Red Mile: Freshman male trotters battle in Bluegrass Series

Gates Hanover, Espresso, and Ari Ferrari J scored victories in the trio of Bluegrass Series tests for rookie trotting colts and geldings on Thursday afternoon at The Red Mile. Dexter Dunn won two of the three divisions, tallying with Gates Hanover and Ari Ferrari J.

In the opening $109,000 flight, Gates Hanover raced in second behind French Wine (Andy Miller) through stations of 28 2/5, 56 3/5, and 1:24 4/5. Meanwhile, Lukes Bar (Todd McCarthy) went first-over out of sixth before the half, made steady gains on the rim while uncovered, and took command in the upper part of the stretch. Dunn had room to swing out Gates Hanover through the drive, though, and once he had room, he had a big enough kick and enough time to get around Lukes Bar, prevailing by three-quarters of a length in 1:52 3/5. International Man (Yannick Gingras) was third.

"He's just really handy," Dexter Dunn said of Gates Hanover after the race. "His manners are great, he gets off the gate really well and, once he gets onto a helmet, he relaxes - a lot like [trainer Ake] Svanstedt's [other] horses. They're good to drive and its always a pleasure to drive for them."

A Walner colt bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Gates Hanover is trained by Svanstedt for owner S R F Stable. Gates Hanover, a $135,000 buy in Lexington last year, has two wins and two seconds from seven starts, has banked $121,757, and paid $7.44 to win as the 5-2 favorite.

Espresso (A. Miller) posted fractions of 28 3/5, 58, and 1:25 3/5 in the second $109,000 split, opened up a gap on the others going to three-quarters, and held sway to the wire, defeating a rallying Crown (Brian Sears) by a length and a quarter in 1:54. Excalibur Bi (Andy McCarthy) also closed well for third.

"Nobody was really leaving, I don't think anybody wanted the front and neither did I, really," Andy Miller said after the race. "He got away [with] cheap enough [fractions] and it worked out. He impressed me pretty good today...off a slow half like that and then he took off and kept digging right to the wire."

Julie Miller trains Espresso, a Chapter Seven gelding bred by Brittany Farms, for Andy Miller Stable Inc., Lou Willinger, Mortgage Boys Stable, and L Berg Inc. Purchased for $45,000 at the 2021 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Espresso has a record of 4-3-0 from eight tries, has pocketed $162,500, and returned $46.16 to win after being dispatched at 22-1.

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Kimmeridigan (Yannick Gingras) and Purple Lord (David Miller) set the tempo of 28 4/5, 57, and 1:26 2/5 in the last $110,000 section, but Ari Ferrari J and Dunn went three-wide from second-over past three-quarters and would vault into the lead in mid-stretch. Ari Ferrari J was driven to the wire after he took charge and was able to fend off a surging Upstaged (Sears) by half a length in a 1:54 2/5 effort. Purple Lord was third.

"He just had one thing go wrong after another, no fault of his," winning trainer Tony Alagna said after the race. "The good thing about it is Ken Jacobs, who owns him, couldn't have been more patient with the horse. And Dexter never wavered; Dexter always knew the horse had ability. He rode him out the whole time, and that's been a huge benefit to get this horse where he's at today."

Ari Ferrari J, another Walner colt, was bred by M Biasuzzi Stable Inc. Acquired for $620,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale a year ago, Ari Ferrari J broke his maiden in his ninth chance, and he pushed his earnings to $202,600. He paid $3.76 to win as the 4-5 favorite.

--quotes courtesy of Ray Cotolo--