Lexington, KY — Frantic Hanover comes south to Lexington off a defeat in the C$1 million Grade 1 Metro Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park and looks to return to his winning ways in the second of three divisions of the $264,000 International Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old pacing males on Saturday (Oct. 4) at the Red Mile.
A colt by Stay Hungry-Francessa, Frantic Hanover suffered the only defeat of his career when sitting a bottled trip in the pocket and obtaining clearance too late in the Metro Pace, settling for second to local sensation Beau Jangles. Tim Tetrick pilots the Ron Burke trainee from post 7, listed at 6-5 on the morning line, in a nine-horse contest carded as Race 10 and sponsored by the Beach Glass Syndicate and Winbak Farm. This division also draws Andrew Harris trainee Brandon Blvd, who enters off a 1:49.1 win at 1-9 in his Bluegrass division last week. Dexter Dunn drives the colt by Downbytheseaside-Alexis Faith from post 9. Signal Caller, a 1:48.4 winner in a Bluegrass division when capitalizing on fast fractions set by Thai Hanover (who competes in this division from post 6), also lands in this contest from post 4 with Andy McCarthy driving for trainer Noel Daley.
Ron Burke also sends the morning-line favorite in the first division for freshman pacing males, scheduled as Race 3 on the day and sponsored by the Captaintreacherous Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms. Bluegrass division winner Melillo, a homebred Sweet Lou-Rosemary Rose colt, starts from post 6 off a 1:50.1 victory under wraps at odds of 1-9 and retains Yannick Gingras between the wheels. Melillo is one of three in the division for Burke, with his other two being Bluegrass division runner-ups Winnercircleseeker from post 5 with Chris Page driving and Another C Note from post 9 with Tim Tetrick at the lines. The field also attracts Daniel Lagace’s Sweet Lou-Lover’s Dream colt Sweet Lovin Lou, who will start from post 4 after a third-place closing effort in the Metro Pace two weeks ago.
And then in the closing division for freshman pacing males, which is carded as Race 11 and sponsored by Midland Acres, Burke again packs the strongest punch with the three favorites on the morning line. Regally bred Ubrute, a colt by Tall Dark Stranger-Warrawee Ubeaut set as the 6-5 morning-line chalk, looks to improve from his runner-up effort to Signal Caller in that quick-clip Bluegrass division. He starts just outside of Al Papi, a homebred Papi Rob Hanover-Baron Remy colt who finished runner-up to Frantic Hanover in the $300,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final on Sept. 5, in post 5 and a few slots wide of stablemate Lindy Dragonwater, a Downbytheseaside-Imagine Dragon gelding returning to Lexington off a 1:51 victory at odds-on in the Ohio Sire Stakes championship. Dexter Dunn will drive Al Papi while Chris Page has the call on Lindy Dragonwater.
Saturday’s card also features three divisions of the $324,000 International Stallion Stakes of 2-year-old trotting fillies starting with Race 4, which is sponsored by the Tactical Landing Syndicate and Hickory Lane Farm. Jim Oscarsson pupil Southwind Chaska returns off a lifetime-best 1:51.4 win in a Bluegrass division as the 9-5 morning line choice from post 4 with Tim Tetrick in the bike. She starts inside of Emmas Mystery CCL, a Noel Daley-trained daughter of Muscle Hill-Mistery Woman, as the New Jersey Sires Stakes champion enters here following a third-place effort as the 6-5 favorite in the Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes at Harrah’s Hoosier Park two weeks ago. Andy McCarthy has the drive from post 5.
The second division for freshman trotting fillies, carded as Race 6 and sponsored by the Captain Corey Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms, aligns Bluegrass divisional winners Sparks and Jailbird Jog from bookend posts. Trainer Åke Svanstedt steers Sparks, a Walner-Sheer Energy filly, off a stalking burst to a 1:53.1 win in her division, from the pylon post while James MacDonald navigates Jailbird Jog, a Tactical Landing-Miss Don Fanucci S filly, out of post 9 for trainer Eric Patalan following her effortless 1:52.2 win in her division last week. Meanwhile, trainer Noel Daley sends the 9-5 morning line favorite with Carve, a daughter of Captain Corey-Alpine, fresh from a runner-up effort to Southwind Chaska as the 3-2 favorite in her Bluegrass division. Andy McCarthy has the drive out of post 4.
Freshman trotting fillies wrap their afternoon assignments in Race 8, a division sponsored by Tara Hills Stud. Jim Doherty Memorial champion Atlantic Summer earns morning-line favoritism with a 2-1 listing as she looks to make amends from an eighth-place finish in the Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes two weeks ago. Yannick Gingras drives the Ron Burke-trained Captain Corey-Perfect Summer K filly from post 7 in the nine-horse affair.
Saturday’s 13-race card also features a $7,500 guarantee in the Early Pick-4, which begins in Race 6. Every Pick-4, as well as the 50-cent Pick-5, at the Red Mile features an industry-low takeout of 12%.
First-race post time at the Red Mile is 1 p.m. (EDT).