The dynamite team of trainer Ron Burke and driver Yannick Gingras landed a natural hat trick early in the 15-race session of Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) action at Oak Grove on Monday (June 23) while Gingras added an additional visit to the winner’s circle later in the day to lead all drivers with four wins on the card. Eternal Blush (Yannick Gingras) kicked off the hat trick for team Burke with a 1:57 stroll in the first of two KYSS divisions for 2-year-old pacing fillies, returning $3.22 to win as the 3-5 favorite. Gingras collected his fourth win of the day around the mid-point of the card when Spicy Nice ($3.02 to win) found the winner’s circle from a first-over grind to win in 1:54.2. Racing continues at Oak Grove on Tuesday (June 24) at an earlier first post of 9 a.m., to avoid the extreme temperatures from the heat advisory later in the day. Tuesday’s card features KYSS divisions for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings, 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, 3-year-old pacing fillies as well as the four $150,000 finals of KYSS for 4-year-olds. The race card scheduled for Wednesday (June 25) also has an earlier post time of 11:25 a.m., in anticipation of extreme temperatures and to accommodate the Lasix schedule. For free past performances and more information on Oak Grove, visit oakgrovegaming.com .

Zephyr Kemp (Dexter Dunn) registered the top mile of the day for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings towards the tail of the card when winning the last of the three splits for his division with a 1:56.2 performance. Dunn put the Marcus Melander pupil on the point and held firmly in the stretch to win pulling away by 2-3/4 lengths over Lethal Legacy, who sat a pocket trip, in second. The son of Calgary Games, returning $3.38 to win, competes for owners Kemppi Stables Oy Inc., Suojalampi Stable I(June 24)nc., PCW Racing LLC and Sjoblom Racing Inc. Racing continues at Oak Grove on Tuesday (June 24) at an earlier first post of 9 a.m., to avoid the extreme temperatures from the heat advisory later in the day. Tuesday’s card features KYSS divisions for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings, 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, 3-year-old pacing fillies as well as the four $150,000 finals of KYSS for 4-year-olds. The race card scheduled for Wednesday (June 25) also has an earlier post time of 11:25 a.m., in anticipation of extreme temperatures and to accommodate the Lasix schedule. For free past performances and more information on Oak Grove, visit oakgrovegaming.com .

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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 .