Red Mile: In The Arsenal downs undefeated Artspeak in Stallion Stake

The unbeaten streak of Artspeak came to an end on Saturday afternoon at The Red Mile when the colt made a break in mid-stretch. That left the door ajar for In The Arsenal and Brian Sears to pull off the upset in one of four $72,000 divisions of the International Stallion Stake for two-year-old male pacers.

Brian Sears guided the White Birch Farm-owned colt to his second straight Grand Circuit victory in Kentucky. In The Arsenal paced home in 1:51 3/5. Cartoon Daddy rallied for the place spot with Artspeak recovering his gait to finish third.

The race appeared to go as planned for Artspeak as driver Scott Zeron waited early and then put his horse on the lead through a modest :56 first half. There was little pressure on the colt as the field passed the three quarters in 1:24. Artspeak bore out and opened the rail, with In The Arsenal gaining before Artspeak’s miscue.

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“He does get a little crooked,” said Sears about In The Arsenal. “My horse would have liked to go right but the rail opened up and he had a lot of pace.”

In The Arsenal, trained by Kelvin Harrison, has four wins in seven starts and returned $11.60 to win.

Lost For Words also completed a Bluegrass-International Stallion Stake sweep capturing a division in 1:50 4/5 from off the pace. Dave Miller guided the smallish son of Well Said for trainer Brian Brown.

Favored Rich Wisdom and Yannick Gingras easily wore down the leaders coming without cover for a 1:51 triumph in another division. Ron Burke trains the son of Dragon Again.

Mark MacDonald guided 15-1 shot Hall Of Terror off a perfect cover trip to victory in the final $72,000 International Stallion Stakes division. Erv Miller trains the Western Terror-sired colt. Hall Of Terror paced his mile in 1;51 3/5, a career best.