Lexington, KY — Driver Dexter Dunn sprung the latch with Gates Hanover in the straightaway to score in the first of three divisions of the $328,000 Captain Corey Bluegrass Stakes, for freshman trotting colts and geldings, on Thursday afternoon (Sept. 29) at the Red Mile.

Off the 5-2 favorite, Dunn slid Gates Hanover to the front before yielding for the pocket as French Wine crossed to the lead past a :28.2 first quarter. Strolling up the backside to a :56.3 half, French Wine attempted to quicken on the turn as Luke’s Bar progressed uncovered on the rim to soon match strides with the pacesetter by three-quarters in 1:24.4. Luke’s Bar forged to a narrow lead off the corner as French Wine folded, and Dunn fanned to the center of the course with the Åke Svanstedt pupil, hustled to the lead in the final eighth, and stopped the clock in 1:52.3 while three-quarters of a length better than Luke’s Bar. International Man sat a pylon trip for third and French Wine settled for fourth.

Gates Hanover hustled from an earned pocket to a mid-stretch lead in the first Bluegrass division.

“He’s just really handy,” Dexter Dunn said of Gates Hanover after the race. “His manners are great, he gets off the gate really well and, once he gets onto a helmet, he relaxes – a lot like Svanstedt’s [other] horses. They’re good to drive and its always a pleasure to drive for them.”

Gates Hanover collected his second win from seven starts to push his bankroll to $121,757 for owner S R F Stable. The son of Walner returned $7.44 to win.

A first-half snooze became a wake-up call for the competition as 22-1 shot Espresso scooted to an easy lead with a soft pace and sealed the job to take the second Captain Corey division in 1:54.

Espresso snagged the top from post eight to a :28.3 first quarter with Designer Drink sitting second and Brodeur in third. The field stretched up the backside despite Espresso slowing proceedings to a :58 half while also widening to an open-length advantage. Driver Andy Miller then released the pads and sped to three-quarters in 1:25.3 with the backfield spinning their wheels to close. The Julie Miller-trained Chapter Seven gelding slowed to the finish, but built enough cushion to withstand a late-charging Crown by 1-1/4 lengths with Excaliber Bi rallying for third and Kierkegaard K taking fourth.

Espresso brewed up a 22-1 upset in the second division of the Bluegrass.

“Nobody was really leaving; I don’t think anybody wanted the front and neither did I, really,” Andy Miller said after the race. “He got away [with] cheap enough [fractions] and it worked out. He impressed me pretty good today … off a slow half like that, and then he took off and kept digging right to the wire.”

Winning his fourth race from eight starts, Espresso has now banked $162,500 for owners Andy Miller Stable, Louis Willinger, Mortgage Boys Stable and L Berg Inc. He paid $46.16 to win.

Dexter Dunn bookended the Captain Corey splits by delivering 4-5 favorite Ari Ferrari J to a maiden-breaking victory in 1:54.2.

Ari Ferrari J gave driver Dexter Dunn a double in the Bluegrass for rookie male trotters. Amanda Stephens photos.

Ari Ferrari J floated off the wings to race fifth to a :28.4 first quarter set by Kimmeridgian, who then obliged for the pocket when Purple Lord circled to the front on the backstretch. By a :57 half, and with just five of the seven maintaining stride throughout, Cecil Hanover moved first-over with Ari Ferrari J in tow to tackle Purple Lord to three-quarters in 1:25.3. Purple Lord repelled that challenge angling for home, but gave even pursuit when Ari Ferrari J motored to the lead. Upstaged rallied down the center to secure second, beaten a half length, with Purple Lord settling for third and Kimmeridgian taking fourth.

“He just had one thing go wrong after another, no fault of his,” winning trainer Tony Alagna said after the race. “The good thing about it is Ken Jacobs, who owns him, couldn’t have been more patient with the horse. And Dexter never wavered; Dexter always knew the horse had ability. He rode him out the whole time and that’s been a huge benefit to get this horse where he’s at today.”

Despite now having one victory from nine outings, Ari Ferrari J has $202,600 in his coffers for Ken Jacobs. The colt by Walner paid $3.76 to win.

Each division of the Captain Corey Bluegrass Stakes was sponsored by the Captain Corey Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farm.