Red Mile: Formful results in Kentucky Sire Stakes finals

Grand Circuit stakes winners Greenshoe and Bettor's Wish headlined the Kentucky Sire Stakes champions for 2019 by winning their respective $250,000 events at The Red Mile on Sunday afternoon.

Greenshoe (Brian Sears) marched to the lead past the 28 2/5 opening quarter in the 3-year-old male trot, and after middle-half panels of 55 4/5 and 1:24 1/5, he closed in 26 2/5 to win by two lengths in 1:50 3/5. Early leader Chin Chin Hall (Peter Wrenn) was second, with Super Schissel (Scott Zeron) third from first-over.

Marcus Melander trains Greenshoe, a Father Patrick colt, for owners Courant Inc., Hans Backe, Lars Granqvist, and Morten Langli. Greenshoe now has ten career wins, and he pushed his earnings to $968,223. The 1-9 favorite, he paid $2.10 to win.

Bettor's Wish (Dexter Dunn) overcame post ten with authority in the sophomore colt and gelding pace. He was able to get the lead away from Can't Beach That (David Miller) beyond the 26 3/5 first quarter and would go on to reach the half in 54 1/5 and the three-quarters in 1:21 3/5. Bettor's Wish disposed of a first-over Dancin Lou (Tim Tetrick) past three-quarters and pulled away in the lane to win by three lengths in 1:48 1/5. Can't Beach That held second, with Pyro (Yannick Gingras) third.

Trainer Chris Ryder also co-owns Bettor's Wish, a Bettor's Delight colt, with partners Bella Racing Ltd., Fair Island Farm Inc., and Bettor's Wish Partners. Bettor's Wish made his 14th appearance in the winner's circle, and he has now pocketed $1,381,600. He returned $3.40 to win as the 3-5 choice.

While he was third in that race, Gingras got his picture taken plenty of times during the day as he won four sire stakes finals, three for trainer Per Engblom, and both consolations, giving him a total of six wins on the day.

Gingras and Engblom connected for their first sire stakes win with Asiago in the 3-year-old filly trot in 1:50 4/5. She angled out from the pocket behind Strip It Down AS (Tetrick) passing the 1:22 3/5 three-quarters, then out-footed her through the 28 1/5 final quarter to win by 3 1/4 lengths. Refined (D. Miller) got third.

Asiago is a daughter of Muscle Hill owned by Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband, Al Libfeld, and Black Horse Racing. This was her seventh career win, and she has now stashed away $387,985. She was dispatched as the even-money favorite and paid $4.20 to win.

Domenico Cecere trainee Gai Waterhouse then gave Gingras the victory in the rookie filly pace final in 1:50 3/5. She led early, released 1-9 favorite Baby Your The Best (D. Miller), then tipped out in the lane and got up to win by three-parts of a length. Baby Your The Best had to settle for second, with Engblom-trained Blood Red (Zeron) third.

Named after the successful Australian Thoroughbred trainer, Gai Waterhouse is a full sister (Western Ideal-The Art Museum-Artsplace) to Artspeak and is owned by Lindy Farms. Gai Waterhouse was bred by Brittany Farms LLC. and Mel Hartman and was purchased for $115,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale. She was a 4-1 offering and returned $10.40 to win.

Freshman trotting filly Ms Savannah Belle won both her Kentucky Sire Stakes prelims for Engblom with Jimmy Takter driving, but she got the services of Gingras today. She came to the outside from fourth past the 27 3/5 opening quarter, but didn't clear stablemate Shishito (Dunn) until after the 56 2/5 half. They couldn't catch Ms Savannah Belle after she cleared, though, as she hit three-quarters in 1:25 3/5 and the wire in 1:52 4/5. Shishito wound up second, a length and a quarter behind, with Crucial (Tetrick) third from first-up.

Ms Savannah Belle is a Muscle Hill-Stubborn Belle filly and is a homebred for Al Libfeld. She has won half of her six chances, pushed her bankroll to $179,658, and paid $3.00 to win as the 1-2 choice.

Ready For Moni rounded out the sire stakes winners and gave Gingras and Engblom another one, taking the 2-year-old male trot in 1:54 1/5. He trotted up to wrestle command away from Expectation (Sears) just past the 55 3/5 half, rebuffed a first-over try from Ontopofthehill (Dunn) to the 1:25 4/5 three-quarters, and went on to score by a length and a half. Expectations was second, with Rays The Limits (Zeron) third.

John Fielding, Lindy Farms, Herb Liverman, and Bud Hatfield own Ready For Moni, a Ready Cash-Nothing But Moni colt. He was bred by Moni Maker Stable and was a $220,000 acquisition at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. He is four-for-five in the win column this year, has now earned $161,500, and returned $3.60 to win as the 4-5 favorite.

Gingras's wins in the $50,000 consolations came with 3-year-old filly trotter Fade Into You in 1:54 4/5 for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Phil Collura, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC., and 2-year-old filly trotter Bange Bi in 1:55 2/5 for co-owner/trainer Trent Stohler and co-owners Stately Gaits Stable, James Bafia, and Hen-Shaut Stable.

Three-year-old filly pace

Beautyonthebeach (Doug McNair) defended her sire stakes title, but had to overcome stern challenges on the track and an inquiry to do so. She left hard from post eight, but let Summer Charm (Gingras) go past the 26 4/5 opening quarter. McNair then re-moved to the top, getting the lead back before the 54 3/5 half. Hydration (D. Miller) attacked strongly first-over on the last turn and appeared to gain a slim lead on the outside at the 1:22 3/5 three-quarters, but Beautyonthebeach battled back to win by a length and a quarter in 1:49 2/5. Summer Charm was second, with Blue Ivy (Tetrick) third from second-over.

The judges investigated a possible incident committed by Beautyonthebeach in the lane, but no change was made.

Gregg McNair trains Beautyonthebeach, a Somebeachsomewhere filly, for owner/breeder Jim Avritt. Beautyonthebeach posted her tenth career win and has now put away $474,873. The 1-9 favorite, she paid $2.10 to win.

Two-year-old colt and gelding pace

Catch The Fire (Mike Wilder), who was third in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final, now owns a sub-1:50 mark after winning in 1:49 4/5. He brushed from third at the 26 3/5 opening quarter to first prior to the 54 2/5 half. Wilder was able to back the pace down some from there, reaching three-quarters in 1:23 while dealing with a tepid first-up bid by Sea Of Life (Andrew McCarthy), then sprinted home in 26 4/5 to win by three lengths. Roll With Jr (McNair) came up the pylons for second, with Put To Right (Drew Monti) finishing strongly to get up for third.

John Ackley trains Catch The Fire, a Captaintreacherous-Dream Outloud colt, for owner Ct Stables LLC. Catch The Fire, who was bred by Fred Kruszelnicki and sold for $15,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, has a record of 4-3-1 from nine tries, and he has earned $237,333. He was the 3-5 favorite and returned $3.40 to win.