Hunterton-born and raised Big Shoes delivered a winning stretch rally on October 25, taking a $50,000 USD Kentucky Sire Stakes division for four-year-old male trotters at Cumberland Run. Yannick Gingras guided the Ron Burke trainee from off the pace to a one-length victory in 1:54. The son of Greenshoe–Witty Girl was bred by Knox Services Inc. and competes for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Knox Services Inc. Big Shoes collected $25,000 USD for the victory, bringing his lifetime earnings to $477,172 USD. The win was the 15th of his career. Congratulations to everyone behind this Hunterton graduate!

Hunterton-sold Captain Arturovico returned to the winner’s circle on October 25, capturing a $50,000 USD Kentucky Sire Stakes division for four-year-old male pacers at Cumberland Run. With Dexter Dunn driving for trainer Ron Burke, Captain Arturovico took command before the half and held off Crack Shot by three-quarters of a length in 1:49.1. The son of Captaintreacherous–Tilikum was bred by Randy M Zane and races for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Larry Karr and Phil Collura. The victory was his ninth of the season and 21st lifetime, increasing his career earnings to $654,719 USD. Congratulations to his connections on another stakes success!

Hunterton-raised and sold Inverness Ave added another stakes victory to his resume on October 23, winning a $50,000 USD Circle City division for three-year-old male trotters at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Kevin Lambright drove the son of Helpisontheway–Arvika to victory in 1:52.3 for trainer Ernie Gaskin. Bred by The Bay’s Stable LLC, Polger Holdings LLC and Little E LLC, Inverness Ave increased his lifetime earnings to $291,585 USD. Congratulations to his connections on another successful night at Hoosier Park!

Hunterton-born and raised Deuce Pop and Hunterton-raised and sold Isotta Bi each earned a Kentucky Sire Stakes victory at Cumberland Run on October 20, winning their respective $40,000 USD preliminary divisions for three-year-old trotters. Deuce Pop stopped the clock in 1:52.2 with Todd McCarthy driving for trainer Ron Burke. The son of Tactical Landing–Atlantic Crest was bred by Atlantic Trot Inc. and races for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc. and Phil Collura. Isotta Bi captured her division in 1:55.2 with Andy Miller aboard for owner and trainer Peter Alagna. The daughter of Gimpanzee–Devine Equine was bred by M Biasuzzi Stable Inc. Congratulations to the breeders, owners, trainers, drivers and caretakers behind both stakes winners!

Columbus, OH – Hunterton born Hope Hill jogged to victory in the first of two $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday (Oct. 17) at Eldorado Scioto Downs. The daughter of Papi Rob Hanover was guided by Dexter Dunn for trainer Petter Engblom to her eighth triumph of the season and her third straight victory, stopping the timer in 1:50 as the 1-2 choice. Whoomp, who endured a first-up journey, held on to be a game second for John DeLong at 9-2, with 12-1 Darlin’s Angel (Lauren Tritton) garnering third place honors, with 14-1 A Clean Deal (Doug McNair) grabbing fourth. Darlin’s Angel grabbed the lead as the wings of the gate folded, but Dunn hustled Hope Hill quickly out of the pocket to take command going to the :26.4 opening panel. Whoomp then came first up heading into the second turn with a :28.2 second panel that stopped the half mile timer in :55.1, while Darlin’s Angel continued to save ground on the rail in third. Around the final turn positions remained unchanged as the field passed the 1:23.1 three-quarters, with Hope Hill easily holding off her rivals by one length at the wire. Tom Hill of Cabus, Preston, UK owns the homebred bay filly who upped her career earnings to $517,932 and her seasonal earnings to $408,742. She came into this elimination fresh off victories in the $212,000 Garnsey Memorial and $76,000 Bluegrass at Lexington, and now has 11 victories in 23 career starts, with four seconds and five thirds.

Columbus, OH — Hambletonian Oaks winner Hunterton Raised & Sold Nezuko Kamado S persisted with a first-over grind and staved off late pursuers to take the first of three $25,000 Grade 1 Breeders Crown eliminations for 3-year-old trotting fillies in a track-record 1:51.2 mile on Saturday night (Oct. 17) at Eldorado Scioto Downs. Little Road and She’s Moni won the other eliminations. Driver Scott Zeron eased Nezuko Kamado S out of post 3 into fourth behind a three-wide brawl for the lead between Madam Cheval (driven by Tim Tetrick), Southwind Chaska (Dexter Dunn) and Isabella Bi (Åke Svanstedt). Isabella Bi took back to third and Southwind Chaska yielded into the pocket, leaving Madam Cheval to cut a :27.1 first quarter and then a :55.2 half with no challengers looming. Zeron angled Nezuko Kamado S off the pylons into the backstretch and steadily advanced on Madam Cheval heading to three-quarters in 1:23.1 before thrusting to the lead upon straightening for the finish. Nezuko Kamado S extended for the finish and clinched the win by a nose as Custom (Jason Bartlett) bolted from last down the center of the track to settle for second. Southwind Chaska held the last berth into the final in third. “I thought I’d be first up no matter how I shook that race,” Scott Zeron said after the race, “and I was very happy with even being first-up, just giving her every chance to win. The only thing I didn’t want to do was rush her really, really hard first two steps out of the gate. Timmy’s horse [Madam Cheval] was giving a hell of a run in the last turn, and I was still laboring off of him. And then, when his started to tire a little bit, it gave mine that second wind to just dig on by, and she felt good up there. Hats off to Jason’s horse [Custom]; she raced phenomenal from behind.” Marcus Melander trains Nezuko Kamado S for owner-breeder Courant Inc. The filly by Chapter Seven -Zefira Kronos IT has now won seven races from 11 starts this season and 13 races from 22 starts in her career, amassing $1,143,869. She paid $3.80 to win.

Hunterton-sold Redice continued her successful freshman campaign with a victory in a $40,000 USD Kentucky Sire Stakes division for two-year-old trotting fillies on October 18 at Cumberland Run. With Atlee Bender driving for trainer Erv Miller, Redice moved from fourth to take command before the half-mile mark. She held off Hotlady Volo through the stretch to win by a half-length in 1:56, with Your Grace finishing third. The daughter of Rebuff–Fuzzy Dice earned her seventh victory in 11 starts, increasing her lifetime earnings to $323,600 USD . The win followed her Indiana Sire Stakes Super Final triumph at Hoosier Park earlier in October. Bred by Kjell Magne Andersen, Lucas Wallin and Pieter Delis, Redice is owned by Ervin Miller Stables, Anthony Lombardi and Stepbystep Racing.

Cher Hill rebounded from a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Elegantimage final two weeks ago to capture the $350,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Super Final for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Saturday night (Oct. 10) at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Sent off as the 4-5 favourite for trainer Gregg McNair, the sophomore secured the victory with a 1:52.4 with Doug McNair in the bike. “Tonight, well, it’s a little different bunch, but there’s still a nice bunch of fillies in there,” Gregg said. “She’s a little bit inconsistent. Sometimes she’ll really bring her ‘A’ game and sometimes not. She seems to stall a little bit around the last turn sometimes. She did it a bit tonight, but then she comes through the stretch fine.” While the trainer noted the inconsistencies displayed by his charge over her previous 12 starts this season, the Tom Hill-bred and owned trotter delivered a strong effort Saturday. Drawing post seven, Doug settled into fourth soon after the start as Th Trix R Forkids (Mark MacDonald) fired from the outside and was followed by Flowing Tribute and Bob McClure. MacDonald led the field through a :27.1 first quarter before Flowing Tribute moved to the top. On the backstretch, Satu Wania and Trevor Henry opted to leave their positions along the pylons in third and advance first over, advancing to the lead as the field trotted past the half in :56.3. The move prompted Doug McNair to sit along the inside. “I just didn’t want to get in a hurry with her off the gate,” Doug said. “Once it dusted, I was going to go back to lead, but then Trevor moved, so I decided we’ve just got to sit and pray, that’s all.” Once past the half, Cher Hill angled out and began to make her bid on the outside, flushing Flowing Tribute from second on the way to the three-quarter station (1:25). Turning for home, Cher Hill had a clear path to the wire, but she had some work to do. She reeled in the leader with every stride, putting away Flowing Tribute and Satu Wania and gamely trotted to the wire to collect her fifth seasonal score. Twin B Showbiz and Tyler Borth, sent off at 27-1, came flying late, but had too much ground to make up, settling for second. Bingo Night and Tyler Jones, 50-1, managed third. Cher Hill is a Muscle Mass filly out of Kadabra mare Lauramarie Hill. She finished second to Blue Jean Gal in OSS Gold points over the five-leg slate, registering two wins and finishing second, third and fifth in her other attempts. The filly romped by more than six lengths in her last OSS start, then finished second in an Elegantimage elimination, a neck back in 1:51.2. In the Elegantimage final, Cher Hill and McNair left from post eight and raced second through fractions of :26.3 and :54.4 and eventually finished seventh. “Well, you know, I kind of drove her pretty tough last week,” Doug said. “She got a real tough start against Grand Circuit fillies, so I just figured if I didn’t overdrive her early tonight she would give us a little more finish than she did.” A three-time winner in 10 seasonal starts at 2, Cher Hill has hit the board in eight of 13 starts this year. The victory pushed her seasonal bankroll to $357,427, and her career earnings are now $488,264. Cher Hill is Breeders Crown eligible, but the trainer noted a decision on whether she will enter has not been determined. “She’s eligible, but we’ll talk it over with Tom if she’s going down,” Gregg said. “I’m not sure what’s in store for her.” 

Hunterton Raised & Sold ISABELLA BI captured an $84,783 USD Grade 3 Bluegrass Stakes division for three-year-old trotting fillies on Saturday, October 10, at The Red Mile. Kentucky Filly Futurity consolation winner Isabella Bi (Åke Svanstedt) returned for another Red Mile victory with a front-stepping 1:52.2 win in the final division of the Bluegrass, sponsored by the Greenshoe Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms. Svanstedt sent Isabella Bi forward out of post 7 and took control from Joyofmylife As (Tony Hall) heading for a :29 first quarter. Isabella Bi accelerated in the backstretch to a :56.1 half and maintained her speed to three-quarters in 1:24 in progress to a snug 1-3/4-length victory. Joyofmylife As gave pursuit for second with Jailbird Jog (Anthony MacDonald) kicking from well back for third and La Mancha (Dexter Dunn) sitting a pylon trip for fourth. Isabella Bi competes for owners Åke Svanstedt, Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing, Little E LLC and Lars Olsson. The filly by Tactical Landing , out of the Ready Cash mare Call Me Bi IT, has now won three races from 12 starts this season and four races from 19 starts in her career, earning $220,955. She paid $4.84 to win.