Admiral Hill repeats in Kentucky Sire Stakes

June 4, 2024

Oak Grove, KY — Admiral Hill toured the Oak Grove track again to collect his second straight win with a 1:50.3 wrapped-up effort in the $50,000 second preliminary of the Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) series for 4-year-old male pacers on Tuesday (June 4).


Yannick Gingras pushed Admiral Hill for the front from the pylon post and clicked by a :27.1 first quarter as El Rey (driven by David Miller) settled into the pocket. Admiral Hill then cruised to a :56 half and rolled up the backside under minimal pressure to three-quarters in 1:23.2. El Rey grew antsy from the pocket ride but sat locked at the cones through the final turn as Tip Top Cat (Todd McCarthy) progressed evenly on the rim uncovered.

Gingras kept a tight grip on Admiral Hill and let him loose in the stretch, where he strode in a 1-1/2-length winner while chased by El Rey in second. Tip Top Cat settled for third; For Once Inmy Life (Andy McCarthy) came from second-over for fourth.


A 4-year-old gelding by Sweet Lou, Admiral Hill has now won 14 races from 32 starts and has banked $409,008. Per Engblom trains the $2.58 winner for owner Morrison Racing Stables.


Trotting males sparred in three divisions of KYSS to start the card. The Hazelton (Yannick Gingras) opened the day with a far-turn blitz to win the first division in 1:53.3.


French Wine (Andy Miller) floated forward through a :28 first quarter to grab the lead from Cecil Hanover (Peter Wrenn) while The Hazelton settled into third. The field then stayed single file through a :57.3 half and to three-quarters in 1:25.3 before Gingras made his move outside into the last turn.


The Hazelton blitzed French Wine and stuck a head in front spinning for home and stayed firm on the lead to the end to grab the gold by three-quarters of a length. Cecil Hanover gave chase in third and Drink Up Drink Up (Marvin Luna) finished fourth.


Ron Burke trains The Hazelton, a gelding by Muscle Mass, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. He has now won 15 races from 33 starts, earned $253,656 and paid $5.82 to win.


Ari Ferrari J (Dexter Dunn) went pillar-to-post in the second division with a 1:53 effort to ward off pocket-pouncer Once In A Lifetime (Todd McCarthy).


Starting from the pylon post, Dunn slid to the top with Ari Ferrari J before a :28 first quarter and coasted to a :57.2 half. Ari Ferrari J then began the sprint for home while Once In A Lifetime stayed close in his trail. The two peeled clear of the field moving to three-quarters in 1:25.1 and continued speeding through the final turn as Once In A Lifetime tipped out and engaged for the stretch battle. Ari Ferrari J held his ground to the inside all through the lane and kept a head up on Once In A Lifetime at the beam. Deadline Hall (Andy McCarthy) took third, beaten nine lengths; Morning Edition (Atlee Bender) was fourth.


Tony Alagna trains Ari Ferrari J, a stallion by Walner, for owner Kenneth Jacobs. He won for the eighth time from 34 starts, has now earned $848,681, and paid $4.58 to win.


Bestfriend Volo (Dexter Dunn) then rolled in the last division for trotting males to a measured victory in 1:53 as the 1-5 favorite.


Dunn planted Bestfriend Volo on the lead to a :28.1 first quarter and strolled along to a :57 half before hitting the thruster for the backside. In his sprint to three-quarters, timed in 1:24.2, Bestfriend Volo slipped six lengths clear of his competition with just Prince Of Honor (Todd McCarthy) making inroads through the last half mile. Dunn then kept Bestfriend Volo to task through the lane as Prince Of Honor continued plugging forward on the outside to register the win by a diminishing length. Sparks Fly (Atlee Bender) finished third, another four lengths behind, and Yo Tater (Verlin Yoder) settled for fourth.


Nancy Takter trains and co-owns Bestfriend Volo, a gelding by Walner, with Christina Takter, 3 Brothers Stables and Deja Blu. He paid $2.78 to win.

Mambacita stayed unbeaten against her peers in the lone split for trotting mares, this time grabbing the win off a pocket ride to capture the 1:52.3 mile.


Railee Something (Andy McCarthy) powered off the wings to the top, forcing Mambacita to settle into the pocket past a :27 first quarter. McCarthy then rated Railee Something to a :56.1 half, but faced a prompt challenge midway up the backside from Dunn pulling pocket with Mambacita.


Mambacita upped the pressure on Railee Something through three-quarters in 1:24 and hit the ropes through the final turn. Mambacita swung for home and edged away from her rivals to win by 2-1/4 lengths while Railee Something clung to second from the fast-closing Vintage (David Miller).


Cessna Pride (Todd McCarthy) took fourth.


Winning her 16th race from 36 starts, Mambacita has now earned $945,418 for owners Crawford Farms Racing, Alagna Racing LLC and Pryde Stables Inc. Tony Alagna trains the mare by Tactical Landing who paid $2.90 to win.


Pacing mares competed in a non-wagering division of the KYSS prior to the betting card, which Zanatta (Andy Miller) won in 1:51. Perched in the pocket behind Hungry For Love (David Miller) through fractions of :27, :56.2 and 1:23.4, Zanatta swelled and responded once Miller fed her racetrack into the stretch. Zanatta scooted away from Hungry For Love with ease to win by a length while Keep My Secret (Tony Hall) took third and To All A Goodnight (Dexter Dunn) settled for fourth.


Jenn Bongiorno trains Zanatta, a 4-year-old mare by Stay Hungry, for owner One Legend Stable Inc.



Live racing resumes at Oak Grove on Monday (June 10) at 3 p.m. (CDT) and features a carryover of $714.18 in the last-race Super High-5. Free program pages for every race day, courtesy of TrackMaster, are available on the Oak Grove Racing website.

Show Me Your Ace wins Commonwealth at The Red Mile

July 27, 2025
Lexington, KY – On yet another sweltering Sunday evening infringed upon by some intriguing pop-up storms, The Red Mile hosted a preview of future stars of tomorrow as freshman pacing colts demonstrated their talents over the historic mile oval. Hunterton Sold Show Me Your Ace (Dunn), Hurrikanelouexiii (Andrew McCarthy) and Papi Rick (A. McCarthy) captured their respective divisions of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series by a head, neck and nose, respectively. Trained by Chris Ryder, Show Me Your Ace was the public’s second selection in the field of seven at odds of nearly 3-1. The son of American Ideal-Trip Aces Hanover is owned by his trainer, Anne Demers, Lawrence Minowitz and Ake Svanstedt. Bred by In The Dark Racing LLC, Show Me Your Ace broke his maiden in his first trip to the gate and has now earned $15,000. The colt was a $150,000 purchase at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. Show Me Your Ace provided $7.78 to those who selected him on their tickets and stopped the clock in 1:52.2. 

Fletchers Field wins Golden Rod at The Red Mile

July 27, 2025
Lexington, KY – On yet another sweltering Sunday evening infringed upon by some intriguing pop-up storms, The Red Mile hosted a preview of future stars of tomorrow as freshman pacing colts demonstrated their talents over the historic mile oval. Hunterton Born & Sold Fletchers Field (Geremy Bobbitt) was the only non-favored horse to win his Golden Rod division in 1:52.3. He is trained by Rodney De Beck and owned by his trainer with Randy Donahue. The son of Tall Dark Stranger -Coronet paid $9.94 to win.

Seaside Angel wins Buckeye Stallion Series division at Northfield

July 23, 2025
There were five $27,397 Buckeye Stallion Series divisions for two-year-old pacing fillies at Northfield Park. Queen Valerie (1:57; $4.60) kicked off the winners for driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke, Hunterton Sold Seaside Angel (1:55.1; $4.80) then connected for Page and a different Ron -- trainer Ron Steck. Rhodena Blue (1:57; $16.80) was the longest priced winner of the group with Aaron Merriman up for trainer Neil MacInnis. Lil Keisha (1:57.1; $5.60) provided a double in BSS action for Page and Burke, with the stakes divisions capped by Eyes Up in the fastest split (1:54.4; $2.40) for driver Dan Noble and trainer Deborah Swartz.

Vic Zelenskyy sparkles at The Red Mile

July 22, 2025
Lexington, KY — On Tuesday (July 22), The Red Mile conducted two $35,000 first round legs of the Kentucky Sire Stakes Series for older male and female trotters. Vic Zelenskyy returned from a vacation as a victor and Black Velvet As collected her second consecutive triumph in sire stakes company. The impeccably bred ( Hunterton Born & Sold) Vic Zelenskyy ( Greenshoe -Mission Brief) has experienced trouble staying flat throughout his career yet demonstrated his affinity for the red clay with his fifth triumph over the Lexington oval. With Dexter Dunn at the controls for conditioner Marcus Melander, the stallion commenced trotting from post position five as Bargain (Marvin Luna) took control out of the gate from post position seven through a first quarter in :28.1. Dunn, however, decided it was time to place Vic Zelenskyy in command prior to a half in :56.1. The stallion never relinquished that position through three-quarters in 1:24.2 and hit the line in 1:51. Bargain came on again with a drive in the lane, but Vic Zelenskyy was best. Mister Dad (David Miller) rounded out the trifecta. Sent off as the favorite in the field of eight, the stallion is owned by S R F Stable as well as Holly Lane Stud East LTD. He was bred by Mission Brief Stable. Vic Zelenskyy was a $550,000 purchase at the 2022 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and is the first foal out of world champion Mission Brief’s five offspring of racing age to break the $100,000 barrier after today’s win. The 4-year-old’s stallion’s record now stands at 15-6-2 and he has banked $113,510. He last competed in the 2024 Breeders Crown elimination where he broke in the final, but he did win an elimination of last year’s Kentucky Futurity. Vic Zelenskyy paid $5.14 to his supporters.

Peace Talks wins Kentucky Sire Stakes at The Red Mile

July 21, 2025
On Monday (July 21) The Red Mile hosted two $35,000 first legs of the Kentucky Sire Stakes for 4-year-olds and older for male and female pacers. Hunterton Bred, Born & Sold Peace Talks (Dunn) was content to allow heavily favored Bath Bomb (Andrew McCarthy) to lead the way right from the gate. Dunn sat in the garden spot while Bath Bomb reeled off splits of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:23.3 but he and his horse were prepared to pounce and did exactly that heading around the final turn. Bath Bomb offered some resistance, but Peace Talks would not be denied and came home in a brisk :25.4. The daughter of American Ideal-Triple V Hanover stopped the clock in 1:49.3. Bath Bomb held second and Capytreach (Andy Miller), the longest shot in the field of five at 32-1, came on late to snatch the show spot. Trained by Chris Ryder, Peace Talks is owned by Henderson Farms, Fac Racing LLC and Robert Mondillo. The mare paid $9.64 for her efforts. Peace Talks was bred by Donald Robinson, Michael Robinson, Steve Stewart and James Daut. The mare improved her resume to 40-5-10-11. This was her first triumph of the season from 12 trips to the post. Her time was a new lifetime mark. Peace Talks has collected the most purse money from her dam’s six foals with $536,329 in the bank. She is half-sibling to Fulsome ( Betting Line , $302,399) and Vici (Lazarus N, $327,261). The mare was a $87,000 purchase at the 2021 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Jasper Hill wins $25,000 Grassroots division at Woodbine

July 21, 2025
Two-year-old pacing colts stepped into the spotlight with a trio of $25,000 Grassroots divisions at Woodbine Mohawk Park on July 21. Trainer Anthony Beaton picked up victories in a pair of Grassroots divisions, with Hunterton Born Jasper Hill overcoming post ten to score first-over in 1:54.1. Tom Hill's homebred son of Cattlewash-Pretty Katherine was driven to his first career victory in his second outing by Doug McNair as the even-money favourite.

Royal Captain Sets Sail In Millard Farms At Mohawk

July 21, 2025
Woodbine Mohawk Park played host to a pair of $20,000 divisions of the first leg of the Millard Farms Series for two-year-old trotters on Monday (July 21) seeing Hunterton Born and Sold Royal Captain cruise in 1:54.4 to stay perfect in his young career and Halton Hill breaking his maiden in 1:58.3 as the 1-2 choice in the second split. Royal Captain and driver Tyler Jones made quick work of the outside post seven, blitzing to the top and trotting three-lengths clear to the quarter pole in a quick :27.1. Royal Captain remained a loose leader to the half in :57.1 over pocket-sitter Tymal Starstruck (Doug McNair) while Captain Code (Scott Young) advanced into third first-up. Captain Code continued to march to the leader's wheel on the final turn, with Royal Captain reaching three-quarters first in 1:26.3. Under confident Jones handling, Royal Captain remained just out of reach in the lane of both Captain Code and Tymal Starstruck, reaching the wire a length clear in 1:54.4. Captain Code edged out Tymal Starstruck by three parts of a length to be second. Trained by Dustin Jones, the winning son of Captain Corey-You Will Be Queen is now two-for-two to start his career. Bred by Dustin Jones Stables and Hebert Horses Inc., Royal Captain has bagged $18,000 for owners Royal Captain Group.

‘Tillie’ tough in Geers at Big M

July 19, 2025
East Rutherford, NJ — Hunterton Sold Yo Tillie maintained her current standing as the top horse in her division as a Hambletonian contender Saturday night at The Meadowlands when four divisions of the Tompkins-Geers Stake were contested for 3-year-old trotters of each sex. Yo Tillie remained unbeaten in four tries this season after displaying an awesome closing kick rather than the dazzling early speed she showed in each of her first three starts this year. “Her last couple of starts she’s been awesome,” said winning driver Todd McCarthy. “I’ve been racing her pretty aggressively and that was kind of the plan for tonight, but she’s come back so smart this year and she’s learned how to settle in. It’s an advantage when you can race them like that.” The daughter of Tactical Landing -Consolidator raced in fourth past the five-eighths in the $37,125 first dash for fillies, then moved to the outside on the far turn before unleashing a powerhouse final quarter of :26.3 to win by 3½ lengths over R Charm in 1:52.3. Jersey Slide was third. “I knew when I tipped and asked her that she would give me a pretty good last quarter,” said McCarthy. Not eligible for the Hambletonian Oaks, Yo Tillie, who returned $2.10 to win as the 1-9 favorite, is being pointed toward the Kentucky Filly Futurity and Breeders Crown, among other stakes events this year, according to trainer Andrew Harris.

Onajetplane wins the Tompkins-Geers Stake

July 18, 2025
Hunterton Sold Onajetplane threw his hat into the ring as a Hambletonian contender Saturday night at The Meadowlands when four divisions of the Tompkins-Geers Stake were contested for 3-year-old trotters of each sex. Onajetplane used a quick brush to command down the backstretch to secure the top just after the half and then had to hold off a late-charging Hey Porter to take the first division for colts and geldings – which went for a purse of $39,125 – by a head in a lifetime-best equaling 1:52.1. Warrior was third.  “He doesn’t love being in front, he starts looking around a little,” said winning driver Andy McCarthy. “He got to wondering a little but once Scottie [Zeron, driving Hey Porter] came to us, he got back to business.” In the opinion of his driver, the son of Walner -Noble Lover is a Hambletonian contender. “This horse is good enough [to compete in the Hambo]. He needs a good draw and a good trip and he’ll be right there.” As the 4-5 public choice, Onajetplane, a Noel Daley trainee, paid $3.60 to win.

No Better Air Stars In Grassroots At Mohawk

July 18, 2025
Hunterton Born and Sold No Better Air was one of four Cattlewash freshman pacing filly winners in Ontario Sires Stakes action on Friday night, July 18 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Congratulations to owners Andrea Lea Racingstables Inc, Scott McEneny and Carlisle-Aristi Varsakis, trainer Scott McEneny and driver Trevor Henry. 
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