Oak Grove: Freshmen flaunt In Kentucky Sire Stakes opener

Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel welcomed 2-year-olds onto the track as the youngsters got the first miles of their career under their belt in four $25,000 divisions of Kentucky Sire Stakes opening preliminary on Monday (June 12).

Highway Queen (driven by Joey Putnam) opened the card with a 1:55 4/5 victory in the filly pace. Putnam put the daughter of American Ideal towards the back of the field while her stablemate Barefoot Belle (John MacDonald) motored to the lead and uncorked fractions of 29 2/5, 58 1/5 and 1:26 3/5. Highway Queen started revving her engine towards the final turn and mowed down her peers with ease to win by a half-length over late-charging stablemate Fearless Bettor (Atlee Bender). Barefoot Belle finished third, even-money favorite Queen B And Me (Andy Miller) settled for fourth and Muddinup (Tim Tetrick) rounded the quintet following a break to the second turn.

Frank Chick owns Highway Queen, a filly bred by Brittany Farms LLC., Marvin Katz and Lynn Katz and out of the Captaintreacherous mare Onemorefortheroad. Tony Dinges conditions the filly who paid $8.54 to win.

Six Pack got his first pari-mutuel victory as a stallion when his offspring Lupin K (Tim Tetrick) pulled pocket and powered home a 1:59 3/5 winner in the colt and gelding trot. Tetrick had the Don Campbell trainee perched behind leader Mont Saint Michel (Joey Putnam) through a clip of 29 1/5, 59 3/5 and 1:30 before making his move. Lupin K pushed past Mont Saint Michel in the lane and then had to withstand a furious rally from 3-5 favorite Pick Pocket (Anthony MacDonald), which he did by a quarter-length at odds of 9-1. Mont Saint Michel held tthird with Yo Monty (Verlin Yoder) taking fourth.

Lupin K returned $21.08 in his mild upset. The colt - bred by Knutsson Trotting Inc. and out of the Coktail Jet mare Destiny K S - competes for owners Ashley Burslem, Steven Mullen and Keystone Stable.

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Tim Tetrick added another Sire Stakes win to his cap with a domination of the filly trot by Somthintobelievein. Off the even-money favorite, Tetrick waited in third with the Jeff Cullipher-trained daughter of Father Patrick while Pizzelle (Trevor Smith) cut a clip of 29 4/5, 1:00 1/5 and 1:29 3/5. But Somthintobelievein answered when pulled to move by Tetrick, springing by Pizzelle in the lane to win by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:58. Readly Success (Andy Miller) rode a pocket trip to take third and Social Chatter (Joey Putnam) was fourth.

Cullipher co-owns Somthintobelievein with Pollack Racing LLC. The filly, bred by Wiesman Farms LLC. and out of the Andover Hall mare I Believe, paid $4.18 to win.

Kentucky Sire Stakes action wrapped on Monday with Arson (Anthony MacDonald) firing from a pylon trip with a 27 second final quarter to win the colt and gelding pace in 1:55 3/5. MacDonald found himself shuffled to third with the son of Captaintreacherous as Tua Money Captains swept to the lead after a 28 2/5 first quarter to pocket Acronym and rolled towards a 58 second half. Managing to dawdle towards three-quarters in 1:28, Tua Many Captains tried to close the race off the final turn, but MacDonald bursted through a seam off the pegs with Arson and blazed home. The Eric Patalan trainee accelerated past Tua Many Captains and extended to a 1 3/4 length win with My Legend (Trevor Smith) grabbing third from Acronym in fourth.

Arson races for Thestable Arson Group and Hutchison Harness LLC. Diamond Creek Farms bred the colt, out of the Western Hanover mare Western Montana, who paid $4.94 to win.

Racing returns to Oak Grove for its first Tuesday program of the season on June 13 and features 10 races, which includes six $25,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes divisions for 3-year-olds of each sex and gait. First-race post time at Oak Grove is 3 p.m. CDT (4 p.m. EDT).

--press release (Oak Grove)--