Red Mile: Gingras becomes sixth driver with $200 million in earnings

Yannick Gingras won the first two International Stallion Stakes divisions for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters on Friday afternoon at The Red Mile with Branded By Lindy and World At War Deo, with the second of those triumphs making him just the sixth driver to have his charges earn over US$200 million.

Racing for a $76,000 purse, World At War Deo led to a 28 second opening quarter but was overtaken by a two-wide Rose Run Xtra (Chris Page) after that marker. After hitting the front, Rose Run Xtra would go on to the half in 56 4/5 and the three-quarters in 1:26 2/5, with Tachyon (Ake Svanstedt) making strong progress after going first-over from fifth before the half.

In the lane, Rose Run Xtra and Tachyon continued to battle, but Gingras was able to find a seam on the inside with World At War Deo, and he rallied through the breach to the lead. From there, World At War Deo had to stave off a gaining Majestic J (David Miller), which he was able to do to tally by a length in 1:54 1/5. Tachyon wound up third.
With that win, Gingras joined an exclusive club of drivers whose horses have banked $200 million, adding his name to John Campbell, David Miller, Tim Tetrick, Ron Pierce, and Brian Sears.

World At War Deo, a Chapter Seven-Yalta Hanover colt, is trained by Dave Menary for owners Steve Heimbecker, Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc., Michael Guerriero, and Menary Racing Inc. World At War Deo, a $70,000 buy at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, has a record of 4-3-1 from ten starts, has pocketed $97,697, and paid $10.00 to win as the 4-1 fourth choice.

Back in the first $75,000 flight, Letsdoit S (Brian Sears) chopped out the quarter in 28 4/5, but Gigondas (Andrew McCarthy) brushed from third to first before the 56 3/5 half went on the board. Shortly after that point, King Of The North (Mark MacDonald) went first-over out of the fourth spot, giving cover to Branded By Lindy and Gingras. However, King Of The North stalled out prior to the 1:26 1/5 three-quarters, leaving Gigondas on a clear lead turning for home.

King Of The North hit a better gear once they straightened up in the stretch and began to move towards Gigondas, but Branded By Lindy was trotting up a storm to King Of The North's outside, and thanks to a dazzling 26 1/5 last quarter, Branded By Lindy got up to win by a length in 1:53 2/5. Letsdoit S was able to better King Of The North for second.

"It's like racing a 4-year-old, really. He's really mature, and you can do whatever you want with him," said Gingras. "He's got obviously the ability and the speed, but just being able to race him any which way you want, that's what makes him so strong.

"Mark was backing up to try and get me in front of him, but it wasn't going to happen. I wanted to follow him. He's a great horse, King Of The North, and I figured he'd get where I needed to go. He had more, too, left. I was just hoping to be a couple lengths off at the top of the stretch, and I thought he'd get the job done from there. Like I said, I'm really impressed by him. I trusted him, and he got the job done easily."

Domenico Cecere trains Branded By Lindy, a Chapter Seven-The Lindy Label colt, for owner/breeder Lindy Farms. Branded By Lindy, who has six straight victories, has won seven times in total and has earned $153,350. He was the 4-5 choice and returned $3.80 to win.

"We'll see how he comes out of this, but [the Breeders Crown] is the plan," remarked Cecere.

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The fastest International Stallion Stakes winner was Rebuff, who bagged the third $76,000 tilt in 1:52 2/5. Periculum (Mattias Melander) zipped to the top and reached the quarter in 28 3/5, but Fast As The Wind (Dexter Dunn) tipped out of third in the second quarter and was able to forge his way by Periculum on the way to the 56 1/5 half.

Pretender (McCarthy) trotted towards Fast As The Wind on the far turn and to the 1:24 2/5 three-quarters after going first-over out of fourth in the backstretch, but riding his cover was Rebuff (Tim Tetrick), and it would be Rebuff who vaulted three-wide into the lead in the stretch. Rebuff pulled away after he surged into the lead, and he hit the wire a length and a half ahead of Periculum. Global Pandemic (Gingras) tracked Rebuff's cover and ended up third.

"Timmy gave him a perfect trip, and he did the job. He's a Breeders Crown horse, and that's what we've been aiming for all year, actually, and it looks like he's peaking at the right time," relayed winning trainer Lucas Wallin.

Wallin also co-owns Rebuff, a Muscle Hill-Meucci Madness colt bred by Steve Stewart and Michael Andrew, with partners Kjell Andersen and Pieter Delis. Rebuff, who fetched $200,000 at the 2020 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, made his second appearance in the winner's circle from nine trips behind the gate, and he has now put away $131,595. He went off as the 4-5 favorite and paid $3.60 to win.

Temporal Hanover (Sears) was triumphant in the last $75,000 section, prevailing in 1:53 2/5. He was in command at the 29 second opening quarter, but 1-5 favorite Slay (McCarthy) pulled out of the two-hole and took the lead away from him before the 56 4/5 half. Slay trotted through three-quarter in 1:25 3/5 and turned for home first, but Sears angled Temporal Hanover to his outside, and Temporal Hanover surged by Slay in mid-stretch. After that, it was all over, as Temporal Hanover kicked away to 4 1/4 length decision. B A Superhero (Tetrick) got up for second over Slay.

"He's been good all along. First in the New Jersey Sire Stakes, and then he started off good in Canada. He was a little bit sick in the final of the William Wellwood, but he's always shown up," offered victorious trainer Marcus Melander.

Amg Stable Inc., Kenneth Kjellgren, and Rick Wahlstedt own Temporal Hanover, a Walner-Think Twice colt. Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Temporal Hanover was a $55,000 purchase at last year's Standardbred Horse Sale. He now has five victories and two seconds from ten appearances, and he has banked $198,666. He returned $8.80 to win as the 3-1 second choice.