Oak Grove: Rookies meet up for sires stakes events

The Oak Grove Sires Stakes for Kentucky-sired 2-year-olds commenced on Sunday at Oak Grove Racing & Gaming with eight divisions worth $25,000 apiece.

Yannick Gingras won all three pacing events, tallying with fillies Calgary (by Downbytheseaside, trained by Ryan Miller, 1:54) and Hungry For Love (by Stay Hungry, trained by Ron Burke, 1:54 2/5) and with colt Cant Stop Lou (by Sweet Lou, trained by Nancy Takter, 1:54 1/5). Calgary was bred by owner Diamond Creek Farm, Hungry For Love, an $80,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale buy by Thomas and Scott Dillon, is a Brittany Farms product, and Cant Stop Lou, acquired by Nancy Takter And Jaf Racing, Rojan Stables, R A W Equine Inc., and Jeffrey Bell for $40,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale, was also bred by Diamond Creek.

Andy and Julie Miller won two of the five trots, scoring with filly Wind Chime (1:56 3/5), a Father Patrick half-sister to Goodtimes winner Fast As The Wind in 1:56 3/5, and with Chapter Seven gelding Espresso (1:57 4/5). Wind Chime was bred by two of her co-owners, Tony Holmes and Walter Zent (Andy Miller and GTY Stable are the other co-owners), and Espresso, purchased for $45,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale by Andy, Lou Willinger, Mortgage Boys Stable, and L Berg Inc., is a Brittany Farms-bred.

Una Madonna (1:55 1/5), from the first crop of Tactical Landing, and Fuzzy Dice (1:57 2/5), from the initial crop of International Moni, won the two other tests for trotting fillies. Una Madonna, who was driven by Anthony MacDonald for trainer Jason McGinnis and owners Thestable Una Madonna Group, Hutchison Harness LLC., and Never 2 Late Stable, was bred by Italy's Scuderia Bolgheri Srl and grabbed for $100,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, and Fuzzy Dice, piloted by Aaron Merriman for trainer and co-owner Chris Beaver, is Winbak Farm-bred. Fuzzy Dice's other co-owners are William Rufenacht, Donald Robinson, and VIP Internet Stable LLC., and she was a $20,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase.

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Doug and Gregg McNair teamed up to win the other tilt for male trotters with Nuncio colt Whole Nother in 1:58 4/5. Whole Nother was bred by Russell Williams, is owned by the elder McNair in partnership with Dean Lockhart, and fetched $15,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale.