Red Mile: Kentucky Sires Stakes season kicks off

The Red Mile rolled out the red carpet for Kentucky Sires Stakes action for 2-year-old male trotters on Sunday afternoon as the "Championship Meet" at the Lexington oval got underway.

The top level Kentucky Championship Series was divided into a pair of $80,000 splits. French Wine (Andy Miller) won the first of those tests, taking the lead from second-over late on the final bend and opening up to win by 5 1/2 lengths in 1:55. Lowry (Andy McCarthy) was second and Point Of Perfect (Yannick Gingras) came in third.

French Wine is a Bar Hopping-Creamy Mimi colt bred by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld and 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 2-1-0 from three starts and earnings of $82,908. He paid $5.40 to win.

In the other Kentucky Championship Series tilt, Dire Straits (Mattias Melander) went first-over out of fourth past the half, took the lead from D'Apper (Tim Tetrick) on the outside before the 1:26 2/5 three-quarters, and went on to tally by three-quarters of a length in 1:53 4/5. Ari Ferrari J (Dexter Dunn) closed well to finish second, and Excalibur Bi (Corey Callahan) also had late trot to get 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 two wins and a second from four appearances, has now banked $74,500, and returned $4.64 to win (Kentucky adopted penny breakage recently, accounting for the non-rounded off payouts).

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Winning in second-level Kentucky Commonwealth Series action (each race carried a purse of $30,000) were:

--Tactical Approach (by Tactical Landing and bred by Steve Stewart and Oakwood Farms) in 1:56 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Nancy Takter, and owners John Fielding, Steve Heimbecker, Robert Leblanch, and Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing;

--Novel (by Father Patrick and bred by co-owner Brittany Farms) in 1:56 3/5 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Tony Alagna, and co-owner Novel Racing.

The third-level Kentucky Golden Rod Series had three $15,000 flights. They were won by:

--Jazz In Jackson (by Muscle Hill and bred by co-owner Coyote Wynd Farms) in 1:59 1/5 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Tony Alagna, and co-owners Alagna Racing LLC., Pryde Stables Inc., and James Crawford IV;

--Harko (by Tactical Landing and bred by Michael Creps) in 1:58 3/5 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Domenico Cecere, and owners Christina Takter and Goran Anderberg;

--Mohatu AS (by Lionhunter and bred by owner ACL Stuteri AB) in 1:58 for driver Tony Hall nad trainer Anette Lorentzon.