Red Mile: Four-baggers for Nancy Takter, Sweet Lou in Kentucky Sires Stakes

Two-year-old male pacers from the Nancy Takter barn were on fire on Sunday at The Red Mile, with Blue Lou winning an $80,000 Kentucky Championship Series test and stablemates Cant Stop Lou, Captain Planet, and Cannibal tallying in Kentucky Commonwealth and Golden Rod Series dashes.

Bamboozler (Corey Callahan) laid down fractions of 28 2/5, 57 2/5, and 1:25 in the Championship Series event, but Blue Lou (Andy McCarthy) went by him from first-over in the lane and held off pocket-sitter Kopi Luwak (Devon Tharps) to win by a neck in 1:52. Bamboozler ended up third.

Blue Lou, a Sweet Lou-Dance Blue colt, was bred by Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband, and Goran Anderberg, and Katz now co-owns him in partnership with Morrison Racing Stables and Brian Gordon. Blue Lou has won all three of his starts, banked $58,750, and returned $3.42 to win as the favorite.

Takter teamed up with Yannick Gingras for her other successes. Cant Stop Lou, another son of Sweet Lou and the Oak Grove Sires Stakes champion, won his $30,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series division by four lengths in 1:53 1/5 after taking the lead past the opening quarter. Cant Stop Lou, bred by Diamond Creek Farm, also hasn't lost thus far and is owned by Takter & JAF Racing, Rojan Stables, R A W Equine Inc., and Jeffrey Bell.

Captain Planet, by Captaintreacherous, used a 28 3/5 last quarter to rally from fifth at the 1:24 3/5 three-quarters to win his $15,000 Kentucky Golden Rod Series split by three-quarters of a length in 1:54. Bred by Fred Hertrich III, Captain Planet picked up his first win in his third attempt and is owned by John Fielding and Steve Heimbecker.

Cannibal, a Diamond Creek homebred, rounded out Takter's victorious quartet, tallying in another Kentucky Golden Rod Series showdown from first-up in 1:53 2/5 during a heavy rainstorm. Sweet Lou also is the sire of Cannibal, who won at first asking off one qualifier at The Red Mile.

Diamond Creek also won a Kentucky Commonwealth Series section with Confederate in 1:51 2/5. The fourth victor for Sweet Lou, Confederate is trained by Brian Brown and was driven by Andy Miller.

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Sophomore male pacers were also in action on the card, and North America Cup winner Pebble Beach, driven by Hambletonian hero Todd McCarthy, took charge in the Championship Series after the 29 2/5 opening quarter, kept the tempo soft to a 58 2/5 half and a 1:26 4/5 three-quarters, and came home in 26 2/5 to win by a length in 1:53 1/5.

Noel Daley trains Pebble Beach, a Downbytheseaside colt bred by Brittany Farms, for owners Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Country Club Acres Inc., and Laexpressfoderadeovolente. Pebble Beach has a record of 12-3-3 from 18 attempts, has earned $897,650, and returned $2.16 to win.

Tony Alagna sent out Taurasi (by Racing Hill) and Danger Zone (by Captaintreacherous) to victories in the Kentucky Commonwealth and Kentucky Golden Rod for the 3-year-olds. Taurasi, driven by Devon Tharps, is owned by breeders M T Pockets Stables and Victoria Howard, and Danger Zone, steered by Andy McCarthy, was bred by Alagna Racing LLC. and Marvin Katz and is owned by Alagna Racing LLC. and Ronald Ruggles.

Gingras also won a Kentucky Golden Rod Series tilt for the sophomores with Ron Burke-trained Silverstone in 1:51 1/5. Bred by Kentuckiana Farms, Glenn Bechtel, and Ross Bonafield, Silverstone, who is by American Ideal, is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Phil Collura.