Red Mile: French Wine, Dire Straits repeat in Kentucky Championship Series

French Wine and Dire Straits improved to two-for-two in the Kentucky Championship Series by winning their respective $80,000 splits for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters on Monday afternoon at The Red Mile. Sophomore male trotters also took to the track, with Double Deceiver winning their single $80,000 flight.

Bourbon Courage (Trace Tetrick), a You Know You Do half-brother to 2021 Hambletonian champion Captain Corey, led through opening-half fractions of 28 2/5 and 56 2/5 in the first division for the rookies, but French Wine (Andy Miller), who had gone first-over out of fourth past the half, stormed into the lead on the outside nearing the 1:25 4/5 three-quarters. French Wine would then hold sway through the lane, defeating a late-gaining Kimmeridgian (Ake Svanstedt) by three-quarters of a length in 1:53 3/5. Point Of Perfect (Yannick Gingras) ended up third after a pocket trip.

A Bar Hopping-Creamy Mimi colt, French Wine was bred by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld and is trained by Julie Miller for owners Andy Miller Stable Inc., Daniel Plouffe, Jean Plouffe, and One Legend Stable Inc. A $120,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, French Wine has a record of 3-1-0 from three starts and earnings of $122,908. He paid $3.86 to win as the 4-5 favorite.

Dire Straits, driven by Mattias Melander, posted panels of 28, 57 1/5, and 1:26 in his section, and a 27 2/5 last quarter enabled him to hit the wire a head in front of pocket-sitter Ari Ferrari J (Dexter Dunn). Excalibur Bi (Corey Callahan) flattened out in the stretch from first-over and wound up third.

Melander also trains Dire Straits, a son of Muscle Hill-Southwind Cocoa, for co-owner/breeder Richard Gutnick and co-owners Tom Pontone and Gary Cocco. Dire Straits has three wins and a third from five appearances, has now banked $114,500, and returned $4.16 to win as the even-money favorite.

Two-year-old male trotters also competed in two $30,000 Commonwealth Series events and three $15,000 Golden Rod Series showdowns. Winning in the Commonwealth Series were:

--Novel (by Father Patrick and bred by co-owner Brittany Farms) in 1:55 4/5 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Tony Alagna, and co-owner Novel Racing;

--Tactical Approach (by Tactical Landing and bred by Steve Stewart and Oakwood Farms) in 1:54 1/5 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Nancy Takter, and owners John Fielding, Steve Heimbecker, Robert Leblanch, and Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing.

Collecting victories in the Golden Rod Series were:

--Prince Of Honor (by Walner and bred by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld) in 1:56 4/5 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Carter Pinske, and owners Pinske Stables and David Hoese;

--Buckhead Ridge (by Nuncio and bred by Russell Williams) in 1:57 1/5 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer/co-owner Gregg McNair, and co-owner Dean Lockhart;

--Country Dagger (by Crazy Wow and bred by owner/trainer Melvin Schmucker) in 1:56 2/5 for driver David Miller.

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The Kentucky Championship Series clash for the 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters saw Classic Hill (Tim Tetrick) lead to the 27 2/5 opening quarter, but he yielded to S I P (Yannick Gingras), who would go on to hit the half in 55 2/5 and the three-quarters in 1:24 2/5. Coming into the lane, S I P would fade as first-over attacker Golden Wall AS (Tony Hall) wore him down, but Double Deceiver (David Miller) was cut loose after tracking Golden Wall AS from second-over, and Double Deceiver vaulted to command. Once he hit the front, Double Deceiver opened up, winning by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:51 4/5. Majestic J (Todd McCarthy) was second after a third-over journey, and Golden Wall AS came in third.

The victorious gelding by Cantab Hall was bred by Steve Stewart and Oakwood Farms and is trained by Carter Pinske for owners Pinske Stables and Makenna Pinske. Double Deceiver is a seven-time winner from 17 lifetime tries, has now pocketed $423,479, and returned $2.44 to win as the 1-5 favorite.

One Kentucky Commonwealth Series showdown took place for sophomore male trotters, with the win going to Jetborne (by Walner and bred by Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz) in 1:52 3/5 for driver Mattias Melander, trainer/co-owner Marcus Melander, and co-owners Courant Inc. and LBG Stable.

This group was split into two Kentucky Commonwealth Series races, and the victors were:

--Bully Boy Hill (by Muscle Hill and bred by Tom Hill) in 1:55 1/5 for driver Verlin Yoder, trainer Justin Lloyd, and owners Glenn Goller, Abe Basen, Mark Harder, and David Postman;

--Aggiornamento (by Nuncio and bred by owner Russell Williams) in 1:55 1/5 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Fred Grant.