.4 and zipped away from the competition to cross the beam a 6-1/4-length winner chased by Somelousomewhere (Todd McCarthy) in second. Damn The Torpedoes settled for third and Whelk Blue Chip (Josh Sutton) took fourth.
A 4-year-old gelding by Captaintreacherous-Tilikum, Captain Arturovico won his eighth race from 18 starts this season and his 20th race from 48 starts in his career, banking $604,319. He competes for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Larry Karr and Phil Collura. Sent the 2-5 favorite, he paid $2.40 to win.
Unreasonable (Todd McCarthy) capitalized from a major scratch in Three Times Bettor and went down the road in the Kentucky Sire Stakes division for 4-year-old pacing mares in a 1:49 mile. McCarthy cut a clip of :28, :55.2 and 1:23.1 before fending off a bid from pocket-sitter Champagne Room (Tim Tetrick) in the stretch to win by 1-1/4 lengths. Odds On Chesapeake (Scott Zeron) followed in third and Caviart Delight (David Miller) took fourth.
Andrew Harris trains Unreasonable, a 4-year-old mare by Huntsville-Roaring To Go, for owner Punisher 11 Stable LLC. The mare won her fifth race from 14 starts this season and her 16th race from 40 starts in her career, amassing $1,020,280, and paid $3.32 to win.
Trainer Carter Pinske registered a hat trick on the Monday card. His first win came in an $8,300 overnight pace when Beach Formal (Todd McCarthy, 1:53 winning mile; $12.38 to win) converted a pocket trip to victory, and Pinske immediately returned to the winner’s circle in the following race when taking the first Kentucky Wildcat Series division of the day for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings with Father Tom (Dexter Dunn, 1:55.2; $30.42). Pinske wrapped the hat trick by taking the opening dash of the Wildcat Series for freshman pacing males with Homeland (Scott Zeron, 1:53.2; $10.86).
Live harness racing action at The Red Mile resumes on Tuesday (Sept. 15) with a 13-race card headlined by the $35,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes third preliminary for 4-year-old trotting males. A $35,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes division for 4-year-old trotting mares will also be contested on Tuesday prior to the pari-mutuel card. First-race post time is 1 p.m. (EDT).