Lexington, KY — Louprint and Luna Lovegood won their respective $80,000 fourth-round Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series events on Tuesday (Sept. 3) at the Red Mile.
In the 2-year-old male pacing division, Louprint (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) rallied down the outside to score over American Son (Dexter Dunn) by a neck in a lifetime best 1:49. Sippinonsearoc (Yannick Gingras), the fastest 2-year-old pacer in harness racing history, was third.
Commencing his mile from the rail, the son of Sweet Lou-Rockin Racer settled in fourth position in the field of six leaving the gate. Stablemate Sippinonsearoc went right to the top and posted fractions of :28, :55 and 1:22. Shipmaster (Todd McCarthy) was right behind the world champion with American Son in third and Louprint remaining in fourth.
When the field rounded the final bend, Sippinonsearoc’s early efforts took some starch out of him, as American Son and Louprint saved their best for last. In a stirring final drive to the line, Louprint battled with American Son and a game Sippinonsearoc. Louprint’s :26.1 final panel enabled him to enter the winner’s enclosure.
Louprint improved his record to 6-5-1-0 and boosted his bank account to $159,864. The Ron Burke trainee’s only defeat was to Sippinonsearoc by a neck in the first leg of this series. Louprint has since defeated Sippinonsearoc in their last two engagements.
The colt, who competes as a homebred for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phil Collura, paid $3.14 to win.
Luna Lovegood collected her second consecutive win in the 2-year-old filly trot with a smart steer by Dexter Dunn. The daughter of Gimpanzee-Southwind Venus held off a late charge by R Dutchess (Jody Jamieson) in the lane to stop the clock in 1:53. Torrisi (Gingras) snatched the show spot.
Luna Lovegood began trotting from post position five in the field of nine. Gingras placed his charge immediately on the front while the eventual winner sat third. Torrisi clicked off splits of :29.4, :57.2 and 1:26 with first-leg winner Yo Tillie in second.
Dunn and his pupil made their move entering the stretch. Luna Lovegood simply had more trot than R Dutchess, who closed from fifth, and the previous two leaders. The filly came home in :26.3.
Conditioned by Marcus Melander, Luna Lovegood’s résumé now stands at 4-3-0-0 and she has earned $120,000 in purse money. The filly, bred by Blue Chip Farms and Stefan Melander, paid $6.42 as the second choice.
Gingras, Takter double up in Commonwealth Series
Fusion and Gingras won by a neck in 1:50.4 in the $30,000 fourth leg of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series for 2-year-old male pacers as the heavy favorite. Higher Ground (Andy Miller) was second and Bourbon County (Todd McCarthy) was third.
The son of Horse of the Year Always B Miki and multiple Dan Patch Award winner Pure Country was the heavy favorite and improved his career slate to 4-3-1. The colt has amassed $52,500. The only blemish on his record is a loss to American Son in the second leg of this series. American Son gave Louprint all he could handle with a world champion behind him in third.
Trained by Nancy Takter, Fusion races for Diamond Creek Farm’s racing contingent. He paid $2.14.
Deja Blu also has regal blood rolling through her veins. The daughter of Horse of the Year Muscle Hill and 2018 Hambletonian winner Atlanta established a new lifetime mark of 1:53 and collected her third consecutive victory in the fourth leg of the Commonwealth Series for freshman trotting fillies. Winnpanzee (Todd McCarthy) was second and Esme (Tim Tetrick) was third.
Also trained by Takter, Deja Blu was bred by Crawford Farms Racing, Bradley Grant and Howard Taylor. The filly is owned by Crawford Farms Racing and Thomas Pontone.
Deja Blu is now 5-3-0-0 and possesses a bankroll of $51,400. She paid $2.60.
Unlike her colleagues, Kadena, a daughter of Muscle Hill and Dan Patch Award winner Mission Brief did not have her picture taken. The filly and driver Dexter Dunn were second to Swoop (Tim Tetrick) in the second fourth-round division of the Commonwealth Series for 2-year-old trotting fillies. Voguish (Gingras) was third.
By Walner and out of Batoutahill, Swoop broke her maiden in her fifth lifetime start, so the final time of 1:54.4 is her new mark.
She was bred Steve Stewart and Michael Andrew and is owned by Harbor Racing Stable, Walling Racing Stable, Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing, and Van Camp Trotting Corp., and she paid $32.06 to win.
Racing at the Red Mile continues on the same Sunday, Monday, Tuesday schedule on Sept. 8, 9 and 10. First post is 5:05 p.m. on Sunday and at 1 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. The lucrative Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship finals will be conducted on Sunday (Sept. 15).
For free program pages, visit redmileky.com.