Oak Grove: Sophomores duel in sires stakes finals

Three-year-old pacers and trotters of both sexes competed in four $100,000 Oak Grove Sires Stakes finals on Monday afternoon at the Kentucky five-eighths-mile track.

Dont Fence Me In (Andy McCarthy) won the filly pace in 1:51 4/5. She looped to the lead out of third heading to the 56 2/5 half and remained in charge after that, prevailing by two lengths over a late-gaining Msdinosis Blugrass (Todd Warren). Sake Bomb (Yannick Gingras) yielded to sit in the two-hole behind Dont Fence Me In and wound up third.

Tony Alagna trains Dont Fence Me In, a daughter of Captaintreacherous bred by Riverview Breeding LLC., for owners Riverview Racing LLC., Alagna Racing LLC., Steven Head, and Pryde Stables Inc. Dont Fence Me In is now an eight-time winner from 19 career starts, she pushed her earnings to $439,784, and she paid $2.20 to win as the 1-9 favorite.

Gaelihill (Gingras) carved out fractions of 27 3/5, 57 4/5, and 1:25 3/5 in the colt and gelding trot, then used a 28 3/5 final kicker to score by a length and a quarter in 1:54 1/5. Nevermind (Nicolas Roussel) crossed the wire second but was off-stride in doing so and wound up getting moved back to sixth for violating the breaking rules. That elevated Gigondas (Dexter Dunn) from third to second and Golden Wall AS (Tony Hall) from fourth to third.

A Muscle Hill gelding trained by Trond Smedshammer for owner Purple Haze Stables LLC., Gaelihill was bred by Steve Stewart and Martti Ala-Seppala. Gaelihill has compiled a record of 2-2-3 from ten lifetime tries, has now banked $73,706, and returned $16 to win as a 7-1 offering.

In the filly trot, Grandeur (Dunn) stormed into the lead from first-over racing to the 1:24 1/5 three-quarters, got a gap on the others after she hit the front, and held off a rallying Blue Bayou Deo (John MacDonald) through the stretch and to the wire, prevailing by half a length in 1:53 3/5. Criquette Hall (Gingras) took third.

Grandeur is a Love You filly trained by Bob Stewart for owner/breeder Carter Duer. Grandeur made her fourth appearance in the winner's circle in her ninth trip behind the gate, has now pocketed $79,750, and paid $31.60 to win after being dispatched at 14-1.

Colt and gelding pacers rounded out the finals, and Vicious (McCarthy) made his way to the engine on the way to the 55 second half-mile marker, then hooked up in a duel with a first-over Dancin Sancho (Trevor Smith) through a 1:22 2/5 three-quarters and onto the final bend. Dunn sent Rocknroll Gold three-wide from second-over on the turn and Trace Tetrick fanned Wolftrax out four-wide from third-over, and it would be Wolftrax who had the most go in the stretch, getting up for a 1 1/2 length victory in 1:51 1/5. Rocknroll Gold was next, followed by River Ness (Gingras).

The victorious Betting Line colt is trained by Erv Miller for owners Douglas Overhiser and Rocco Ruffolo. Steve Stewart, T L P Stable, James Daut, and D'Elegance Stable IX bred Wolftrax, who has three wins, four seconds, and two thirds from 15 efforts. He has now put away $126,200 and returned $11.00 as a 9-2 shot.

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$25,000 consolation events were won by:

--gelding trotter Pappardelle (by Wishing Stone, bred by Steve Stewart, Black Creek Farm, and Paul Kelley) in 1:55 1/5 for driver Trevor Smith, trainer Chris Beaver, and owners The Delaware Group, Equinex Racing Corp., and Joe Sbrocco

--filly trotter Disclosure (by Trixton, bred by William Jones and Steve Stewart) in 1:54 2/5 for Smith, Beaver, and owners The Delaware Group, Equinex Racing Corp., and Joe Sbrocco.

--gelding pacer Taurasi (by Racing Hill, bred by owners M T Pockets Stables and Victoria Howard) in 1:50 for driver Devon Tharps and trainer Tony Alagna

--filly pacer Captains Princess (by Captaintreacherous, bred by Alagna Racing LLC., Bradley Grant, and Mel Segal) in 1:51 4/5 for driver Andy McCarthy, trainer Tony Alagna, and owners Alagna Racing LLC., Bradley Grant, Al Libfeld, and Marvin Katz