Oak Grove: Gingras pilots two winners in sires stakes finals for 2-year-olds

A day after winning the Meadowlands Pace, Yannick Gingras won two of the four Oak Grove Sires Stakes finals for 2-year-olds on Sunday afternoon in Kentucky. Each race went for a purse of $100,000.

In the colt and gelding trot, Gingras and Overkill Hall led through opening-half fractions of 27 4/5 and 56 while parking out Yo Lucky Moni (Verlin Yoder). Yo Lucky Moni faded headed to the 1:24 4/5 three-quarters, leaving Overkill Hall clear, and there was no catching him from there, as he won by a length and three-quarters in 1:54 3/5. Whole Nother (Doug McNair) was second, followed by Brodeur (Tony Hall).

DeWayne Minor trains the victorious International Moni-On With The Show colt for co-owner/breeder Alan Leavitt and co-owner Hillcroft Farm. Overkill Hall has two wins and three seconds from five career starts, has now earned $66,375, and paid $6.80 to win.

Gingras was right back to win the colt and gelding pace with Nancy Takter-trained Cant Stop Lou. Cant Stop Lou stayed two-wide after floating out from post seven and drove on to take over the top spot before the 56 second half-mile clocking. It was all Cant Stop Lou from there as he marched through three-quarters in 1:24 2/5 and then came home in 28 seconds flat to beat Lindy The Brave (Dexter Dunn) by five lengths in 1:52 2/5. Lootable (John MacDonald) was third.

Takter also co-owns Cant Stop Lou, a Sweet Lou-Can't Stop Me Now colt bred by Diamond Creek Farm, with JAF Racing, Rojan Stables, R A W Equine Inc., and Jeffrey Bell. Cant Stop Lou, a $40,000 buy at the Standardbred Horse Sale, is three-for-three lifetime to go with a bankroll of $75,000, and he returned $2.80 to win.

It looked like Gingras might win the filly trot, too, as he took command with Princess Caitlin from first-up past the 1:25 3/5 three-quarters, but Railee Something (Todd Warren) tracked her from second-over, and despite losing cover when Princess Caitlin went back to the pylons on the last turn, Railee Something was able to out-foot her in the stretch to tally by half a length in 1:55 2/5. Boudicca (Hall) was the third-place finisher.

Railee Something is a daughter of International Moni-Railee Priti trained by Roger Cullipher for owner/breeder Ronald Mersky. Railee Something has a record of 2-1-1 from five trips behind the gate, has put away $67,306, and paid $26.20 to win after being sent off at 12-1.

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Calgary (Dunn) captured the filly pace as the 3-5 favorite in 1:52 3/5. Calgary came to the outside from fifth as they raced in front of the stands for the first time and brushed to the front passing the 55 1/5 half. After taking the top spot, Calgary zipped through three-quarters in 1:23 4/5 and went on to down pocket-sitter Hungry For Love (Gingras) by a length and a half. Seaside Baby (Warren) collected third.

A homebred for Diamond Creek Farm and their racing operation, Calgary, a Downbytheseaside-Sweetest Emotion filly, is trained by Ryan Miller. She has won in both of her tries, has pocketed $62,500, and returned $3.20 to win.