Double Deceiver wins Kentucky Championship final for 2 year olds
September 20, 2021
Double Deceiver commandeered his competition past the half and held his late challengers at bay to win the final for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings in 1:52.3. Double Deceiver was bred raised and sold by Hunterton Farm.
Away third to a :28 first quarter, driver David Miller dashed Double Deceiver off the pegs to the point through a :56 half and led to the final turn as Classic Hill came off the cones from third to race first-over. He continued uncovered towards three-quarters in 1:24.4 and began to retreat as Double Deceiver hit another gear off the turn and had just the fresh-legged backfield to withstand. The Carter Pinske trainee stayed strong on the lead to the finish, holding a length over Rebuff, who rallied for second. Looks Like Moni finished third and Gigondas closed for fourth.
Congratulations to owners
Pinske Stables.
Odds-on favorite Hunterton Sold Topville Lucky snatched the lead in the backstretch and asserted full authority to the finish of a 1:49.1 mile in the first Bluegrass division for sophomore pacing fillies. Todd McCarthy secured a seat with Topville Lucky behind early leader Lyons I Wanna Chip (Jason Bartlett) to a :27 first quarter, but soon circled the Andrew Harris trainee to the top heading towards a :55 half. Topville Lucky coasted on the point through the last turn, clicked past three-quarters in 1:22.3 and glided home a winner by three lengths chased by Need You Now (Dexter Dunn) in second. Barbuda Belle (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) rallied from a pylon trip for third and Sunny Station (Scott Zeron) took fourth. “She’s actually been a really nice filly,” said McCarthy. “She’s just a little bit under some of them – like that Miss Jum Jabber is a freak. So when we drew away from her, I felt pretty confident in her.” Topville Lucky competes for owner Punisher 11 Stable LLC. The filly by Sweet Lou , out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Warrawee Winx, won her second race from 10 starts this season and her eighth race from 17 starts in her career, earning $511,186. She paid $3.02 to win.
Command Center (Dunn), half brother to 2026 Hambletonian winner Apex, returned to the winner’s circle in the second Bluegrass division – sponsored by Al Libfeld Equine – after livening up in a late stretch battle from a loose lead to win in 1:54 at The Red Mile Oct. 1. Dunn settled Command Center, the 4-5 favorite, into fourth from the pylon post while Friday Night Fats (David Miller) pushed from the outermost draw in the octet for the lead to a :28.2 first quarter. Friday Night Fats cleared command entering the backstretch, at which point Dunn tipped off the pylons and brushed forward to seize control with Command Center approaching a :57 half. He accelerated on the point through the last turn and opened several lengths on his competition clocking by three-quarters in 1:25.1, but wavered while alone on the lead in the lane. Nights In Miami (Marvin Luna) ripped through a seam at the inside to press Command Center late, though the favorite reengaged once confronted to the finish to hold firmly for the win by a neck. Special Day (Andy McCarthy) finished third from a first-over move in the last turn while New Hope (Joe Bongiorno) followed his cover for fourth. “He’s a really nice colt, but he did get a little lost halfway up the straight,” Dunn said after the race. “I had to ease him and a lot of talking to him, but he got back to it when I asked him.” Marcus Melander trains Command Center, a two-time winner from six starts with $135,100 banked, for owners S R F Stable, Holly Lane Stud East Ltd. and Steve Stewart. The colt by Gimpanzee , out of world champion mare and Red Mile track-record holder Mission Brief, paid $3.94 to win.
Hunterton Sold Zephyr Kemp driven by Todd McCarthy for trainer Marcus Melander picked up steam on the stretch to secure the $75,000 Phil Langley Memorial for 3-year-old colt trotters. Leaving out of post five, Zephyr Kemp worked from behind as Mr Big Spender (Mike Wilder) notched along the first turn in :26.4. An early break from Dan D Man Can (Atlee Bender) in second opened up the field as Mr Big Spender glided past the halfway mark in :55.4. The field remained unchanged to the final turn in 1:24.3. Zephyr Kemp struck gold down the stretch accelerating through the wire to win by two lengths in 1:52. Mr Big Spender settled for second as Bravo Alpha (Trace Tetrick) scored third. Owned by Kemppi Stables Oy Inc, Suojalampi Stable Inc, Pcw Racing LLC, Sjoeblum Racing Inc, Zephyr Kemp claimed his fifth win of the year increasing his lifetime earnings to $318,050.
Dexter Dunn notched his first in a hat trick of stakes wins when he secured a pocket seat with Gobstopper through an early shuffle and then zipped through an inside seam in the stretch to snag the $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series final for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings at the Red Mile on Sunday night (Sept. 20).  Dunn floated Gobstopper out of post 6 and found a helmet to follow in stablemate Blazin Lou (Todd McCarthy) as they ranged up toward early leader Seine (Joe Bongiorno) to a :27.3 first quarter. Blazin Lou swept to the lead with Gobstopper soon overtaking before Rumble And Sway (Tim Tetrick) slid forward to take control. Rumble And Sway clocked a :54.4 half and cruised through the final turn as Blazin Lou mounted another challenge for the lead first-up on the rim. Blazin Lou matched strides with Rumble And Sway by three-quarters in 1:23 before being rebuffed into the stretch. Rumble And Sway drifted when sprinting for the finish, giving Gobstopper a seam to dart through and seize control late in the race for a 1:50.2 win by a half-length. Seine charged through traffic to the center of the track to take second, with Rumble And Sway finishing third and Blue Eyed Stranger (Yannick Gingras) taking fourth. “Bit of action early there – he’s been really good in the sires stakes down here,” Dexter Dunn said. “We got the front, followed Timmy (Tetrick with Rumble And Sway) there, (and) once he got that gap up the straight, he really let down good.” Tony Dinges trains Gobstopper, a colt by Sweet Lou -Captiva Island, for owner Rick Berks, who purchased the colt from the 2025 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale for $75,000. Gobstopper has now won five races from eight starts and amassed $332,920 in earnings. He paid $6.30 to win.
Lexington KY — The Red Mile hosted eight $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series finals on the Monday afternoon (Sept. 21) card, where no favorite found the winner’s circle through the stakes action. Dexter Dunn swarmed off cover with longshot Dog Dare You past tiring rivals to upset in the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series final for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings in a 1:51.1 mile. Crazygirlsburnsage (Josert Fonseca) grabbed the early lead before Totally Tyler (Yannick Gingras) brushed forward to take the lead through a :27.3 first quarter with Debonaire (Marvin Luna) following. Debonaire then slid to the top and promptly faced a rush from 2-5 favorite Night Agent (Andy McCarthy) as he shot up the rim to take the lead passing a :54.3 half. Dunn meanwhile pulled off the pylons from sixth and steadily advanced up the rim to catch cover as Crazygirlsburnsage angled back outside to challenge for the lead marching to three-quarters in 1:23. Crazygirlsburnsage tired in the stretch while Night Agent fought to hold command and Dog Dare You built steam off a covered trip. Dog Dare You thrusted to the lead and then held off a late rally from Totally Styler to win by a neck with Dunmire (Scott Zeron) closing from third-over for third. Night Agent held fourth. Chris Ryder trains Dog Dare You, a gelding by Bulldog Hanover -Tessa Hanover, for owners Robert Mondillo and Julie Nash. The gelding broke his maiden with the victory, which came in just the fifth start of his career, and has now earned $65,300. He paid $29.54 to win. 
 Hunterton Bred, Raised & Sold Illicit Behavior ($51) gutted out a tough stretch drive after an uncovered move to upset at 24-1 in the second split with Bob McClure at the lines Saturday, Sept. 19 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The Shawn Steacy-trained Bettors Delight-Pettycoat Business colt took his third win in 15 seasonal outings.
Lexington, KY – Hunterton Sold Captain Arturovico landed as odds-on favorite in their respective $35,000 third-preliminary divisions of Kentucky Sire Stakes at The Red Mile on Monday afternoon (Sept. 14). Ron Burke trainee Captain Arturovico (driven by Dexter Dunn) launched off a pocket ride and romped to a 1:48.4 score in the Kentucky Sire Stakes division for 4-year-old pacing males. Dunn settled from the pylon spot into a seat behind Damn The Torpedoes (Tim Tetrick) approaching a :27.1 first quarter and stayed put through a :54.2 half. He then angled from the pocket rounding past three-quarters in 1:22.4 and zipped away from the competition to cross the beam a 6-1/4-length winner chased by Somelousomewhere (Todd McCarthy) in second. Damn The Torpedoes settled for third and Whelk Blue Chip (Josh Sutton) took fourth. A 4-year-old gelding by Captaintreacherous -Tilikum, Captain Arturovico won his eighth race from 18 starts this season and his 20th race from 48 starts in his career, banking $604,319. He competes for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Larry Karr and Phil Collura. Sent the 2-5 favorite, he paid $2.40 to win.
Lexington, KY – Hunterton Bred, Raised & Sold Unreasonable landed as odds-on favorite in their respective $35,000 third-preliminary divisions of Kentucky Sire Stakes at The Red Mile on Monday afternoon (Sept. 14). Unreasonable (Todd McCarthy) capitalized from a major scratch in Three Times Bettor and went down the road in the Kentucky Sire Stakes division for 4-year-old pacing mares in a 1:49 mile. McCarthy cut a clip of :28, :55.2 and 1:23.1 before fending off a bid from pocket-sitter Champagne Room (Tim Tetrick) in the stretch to win by 1-1/4 lengths. Odds On Chesapeake (Scott Zeron) followed in third and Caviart Delight (David Miller) took fourth. Andrew Harris trains Unreasonable, a 4-year-old mare by Huntsville -Roaring To Go, for owner Punisher 11 Stable LLC. The mare won her fifth race from 14 starts this season and her 16th race from 40 starts in her career, amassing $1,020,280, and paid $3.32 to win.
Late in the card, Randy Jerrell pupil Hunterton Born & Raised Deuce Pop (Todd McCarthy) recorded his seventh straight victory when taking the second of two $15,000 Kentucky Golden Rod Series divisions for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings with a 1:54.1 effort at The Red Mile. Jerrell co-owns the Tactical Landing -Atlantic Crest colt, who has won 13 races from 26 starts in his career and banked $148,745, with partners Atlantic Trot Inc. and Steve Stewart. He paid $3.56 to win.
Lexington, KY — Odds-on favorite Miss Jum Jabber uncorked a wicked final quarter to cross the line first in her $80,000 fourth preliminary division of the Kentucky Championship Series while Hunterton Sold Zephyr Kemp landed a 53-1 shocker in the $80,000 fourth preliminary division of the Kentucky Championship Series for his cohort on Sunday night (Sept. 13) at The Red Mile. Zephyr Kemp (Todd McCarthy) foiled stablemate and odds-on favorite American Power (Dunn) in the Kentucky Championship Series division for trotting glamour boys and won as the third longest shot on the board in a 1:51.1 mile. Todd McCarthy planted Zephyr Kemp towards the middle of the pack as Captain Naughty (Gingras) fired for the lead and soon relinquished control to Silverstein (David Miller) in the early part of a :27.4 shuffle to the opening quarter. It Could Be Worse (Tim Tetrick) followed suit up the rim and looped around Silverstein before American Power brushed to the front through a :55 half, at which point McCarthy tipped Zephyr Kemp off the pylons to race uncovered into the far turn. Zephyr Kemp progressed up the rim and reached American Power’s wheel at three-quarters in 1:23.4 before pushing past the tiring leader in the stretch. Zephyr Kemp ground past his stubborn stablemate and kept a neck in front at the beam while American Power dug in to hold second. Silverstein swung off the pylons and rallied wide down the track for third with Inexpressable (Scott Zeron) closing from third-over for fourth. Marcus Melander trains Zephyr Kemp, a 3-year-old colt by Calgary Games-Southwind Adele, for owners Kemppi Stables Oy Inc., Suojalampi Stable Inc., PCW Racing LLC and Sjoeblom Racing Inc. The colt won his fourth race from 10 starts this season and his seventh race from 20 career starts, earning $248,550. He paid $108.58 to win.
