Red Mile: Snowstorm Hanover conquers Devious Man in Kentucky Futurity final

It was a rain storm in Lexington and at The Red Mile all day until it became a Snowstorm in the Kentucky Futurity final for 3-year-old trotting colts as Snowstorm Hanover was a dead-game winner over Devious Man in 1:53 2/5.

In the $420,000 final elimination winner International Moni (Scott Zeron) was the 3-2 favorite from the rail, but he made a break before the start and was never a factor. With the public choice out of the picture, it would be Bill's Man (Corey Callahan) and Yes Mickey (Ake Svanstedt) who tussled for early control, with the former clearing the latter at the 29 second opening quarter. Svanstedt wanted the front, though, and so he brought Yes Mickey to the outside and gained command.

Yes Mickey hit the half in 56 3/5, and it was at that point that elimination winner What The Hill (David Miller) commenced a first-up move out of third. That would give cover to Snowstorm Hanover (Matt Kakaley) around the final bend and to the 1:24 2/5 three-quarters, with Lindy The Great (Tim Tetrick) third-over and Devious Man (Andy Miller) fourth-over and three-wide near three-quarters.

At the top of stretch a wild scramble commenced, but Devious Man made that early wide move pay off as he surged past horse after horse to hit the lead. Snowstorm Hanover didn't give in despite being overtaken, though, as he fought back inside the last sixteenth under steady Kakaley urging and trotted by Devious Man to score by a short neck. Lindy The Great, who was blind-switched by the three-wide Devious Man, came on to get third, followed by What The Hill and Yes Mickey.

"The end of the year last year he was super. He finished up the year so great," said Kakaley. "He's got it in him if he shows up, that's for sure.

"Going into today if you told me I'd be standing here I wouldn't have believed you. He's been racing good, but I didn't think he was good enough to win today."

Ron Burke trains Snowstorm Hanover, a Muscle Massive colt, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Frank Baladchino, Phil Collura, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. He now has a pair of wins this year, eight career victories, and he pushed his lifetime earnings well over the half-million dollar mark. He paid $13.60 to win as a 5-1 shot.

"I really wonder now if he just doesn't like the hot weather," remarked Burke. "We noticed that he washes out sometimes very badly in the parade, and it's the times when he washes out he's real bad, so maybe today the weather was a blessing to him because he seemed cooler. After the first heat I said, 'Matt, truthfully you were the only one with trot finishing in the first two heats, so maybe you've got the best horse. Let's just try to give him a trip.' Matt couldn't have done a better job of putting him in the perfect spot to upset.

"We had a great week, and hopefully we bought some good babies. It was really a late-minute decision to even enter him, but I was like what the hell, he was second last week, and he paid his entry fee. It's a surprise, but also a thrill because it's our core group that owns all the horses together, Mark and everybody, and so that makes it even extra-special to us."

Elimination recaps

International Moni (Scott Zeron, 1:53 4/5) and What The Hill (David Miller, 1:53 3/5) won the pair of $90,000 eliminations earlier on the card.

Zeron and International Moni surged into the lead from first-over prior to the 1:24 3/5 three-quarters in the first elimination, and he would go on to beat a rallying Snowstorm Hanover, who was 82-1 in his elimination, by a length. It was the eighth career win for International Moni, a Love You colt trained by Frank Antonacci for owner Moni Maker Stable.

The second elimination saw Devious Man and driver Andy Miller bring the field into the lane after he took control before the 1:24 3/5 three-quarters, but What The Hill pushed past from the pocket to win by a neck over a surging Lindy The Great (Zeron) and Yes Mickey. Ron Burke also trains What The Hill, a Muscle Hill colt, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Our Horse Cents Stables, J&T Silva Stables, LLC., and Deo Volente Farms LLC. This was What The Hill's ninth lifetime triumph.