Red Mile: Niki Hill stays perfect, Frantasy Hanover surprises in ISS races

Niki Hill improved to six-for-six and Frantasy Hanover pulled a major upset in the two International Stallion Stakes showdowns for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Friday afternoon at The Red Mile.

Driven by Dexter Dunn in the first $126,500 division, Niki Hill got away in fourth and bided her time in that position as Sloopy (Yannick Gingras) led to a 28 2/5 opening quarter Sloopy was then looped by Cape Cod Hanover (Chris Page) before the 56 4/5 half, with Niki Hill going first-over just before that marker.

On the final bend Niki Hill quickly rushed up to Cape Cod Hanover and grabbed an advantage on the outside, but then Cape Cod Hanover countered and was able to keep Niki Hill on the rim to the 1:25 1/5 three-quarters and into the lane. Despite the two-wide grind, Niki Hill put Cape Cod Hanover away for good in mid-stretch, and then she paced away in the last eighth while wrapped-up. She bettered Queen Of Success (Andrew McCarthy) by a pair of lengths in a 1:51 2/5 mile, with A Girl That Twirls (Brian Sears) up for third.

"It was a great effort, really. She's been on the front every start really, so it was good for her to sit back on a helmet for a while. She was relaxed doing it, too. I was a bit worried about her getting hot when I sat her on a helmet, but she was really good," Dunn said. "She sort of didn't get around the last turn real good, but she kicked home really good in the straight. They had a chance to run her down today, but they couldn't."

A daughter of Always B Miki-Road Bet, Niki Hill is trained by Chris Ryder for owner Tom Hill. Niki Hill, who was bred by Dr. Stephen Dey and fetched $155,000 at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, has banked $322,063 to go with her unblemished status, and she paid $2.10 across the board.

"We had a minor hiccup before we qualified her. She got a stone bruise in her foot, but I really wasn't concerned about it. I'm a lot happier to have six starts instead of nine or ten by now because we have a couple races at the end of the year we want to concentrate on," Ryder remarked. "She's terrifically professional. She never gets nervous in the paddock, falls asleep, just stands in the stall and sleeps. We had a minor hiccup after warming up. A tractor went past the stall cleaning up a manure pile, and she didn't take to kindly to that, but no problem.

"I call her a steam train. She can just keep going. I figured today something would happen. It wouldn't be copybook the way it's been so far. Like I say, that's racing, everyone's out to win, and that's okay. She overcame it. Dexter made a comment to me that he wasn't happy about himself, but you can't just put them on the front all the time. It can catch up to them. I didn't give him any driving instructions, but honestly, I was quite pleased with the way it turned out."

In the other $127,500 grouping, 67-1 shot Southwind Java (McCarthy) rolled to the engine in a 27 second quarter, but she would be overtaken by pocket-sitter Galleria Hanover (Gingras), and then Dont Fence Me In (Dunn) went on a charge out of fourth that carried her into the top spot before the 54 4/5 half.

After taking command, Dont Fence Me In was challenged by a first-over Yes And Yes (Tim Tetrick), and although Dont Fence Me In was able to stay in the lead on the last turn and to the 1:22 1/5 three-quarters, Yes And Yes forged her way by in the lane. Yes And Yes tried to set sail for the wire at that point, but Frantasy Hanover (Joe Bongiorno), who had raced in last until going two-wide before three-quarters, was in full flight while widest in the stretch, and Frantasy Hanover got up at the wire to tally by a head in 1:51 2/5. Dont Fence Me In held on to take third.

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"I asked [trainer Ron Burke] about her, I think it was yesterday, and he told me 'she'll be good. She trained good, but she's going to have to step up to go with these horses.' She was able to do that today. Middle of the last turn, she still had a ton of pace, but I also had a lot of ground to make up," offered Bongiorno. "At that point, I'm like 'I don't know; I'm going to pick up a piece for sure.' There were some tired horses in front of me. Halfway down the line, I'm like 'man, she's really pacing hard,' and she paced right through the wire the same way.

"Timmy looked over 'did you get me,' and I'm like 'I've got no idea,' but it worked out that way. I was like 'maybe it was a dead-heat,' which would have been cool, too, but I was really happy that we got up for the win."

Burke, who finished first, second, and fourth in the event, trains Frantasy Hanover for owner Christopher Nichol. The victorious Always B Miki-Francessa filly was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms and cost just $7,000 at last year's Standardbred Horse Sale. Frantasy Hanover, who had been racing in Canada for trainer Walter Whelan prior to today, has a pair of wins and a second from six starts, and she has now earned $74,018. Dispatched at 43-1, she returned $89.60 to win.