Lexington, KY — Dancin Champion and Date Night Hanover captured their respective $80,000 third-round legs of the Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series on Tuesday (Aug. 20) at the Red Mile.
In the event for 3-year-old male pacers, 21-1 outsider Dancin Champion (David Miller) used an inside move to defeat favorite Nuclear by a neck (Dexter Dunn) in a lifetime best 1:50.1. Arson (Scott Zeron) was third in this event for 3-year-old male pacers.
Leaving from post position five in the field of six, the son of Sweet Lou-Dancewiththebest landed in second right behind Nuclear, who clicked off fractions of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:24. Meanwhile, Miller and Dancin Champion were merely biding their time to make their own bid for victory. Nuclear proved to be a formidable foe, and it took a :25.4 final-quarter sprint for Dancin Champion to reach the wire in front.
Dancin Champion recorded his first win of this season and only the second win in his career, both of which have come in Lexington. The gelding sports a resume of 19-2-4-2 with $211,346 in the bank for Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services Inc., Weaver Bruscemi and J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby. He paid $45.28.
In the 3-year-old filly trot, Date Night Hanover (Dunn) went on the engine prior to the half-mile marker and cruised home over Pizzelle (Andrew McCarthy) in a lifetime best 1:51.2. Allegiant (Zeron) was third.
The Kentucky champion left from post position five in the field of six. Allegiant snatched the lead right off the gate and set the first fraction of :27.4 before Date Night Hanover brushed from fourth to establish middle splits of :56.3 and 1:24.3 with Allegiant giving futile chase through a :26.4 sprint home. Pizzelle closed well to finish second over Allegiant.
Marcus Melander trains the daughter of Chapter Seven-Don’t Wait Up, who has won seven times and amassed $511,109, for Jeffrey Snyder and ONDA Racing Stable. Date Night Hanover paid $2.96 to win.
Pisco Sour keeps winning streak alive in Commonwealth Series
With regular reinsman Tim Tetrick holding the lines for trainer Åke Svanstedt, Pisco Sour hit the line in front of Drawing Rights (Dunn) by a neck in the $30,000 third leg of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series for 3-year-old filly trotters in 1:53.2, scoring her third consecutive win. Local Honey (Yannick Gingras) was third.
Pisco Sour, a daughter of Walner-Blessed, has won five times and earned $112,370 for Jorgen Sparredal Inc. She paid $6.86 to win.
Fannie Lipkowitz provided Tetrick with a sweep of the Commonwealth Series events in the other division for sophomore filly pacers, setting a new lifetime mark of 1:52.4. House Of Love (Nicolas Roussel) was second; Star Attraction (Andy Miller) was third.
Lucas Wallin trains the daughter of Greenshoe-Ma Was Right, who has won four times and collected $121,550 in purse money, for Shermay Stables and Wallin Racing Stable. She paid $3.98.
Racing at the Red Mile continues on Sunday (Aug. 25) with a first post of 5:05 p.m. For free program pages, visit redmileky.com.