by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager
Lexington, KY — The Saturday night (Oct. 1) card at The Red Mile featured four divisions in the $386,000 Bluegrass Series for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers.

Nigel Soult photo
Simply Business (#2) held off Escape The News in a time of 1:53.
Metro Pace champion Simply Business captured the $96,500 fourth and final divison of the night in a time of 1:53. Ron Pierce was in the bike for trainer Jimmy Takter as the $350,000 yearling won for the fourth time in seven trips behind the gate, lifting his bankroll to $661,798. The son of Rocknroll Hanover-Cathedra Dot Com is owned by Brixton Medical AB, Order By Stable, Louie Camara and Mkatz Alibfeld Sgoldband.
Rockin Finish and Randy Waples cut the fractions in this race, taking the field to the quarter in :27.2, the half in :56.1 and the three-quarters in 1:26.1. Simply Business sat fourth for the opening half-mile, then pulled off the rail down the backstretch and was first over at the three-quarters. He then paced right on by Rockin Finish and took over the lead, before holding off Escape The News (Brian Sears) by a head at the wire. Terrorist Alert was third for Jody Jamieson. “He hadn’t raced in a month since he won the Metro,” said co-owner Marvin Katz. “That’s a big assignement for a 2-year-old to go up to Canada; he was second in the Wilson, won in the Metro, then came here to Lexington, and after a month layoff to come back here and win like this — only a top flight colt can do that — and he is that.” Kentucky Sire Stakes champion Bolt The Duer (Ponder-Wonderolt) took advantage of a pocket trip to nip favored Sweet Lou at the wire in a time of 1:52.2 to win the $96,500 opening division. Owned by All Star Racing Inc., trained by Pete Foley and driven by Mike Lachance, Bolt The Duer won for the sixth time in seven lifetime starts. He has earned $207,350 in his brief career.
Bettor’s Edge and Jody Jamieson took the field past the opening quarter in :28, before yielding to Sweet Lou and Dave Palone, who set middle splits of :56.1 and 1:25.4. But Lachance took aim at the leader in the stretch and Bolt The Duer ($9.60) got up in the final strides for the 1:52.2 win. Bettor’s Edge hung on for the show dough.
“I know he’s just a good horse that keeps putting out,” said Foley. “Mike gave him a great drive and he got soft fractions — a quarter in :28 and a half in :56. It was easy and I thought he could pick him (Sweet Lou) back easy. He just keeps giving.
“We don’t want to be too hard on him — he was a June foal. We’ll race him next week and then give the Breeders Crown a shot.”

USTA/Mark Hall photo
A Rocknroll Dance was a 2-1/2 length winner for Yannick Gingras.
In the $96,500 second division, A Rocknroll Dance cruised to an easy 1:51 victory for driver Yannick Gingras. The Rocknroll Hanover-Wichita Hanover colt won for the third time in six trips behind the gate, lifting his bankroll to $381,900. The winner is co-owned by trainer Jim Mulinix, along with Denny Miller and Jerry and Theresa Silva.
EZpass Hanover and David Miller fired out of the gate from the nine hole and cut first half fractions of :27 and :55.3 with A Rocknroll Dance sitting fourth along the rail. But heading to the 1:24 three-quarter pole, Gingras pulled A Rocknroll Dance off the wood and he powered past the leaders and took over the front end on the final turn.
From there it was just a matter of what the winning margin would be as A Rocknroll Dance paced his final quarter in :27 to grab the winner’s share of the purse. EZpass Hanover held on for second, with Social Network third for John Campbell.
Co-owner Jerry Silva recently bought a share of the winner and liked what he saw on Saturday night.
“He just impressed us after his starts up in Canada (where he finished second in the $1.02 million Metro final) and I felt that he was something special and I liked the sire and I like getting involved with Jim (Mulinix). Jim is a great trainer. I really didn’t have any experience with him; the first time I met him was tonight. The whole thing is the horse, the drive and the race. Thank God tonight we were good.”
The $96,500 third division saw Frank Bellino’s Mybrothergeorge win a tight photo over Mortal Zin to grab the top prize in a time of 1:52.2. Brian Sears was in the bike for trainer Bruce Saunders as the Rocknroll Hanover-Armbro Ophelia colt posted his fifth win in 10 season’s starts, lifting his earnings to $146,373.
Mybrothergeorge was first to the lead in an opening quarter of :27.2, then yielded to Shakerattlenrock at the :55 half-mile marker. Ideal Champ was the new leader when the field hit the three-quarter pole in 1:23.3.
Mortal Zin and Yannick Gingras came flying down the stretch and took over the lead, only to be nipped by Mybrothergeorge in a tight photo at the wire. Maytime Terror was third for Dave Palone.
“I would have been very happy for a deat heat,” said Saunders in the winner’s circle. “I know we had a lot of momentum going to the wire, but I was very appreciative to have his nose in front. I really thought the other horse won it and we were negotiating a dead heat while we were waiting.”