Red Mile: When Dovescry fastest in International Stallion Stakes contests for rookie trotting fillies

When Dovescry picked up her first stakes win and knocked off division leader The Ice Dutchess in the process, posting a 1:52 3/5 clocking in the fifth and final International Stallion Stakes division for rookie trotting fillies on Friday afternoon at The Red Mile.

Driven by Simon Allard for his brother, trainer Rene Allard, When Dovescry had a pocket trip behind Ma Was Right (Dexter Dunn) through fractions of 27 4/5, 56 1/5, and 1:25 2/5 in the $65,500 event. The Ice Dutchess (Yannick Gingras) sat third for the first half, then pulled first-up to get into contention on the final bend.

The Ice Dutchess overhauled Ma Was Right in upper stretch, but When Dovescry angled into the two-path as The Ice Dutchess drifted out some through the lane, and with a late burst, When Dovescry got up to win by a neck. The Ice Dutchess had to settle for second, and Cloud Nine Fashion (Tim Tetrick) suffered her first defeat as she was third after a second-over trip.

"We've been very patient with her and I knew she was a Grand Circuit horse all along," remarked Simon Allard. "She's very talented."

Rene Allard trains When Dovescry, a daughter of Muscle Hill-Cedar Dove, for owners Go Fast Stable, Yves Sarrazin, Kapildeo Singh, and Lawrence Dumain. This was her third win from five starts, and she has now earned $51,310. Bred by William Weaver, When Dovescry was a $205,000 acquisition at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. She was a 9-1 shot today and paid $21.00 to win.

"My brother would keep asking me why we were staying at Pocono instead of going to The Meadows, and I would tell him because the Breeders Crown is there," added Rene Allard.

While Gingras and trainer Jimmy Takter had to settle for second with The Ice Dutchess in that race, they did score an ISS double with Asiago and Whispering Oaks. Asiago, racing in the day's opening event, came out of the pocket at head stretch and, despite lugging out some, edged past leader and favorite Princess Deo (Andrew McCarthy) to win by a neck in 1:55. Stone In Love (Tetrick) was the third-place finisher.

"She just got a little lonely in the stretch," Gingras said about Asiago's drifting in the lane. "She had plenty of go."

It was the maiden-breaking performance for Asiago, a Muscle Hill-Platinum T filly owned by Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband, Al Libfeld, and Black Horse Racing. A $200,000 buy at the 2017 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Asiago has banked $78,960 and returned $7.80 to win today as the 5-2 second choice.Derick GiwnerWhispering Oaks got her first Grand Circuit win

As for Whispering Oaks, she led at the 28 4/5 opening quarter in the fourth flight, but then was overtaken by both Conway Kellyanne and Speed Titan (Brian Sears) in the backstretch. Gingras elected to sit in through middle-half splits of 57 and 1:26, then found a seam up the inside in the lane. Once she had clearance, Whispering Oaks exploded through, winning by a length in 1:54 3/5. Conway Kellyanne was the runner-up, and Speed Titan faded to third.

"That's the kind of trip she likes, saving ground and making one good move," Gingras noted about the winner.

The New Jersey Sire Stakes and Kentucky Sires Stakes champion for the division, Whispering Oaks is a daughter of Father Patrick-Vintage Oaks owned by Brixton Medical Inc., Herb Liverman, and R A W Equine Inc. Bred by Libfeld, Katz, and Goldband and taken out of last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Whispering Oaks is now a four-time winner with $264,844 in the bank. She was the 6-5 favorite and paid $4.60 to win.

Also victorious in the ISS dashes for filly trotters were Special Honor (Andy Miller) and Evident Beauty (David Miller).

Special Honor released Starita (David Miller) to the front passing the 28 second opening quarter in the second section, and remained in the pocket to the half in 57 1/5. Andy Miller then tipped Special Honor to the outside on the final bend, and she was head-and-head with Starita at the 1:26 3/5 three-quarters. Special Honor overtook her for good off the last turn, then held off a charging Fade Into You (Gingras) through the lane to prevail by a neck in 1:54 2/5. Golden Tricks (Ake Svanstedt) took third.

"I knew the other filly had something left, but I just didn't want to get stuck in the pocket," said Andy Miller about the winning move on the last turn.

Special Honor is another one by Father Patrick (out of Honor Thy Daughter), and she is a homebred for Brittany Farms, Katz, and Libfeld. The Julie Miller trainee made her third stop in the winner's circle, and she has now put away $149,324. The 6-5 second choice, she also returned $4.60 to win.

Evident Beauty, who won her Bluegrass division last week, was the only filly trotter to repeat this week, winning the third ISS tilt in 1:54 4/5. Windy Corner (Marcus Miller) made front in just a 28 2/5 opening panel, but then she jumped it off, leaving Susy (Gingras) to chop out the 58 3/5 half and 1:27 2/5 three-quarters. Meanwhile, Evident Beauty and David Miller worked out a second-over trip behind Fate Smiled (Matt Kakaley). Evident Beauty was hustled out three-high off the last turn, and she would kick out a 27-second final kicker to get up and win by a length over Global Pageant (Scott Zeron), who followed from third-over. Fate Smiled was third.

"I was happy Marcus's filly ran because she would've been hard to beat with those fractions, but I thought I could get the one on the lead," offered the winning driver.

The victorious Trixton-Struck By Lindy filly is trained by Nifty Norman for owners Melvin Hartman, Little E LLC., and R A W Equine Inc. She picked up her third win, and she has now stashed away $178,582. Evident Beauty was bred by White Birch Farm and sold for $80,000 at the 2017 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. She was the 4-5 favorite today and paid $3.60 to win.