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.

‘Ferrari’ displays big speed in Big M feature

June 7, 2025
East Rutherford, NJ – One week ago, Ari Ferrari J had no chance to catch Lexus Kody in the weekly feature at The Meadowlands, lacking room until very late after sitting a pocket trip. This time around, driver Brett Beckwith left nothing to chance, putting the Tony Alagna trainee on the lead down the backstretch and lasting to the wire in the marquee event on the Friday night (June 6) program, a $27,500 Open Handicap for trotters. “I kind of just wanted to let him do his own thing,” said Beckwith, who sits atop the driver standings at The Big M with 83 wins. “I thought that was the way the trip would go.” Southwind Coors, Sir Pinocchio, Ari Ferrari J and Outside The Fire were all in the first-turn scrum in the seven-horse field (likely favorite Periculum scratched) with Sir Pinocchio on the lead at the quarter while parked in :27.1. Beckwith and Ari Ferrari J kept digging on the outside, and did not make the top until shortly before reaching the half in :55. Ari Ferrari J hit three-quarters in 1:23.1, and despite late rallies from Sir Pinocchio (who finished second) and Southwind Coors (third), held on to the wire for a safe 1½-length score in a lifetime-best 1:50.1. Owned by Ken Jacobs, Ari Ferrari J, a 5-year-old son of Walner -Dream Child, returned $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favorite. He now has 14 wins from 48 lifetime starts, good for earnings of $1,147,662.

Fields Set For North America Cup And Undercard Stakes

June 7, 2025
Lite Up The World rolls into next week's prestigious $1 million Pepsi North America Cup (Grade 1) at Woodbine Mohawk Park in top-tier form after winning their respective $50,000 eliminations on Saturday, June 7. If Saturday night's performances are any indication of what’s to come on June 14, the 42nd edition of the premier event for three-year-old pacers is shaping up to be a classic. Lite Up The World, still sitting eighth straightening for the stretch drive, then began to meticulously pick off his rivals one-by-one en route to a 2-1/2-length score in a career-best 1:48.3, punctuated by a final quarter in :26. Crack Shot dug in to finish second, while a game Madden Oaks hung on for third. Fallout was fourth. “Last week, I thought I had a great horse and I was just trying to do too much and put him in a bad spot and didn't get the job done,” said MacDonald, of a runner-up finish in an $81,500 Somebeachsomewhere Stakes division. “And then tonight, it was such a competitive elim. “I thought there were five, six or seven horses that could win it, so I was trying to just float and come with cover and hopefully they mixed it up. And I floated, but they were all leaving. There was nowhere for me to go and I had to take back. I knew once he got rolling, he went by one and he just took off. So, it was a good feeling." Lite Up The World lit up the toteboard as he paid $18.30 for the mild upset. 

Galen Erso wins Goodtimes at Woodbine Mohawk

June 7, 2025
Hunterton born Galen Erso scored a pillar-to-post 1:53 lifetime-best win in the first $30,000 Goodtimes elimination for three-year-old trotters at Woodbine Mohawk June 7. Driver Doug McNair plugged out of post three with Galen Erso to seize the lead to a :27.2 first quarter and cooled on the engine up the backstretch to a :57 half. As half the field tipped off the pylons to the final turn, McNair slammed the pedal to clock three-quarters in 1:24.4 and braved the swarming herd late to hold onto the win by a length. Landing On Time (James MacDonald), the 3-5 favourite, kicked home from third-over for second while LMC Wagon Wheel (Tyler Borth) blasted from near last for third. P L Spencer (Bob McClure) and Gap Kronos S (Ake Svanstedt) took the remaining berths, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. “He was a little aggressive getting out of there – this was the first time he’s had the closed bridle on him this year," said McNair of the SBOA Stakes winner. "I figured one of the favourites, either Ake [driving Gap Kronos S] or James [driving Landing On Time], would’ve covered him up but they left him alone. I let him buzz the third quarter and he did the rest from there.” McNair's father Gregg trains Galen Erso, a colt by Green Manalishi S out of Wygant Princess, for owner Brad Grant of Milton, Ont. Galen Erso, now two-for-four this year, collected his fifth win from 11 career starts and has now banked $291,604 in earnings. He returned $61.60 to win.

Onajetplane wins the NYSS at The Meadowlands

June 6, 2025
Trainer Noel Daley's Hunterton sold Onajetplane (Walner-Noble Lover) won his sophomore debut in a lifetime-best 1:52.1 by more than four lengths, paying $9.40 as the 7-2 third choice. Andy McCarthy was the winning driver. Daley shares ownership of last season's New Jersey Classic champion with Sjoblom Racing Inc., L A Express Stable and Joonas Jarvinen. at The Meadowlands, Friday night, June 6.

Mountcastle wins the NYSS at The Meadowlands in 1:51.2!

June 6, 2025
Courant's Hunterton raised and sold Mountcastle (Muscle Hill-Gama Bourbon FR) scored his first lifetime win in 1:51.2, paying $11.60 as the 9-2 fourth choice. He defeated favourite Top Gun Hanover by a head for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Marcus Melander at The Meadowlands, Friday night, June 6. 

Splendid $50,000 KYSS division winner in 1:52.4f

June 2, 2025
Bred, raised and sold by Hunterton Splendid and Tony Hall scored an upset in the $68,493 KYSS split for four-year-old trotting horses & geldings, winning in 1:52.4 at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Monday afternoon, June 2. Hall procured a pocket trip to Ordained (Yannick Gingras) after a :26.3 first quarter and coasted along while 6-5 favourite Convoy Hall (Todd McCarthy) attempted to push first over on the rim. The chalk floundered in his push through middle fractions of :55.4 and 1:24 while Splendid swelled from the pocket. Once Convoy Hall levelled off spinning for home, Hall angled outside and slid by Ordained to notch an 11-1 win by 1-1/2 lengths. Ordained held second while Pennteller Hanover (Brett MacDonald) kicked from last for third and Convoy Hall settled for fourth.  Todd Rooney trains Splendid , a stallion by Father Patrick, for his Rooney Racing and co-owner Trotting For Bourbon. The trotter won his 11th race from 29 starts and has now banked $311,523. He paid $24.58 to win.

Keg Stand soars in Oak Grove Open Trot

May 6, 2025
Oak Grove, KY — Working a second-over trip, Keg Stand struck at the most opportune time to scoot away from his competition and notch a 1:53.3 win in the $33,000 Open Handicap Trot at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Tuesday afternoon (May 6). Leaving from post four, Keg Stand (driven by Jeremy Indof) floated off the car to sit fifth while even-money favorite Railee Something (Joey Putnam) pushed forward and soon obliged for a pocket ride to DP Freedoms Chrome (Peter Wrenn) through a :26.3 first quarter. DP Freedoms Chrome slowed the tempo to a :55.4 half, but Oh Look Magic (Trace Tetrick) swiftly angled out of third to charge forward on the rim after the leader in the second-quarter breather. Indof caught cover from Oh Look Magic and cruised while perched on the helmet to three-quarters in 1:24.2. Oh Look Magic and DP Freedoms Chrome stayed locked in battle spinning for home as Indof launched Keg Stand three-wide and rolled by the embattled duo to post a 1-1/4-length win. Oh Look Magic held second from Railee Something, who shook free from a locked pocket and rallied down the center of the track for third. DP Freedoms Chrome faded to fourth. A 6-year-old gelding by Bar Hopping, Keg Stand won his 24th race from 74 starts and has now earned $813,788. Tony Dinges trains the gelding for owners David Hamm and EVM Racing LLC. He paid $12.26 to win. In the race before the Open, a pair of drivers were unseated from the bikes when hooking wheels in the stretch drive. Tony Hall and Jordan Patton were dumped from their sulkies, but both horses involved walked away without injuries. Hall, getting up from the incident on his own strength, booked off the remainder of his drives on the afternoon while Jordan Patton was taken to hospital for further evaluation. Oak Grove will share any updates on the accident as information becomes available. Racing at Oak Grove continues on Sunday (May 11) with a 13-race card that includes four $100,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes finals for 4-year-olds. First-race post time on Sunday at Oak Grove is 1:45 p.m. (CDT), but starting on Monday (May 12), Oak Grove will shift to a first-race post time of 1:25 p.m. (CDT) for the remainder of the meet, with one exception for its race card on Sunday, May 25. For more information on Oak Grove, visit oakgrovegaming.com .

Lite Up The World Tops Qualifying Cup Eligibles

April 21, 2025
North America Cup eligible Lite Up The World headlined the Monday, April 21 qualifying session at Woodbine Mohawk Park on a cloudy spring morning. Making the second qualifying start of his sophomore season after going two-for-four as a rookie, Lite Up The World cut fractions of :29 and :59.1 before picking up the pace to three-quarters in 1:27.1 and sprinting his final quarter in :26.1 to keep 1-1/2 lengths clear of pocket pursuer Brigade in a 1:53.2 mile. It was another strong-looking finish for Lite Up The World, who paced home in 26 seconds in his April 14 qualifier. Quebec stakes champion The Magic Moment followed back in third in his season's debut while a pair of maidens, Pac Man Hanover and Wicked Express, completed the third race field. The top four finishers have been kept eligible to the mid-June North America Cup as of the second sustaining payment. James MacDonald drove the winning American Ideal colt out of Turnoffthelights for trainer Anthony Beaton and owners Mac and Carol Nichol of Burlington, Ont. Grand Circuit stakes-placed at two, Lite Up The World won back-to-back races in 1:51.3 last July at Mohawk, including a leg of the Dream Maker Pacing Series, and earned just over $30,000. He's a full brother to millionaire mare Bedroomconfessions. Lite Up The World was ranked just outside the top 15 at odds of 42-1 in TROT Magazine's 2025 North America Cup Spring Book. To view the complete Spring Book, click here . His winning time was co-fastest of the morning qualifying session with the Chantal Mitchell-trained older pacer Uncle Shank A later romping to a 1:53.2 nine-length victory in the seventh race finale with Trevor Henry in the sulky. A replay of the live Woodbine video stream from the qualifiers is available below.

Hunterton Farms: Birthplace of Champions

January 4, 2025
Allegiant Tactical Landing - Too Good For You 2, 1:52.2; 3, 1:51.1f-’24 ($1,043,347) Hunterton bred, raised and sold

Hunterton Bred, Born & Sold Allegiant almighty in Breeders Crown victory

October 27, 2024
East Rutherford, NJ — Breeders Crown elimination winner Allegiant, with Scott Zeron in the bike again, won the $600,000 Breeders Crown 3-year-old filly trot at The Meadowlands on Saturday (Oct. 26), crossing the finish in a personal-best and stakes-record-equaling 1:51.1.  Zeron fired his filly off the gate and took the lead easily enough, but R Melina was looking to avenge losing her elimination and overtook Allegiant for the lead in a soft :27.4 first panel. Willys Home Run took safe cover behind the first two with Elista Hanover behind them in fourth. Nothing changed as R Melina guided the field to a :55.4 half, but Elista Hanover took to the outside to chase, giving cover to elim-winner Drawn Impression while the top two rolled towards three-quarters in 1:23.2. Zeron’s filly had tons of trot saved from the catbird-seat journey when he sent her mid-track to use that saved energy for a convincing challenge to win and defeat R Melina by 2-1/4 lengths. Elista Hanover took the third spot with Drawn Impression in fourth and Warrawee Michelle closing from last for fifth. Even though it was a smooth trip, Zeron said, “It shows how tough she really is.” The win by the daughter of Tactical Landing , from the Yankee Glide mare Too Good For You, puts her on the edge of being a millionaire with $933,197 in her wallet lifetime. Bred by Atlantic Trot Inc. and Steve H. Stewart and owned by Ryan W. Smith, Allegiant scored her 10th win in 25 starts over two seasons. Zeron scored his eighth Breeders Crown trophy with his second-straight win driving Allegiant. “I was happy to sit in the second spot,” he said after the race. “She shows me no emotion (when we race).” He also praised trainer Linda Toscano, who won her ninth Breeders Crown trophy and first in this division, for how the filly has been handled. Allegiant matched the stakes record set in 2022 by Jiggy Jog S with the win and paid $6.00 to win.
Show More