from the USTA Communications Department

Lexington, KY — The Friday (Oct. 5) card at The Red Mile featured four divisions in the International Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old colt trotters.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Royalty For Life took the fastest division of ISS for 2-year-old colt trotters in 1:54.2

Royalty For Life captured the fastest division, taking the $82,750 fourth and final split in a personal best clocking of 1:54.2. The son of RC Royalty-Bourbon ‘n Grits posted his seventh win in 12 juvenile starts, taking his bankroll to $178,338 for owners Alfred Ross, Raymond Campbell, Jr. and Paul Fontaine. Tim Tetrick was the driver for trainer George Ducharme.

Major Athens and Brian Sears left alertly from post position four and trotted to the lead at the opening quarter in :28.3 with Royalty For Life tucking into the two hole. Major Athens was still in the lead at the :57.3 half and was challenged on the outside by Dontyouforgetit at the 1:27 three-quarter pole.

Dontyouforgetit and Yannick Gingras forged to the lead in the lane, but they could not hold off the late charge of Royalty For Life who hit the finish line in 1:54.2. Dontyouforgetit finished second, just his second loss in eight lifetime starts, and Major Athens held on for third.

“He’s a terrific colt,” said co-owner Paul Fontaine, “a homebred by my partner Al Ross. I want to thank him for allowing us all to participate in this colt. I want to congratulate our trainer, George Ducharme, from New England. He does it the old-fashioned way with a lot of work. He’s just a nice horse. He’s been dogged by bad post positions and bad trips and he’s still been racing very well. Today he showed just how good he is.

“He had to come out real quick out of the gate because his competition was inside and he just made a speed break going into the first turn (in his last start, the NYSS final).

“He’s been getting better all summer. Our trainer has been very careful with him. About halfway through the summer we could see we had a real nice horse. His performance today has given us encouragement to go on to the Breeders Crown.”

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Your So Vain broke his maiden in the opening division of the ISS in 1:55.

In the $81,750 opening division, P G Van Camp Stables’ Your So Vain took advantage of a couple of breakers in the lane to break his maiden in a time of 1:55. Tim Tetrick was in the bike for trainer Brad Maxwell as the son of Donato Hanover-Tennis Lover saw his 2012 bankroll leapfrog to $52,995 in just three starts.

Show Ticket took the field of eight to the opening quarter in :28.2, before My Man Can went charging to the front down the backstretch. The new leader put up middle panels of :56.3 and 1:26.1 with Show Ticket sitting on his back.

At the top of the stretch, My Man Can made a break and interfered with Show Ticket, who also broke stride right behind him. That allowed Your So Vain to come from behind and power past the field, reaching the finish line on top in 1:55. Possessed Fashion also rallied to end up second, with Tornado third.

Your So Vain finished third in his Bluegrass division last week and gave Tetrick plenty of hope heading into this race.

“I talked to Brad and he said try to just teach him his first start; he really impressed me, too,” said Tetrick. “I really liked him. He trotted home good. If we’d had another eighth of a mile, he’d have won last week.

“I actually told Brad after the race last week that this horse will win in (1):55 and he thought I was crazy, but he did.

“I’m sure he’s going to the Breeders Crown, up to Canada, and after that I don’t know.”

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Fashion Blizzard used a pocket trip to score in a lifetime best 1:54.3 in the second division.

The $81,750 second division saw Fashion Blizzard pull out of the pocket down the lane and score in a lifetime best 1:54.3. Owned by Fashion Farms, trained by Jim Campbell and driven to victory by Jim Morrill, Jr., the Credit Winner-Fun And Strokes colt won for the fifth time in 10 season’s starts and improved his earnings to $302,439.

Fashion Blizzard went to the front from post three in an opening quarter of :28.1, then grudgingly gave up the lead to Broadway Prince and Ron Pierce at a blazing :54.3 half. The new leader took the field to the three-quarters in 1:24 and maintained the lead turning for home.

But Morrill pulled Fashion Blizzard off the wood and the New York Sire Stakes champion had plenty of trot, reaching the finish line comfortably on top in 1:54.3. Broadway Prince held second and Here’s Johnny was third.

“Ronnie’s colt put in a couple steps there,” said Morrill, “but coming around the first turn I kind of thought I was going to be left alone and I kind of let him trot on a little. By the time Ronnie got to me I was going along pretty good.

“I don’t know about :26.2 (the second quarter), I’ll have to check that.

“I think he’ll be in the Breeders Crown. He showed earlier at the Meadowlands that he could trot with those colts.”

Pine Credit captured the $81,750 third division with a come from behind effort in a time of 1:54.3. Owned by Ervin Miller Stable, Harvey Eisman and Mary Jane Anderson, the Credit Winner-Ms Piggy Pine colt is trained by Erv Miller and was driven to victory by LeWayne Miller. Pine Credit ($4.00) saw his earnings climb to $135,352 with his fifth season’s score.

Text Winner and Ron Pierce cut fractions of :27.1, :55 and 1:24.4 in this mile, but gave way in the lane to a host of trotters as he faded to sixth.

Pine Credit was the fastest of all in the stretch and was a game winner in a lifetime best 1:54.3. Theraputic came on to finish second and Lauderdale was third.

“He raced real well,” said LeWayne Miller. “First off I want to thank the owners and Erv and thank God for putting me in this position.

“He was having little issues early on in his career, making breaks here and there. Erv put me on at Vernon in a late closer and told me to just get him around there. I drove him and he thought I drove him good, so he put me back up.

“At first I thought (the first over Hall Of Muscles) was coming back to me a little bit, but by the three-quarters he kind of went on. My colt felt great. He was wrapped up.

“I’m not sure yet (about the colt’s future race schedule). Erv told me last week he would be going to the Breeders Crown, but he was talking today that the Breeders Crown will be pretty tough and it might be a little easier to go to the Kindergarten (final on Oct. 26 at Vernon Downs).”