Red Mile: Louprint, Luna Lovegood score again in Kentucky Championship Series

Louprint and Luna Lovegood both scored their second straight victories in the Kentucky Championship Series by capturing their respective $80,000 events on Tuesday afternoon.

Two-year-old colt pacer Louprint (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) rallied with a 26 1/5 final kicker from third-over and was able to get by a stubborn American Son (Dexter Dunn), who also had pace from second-over, to win by a neck in 1:49, a lifetime-best clocking. Sippinonsearoc (Yannick Gingras) cut fractions of 28, 55 and 1:22 and wound up third.

Ron Burke trains Louprint, a son of Sweet Lou, for owners/breeders Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC. and Phil Collura. Louprint has five victories and a second in six trips behind the gate, has pocketed $159,864 and paid $3.14 to win.

In the dash for 2-year-old trotting fillies, Torrisi (Gingras) was in the lead at the 29 4/5 quarter, 57 2/5 half and 1:26 1/5 three-quarters, but Luna Lovegood, who went first-up from third on the far turn, took command in the lane and went on to defeat a closing R Dutchess (Jody Jamieson) by a length in 1:53. Torrisi came in third.

From the first crop of Gimpanzee, Luna Lovegood is trained by Marcus Melander for owner Holly Lane Stud East LTD. Bred by Blue Chip Farms and Stefan Melander, Luna Lovegood was a $100,000 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase and has three wins from four outings to go with a bankroll of $120,000. She returned $6.42 to win.

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Fusion (Gingras), by Always B Miki, rallied from third to win the lone $30,000 Commonwealth Series race for pacing males in 1:50 4/5. Nancy Takter trains the Diamond Creek homebred who paid $2.14 to win.

Gingras and Takter also bagged the first of two Commonwealth Series battles for filly trotters with Deja Blu, who turned a third-over trip into a 1:53 tally. Deja Blu, by Muscle Hill and the first foal out of the great Atlanta, was bred by co-owner Crawford Farms Racing with Brad Grant and Howard Taylor. Tom Pontone co-owns Deja Blu, who returned $2.60 to win. Swoop (by Walner, bred by Steve Stewart and Michael Andrew, paid $32.06 to win) took the other flight in 1:54 4/5 for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Lucas Wallin and owners Harbor Racing Stable LLC., Wallin Racing Stable Inc., Joe Sbrocco & Jaf Racing and Van Camp Trotting Corp.

Winning a pair of $15,000 Golden Rod Series races for colt and gelding pacers were Delray Beach (by Tall Dark Stranger, bred by Christina Takter, Marvin Katz and Brixton Medical Inc., paid $4.04 to win) in 1:52 1/5 for Gingras, Takter and owners Black Horse Racing, John Fielding and Morrison Racing Stables and Banderas (by Tall Dark Stranger and bred by co-owner Brittany Farms, paid $3.20 to win) in 1:51 4/5 for driver Andy Miller, trainer Tony Alagna and co-owners Riverview Racing LLC., Steven Head and Pryde Stables Inc.

A four-pack of Golden Rod Series contests for the filly trotters were held and went to Marcus Melander trainees Belmont (by Gimpanzee and bred by Diamond Creek Farm, paid $18.30 to win) in 1:55 for driver Dexter Dunn and co-owners S R F Stable and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd., Party Line (by Father Patrick and bred by Diamond Creek Farm, paid $31.42 to win) in 1:54 4/5 for Dunn and co-owners Brittany Farms and Marvin Katz, Anativenewyorker (by Greenshoe, bred by owner Marvin Katz with Al Libfeld, paid $4.00 to win) in 1:54 2/5 for Dunn and Monkey Wine (by Gimpanzee and bred by Peter Martinson, paid $30.76 to win) in 1:55 3/5 for driver Mattias Melander and co-owners Amg Stable Inc., Kenneth Kjellgren, Mantorp LLC. and Heights Stable.