Driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Nancy Takter each won a pair of Saturday's $68,400 International Stallion Stakes divisions for rookie trotting fillies at The Red Mile.
McCarthy guided 39-1 shot Sound Judgement to win the fastest of the five splits in 1:52. She cut the quarter in 28 2/5, then yielded to Deja Blu (Yannick Gingras) before the 56 1/5 half. Deja Blu continued on the front to three-quarters in 1:24 2/5, but McCarthy moved Sound Judgement to the outside for the drive, and she got up at the wire to defeat Deja Blu by a head. What A Bid Hanover (Ake Svanstedt) got third.
"She raced good from the beginning at Oak Grove," trainer Jim Oscarsson said after the race. "She came up here, got a little sick and raced a little bad. But after we fixed her up a little bit, she trained good, so I thought she should be in the race."
Sound Judgement is a daughter of Muscle Hill. Bred by Am Bloodstock, Sound Judgement has two wins and two seconds from eight starts, has earned $69,100 and paid $81.58 to win.
Aperfect Annie was McCarthy's other filly to tally. She drove on two-wide to take the top spot away from Pink Chou Chou (Gingras) after the 28 2/5 quarter, and after she hit the half in 56 3/5 and the three-quarters in 1:25 1/5, Aperfect Annie held sway to get the victory by a length over Pink Chou Chou in 1:53. Sonmar Pond (Scott Zeron) closed well for third.
Carter Pinske trains Aperfect Annie, a daughter of Googoo Gaagaa bred by Robert Detweiler, for owners Pinske Stables, Mel Hartman and Andray Farm. Aperfect Annie has a summary of 3-3-0 from eight efforts and she has now banked $337,200. She returned $7.50 to win as the second choice.
"She's been a pretty solid filly all year," Pinske said after the race. "She likes The Red Mile, and when you can win on Grand Circuit week it's always a bonus. Props to the filly; she's a real nice filly. I was a bit worried with missing a week - we haven't had much work into her. But she shows up every time she goes behind the car."
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Takter's duo to prevail were Champagne Problems (Dexter Dunn) and Spicy Nice (Andy McCarthy). Champagne Problems led through panels of 28 1/5, 55 3/5 and 1:24 1/5 on her way to a 3 1/4 length score over Santa Caterina (Ake Svanstedt) in 1:53, while Spicy Nice went first-up from fifth on the last turn, took command on the rim past the 1:25 1/5 three-quarters and went on to defeat Lady Landia (Svanstedt) by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:53.
"She's having a great season," Dunn said about Champagne Problems after the race. "She hasn't done much wrong this whole prep and has been putting in good performances."
Bred by Southwind Farms, Champagne Problems is by Tactical Landing and is owned by Rojan Stables, Family Business, Patrick Hoopes and Caviart Farms. She made her fifth trip to the winner's circle, has put away $361,704 and paid $2.66 to win.
"[The hopples] probably gave her a little bit of confidence," Andy McCarthy said regarding Spicy Nice. "She started the year out really well. She's a very nice filly, I just think she's going to make a great 3-year-old."
Another daughter of Tactical Landing, Spicy Nice was bred by John Fielding, Herb Liverman and Joyce McClelland and is now owned by Fielding with Morrison Racing Stables. Spicy Nice has scored twice from eight attempts, has pocketed $119,300 and returned $8.24 to win.
R Dutchess (Jody Jamieson) rounded out the victorious fillies. She was fourth at the 28 second opening quarter but came to the outside in the backstretch and forged her way by Luna Lovegood (Dunn) past the 55 1/5 half. The tempo remained hot to three-quarters in 1:22 4/5, but R Dutchess was game and held sway to the wire, downing Luna Lovegood by a head in 1:52 1/5. Miss Belmar (A. McCarthy) charged from last to third in the final quarter.
By Father Patrick and sent out by trainer John Butenschoen, R Dutchess was bred by Coyote Wynd Farms and is leased by M And L Of Delaware LLC. She's delivered in three of her eight outings, has stashed away $104,319 and paid $10.66 to win.
"I was a little nervous, but we trained her the other day with R Melina, and they were fighting all the way down the stretch," Butenschoen said after the race. "I thought 'if she can fight off that little girl; we know what type of horse she is.' I was pretty confident, she was gutty and it worked out."