Memento Mori became harness racing's all-time fastest 2-year-old gelding trotter and Looksgoodinloulou matched the world record for a rookie pacing filly in Friday's International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile.
Driven by Scott Zeron in his $80,000 race, Memento Mori worked out a pocket trip behind Happy Jack B (Ake Svanstedt) through panels of 28, 55 1/5 and 1:24, came to the outside in the lane, and got by Happy Jack B late to prevail by half a length in 1:51 4/5, lowering Real Cool Sam's prior standard of 1:52 1/5 set in 2019. Happy Jack B had to settle for second and Big Shoes (Yannick Gingras) was an even third from first-up.
"[The connections] were high on him all year," Zeron said after the race. "Seems like we had seconditis for awhile. He's been learning as he goes. Last week was the first time they pulled his shoes and they did it again today. Obviously, we finally had a trip - if you watch him close, he’s always been a little too far back charging at the end."
Eric Patalan trains Memento Mori, a son of Chapter Seven bred by Knutsson Trotting Inc., for owners Thestable Memento Mori and Hutchison Harness LLC. Memento Mori has two wins, six seconds and a third from ten starts, has earned $134,276 and paid $11.38 to win.
Looksgoodinloulou (Yannick Gingras) took the lead passing the 26 3/5 quarter in her $81,600 dash and then yielded to sit behind Papi Grad (Dexter Dunn) nearing the 53 4/5 half-mile marker. Papi Grad maintained control through three-quarters in 1:22 1/5 and into the lane, but she came off the rail in the stretch, which gave Looksgoodinloulou a seam to rally through. Once clear, Looksgoodinloulou vaulted past Papi Grad and went on to prevail by a length and three-quarters in 1:48 3/5, tying the world record of fellow Ron Burke trainee Warrawee Ubeaut. Papi Grad was second and Champagne Room (Andy McCarthy) got up for third.
"It's all the Burke Brigade," said Gingras after the race. "They got all these homebreds – last year, they were one-two-three with those fillies in the Breeders Crown. [Burke and company] got better mares and Sweet Lou obviously has been producing like crazy. I'm just lucky to sit behind them."
By Sweet Lou, Looksgoodinloulou is a homebred for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Looksgoodinloulou has a summary of 3-2-0 from six appearances, has pocketed $240,175 and returned $5.12.
Burke ended up sweeping the contests for the pacing fillies as Rodeo Drive Deo (David Miller) and Rose (Gingras) turned in 1:50 1/5 performances in winning their respective $81,600 and $82,600 flights. Rodeo Drive Deo took command from first-over in the stretch and held off Unreasonable (Zeron) by half a length, while Rose took command out of the pocket before the half and romped to a open-lengths tally over Point Breeze (James MacDonald).
"She's been just awesome," David Miller said after the race. "I got to race her four times now, and I can't praise her enough."
Rodeo Drive Deo, who is by Captaintreacherous, competes for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., Beasty LLC. and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby. Bred by Deo Volente Farms and Cool Cat Racing, Rodeo Drive Deo has a trio of victories and two seconds from seven efforts, has pocketed $150,757 and paid $4.54 to win.
Another daughter of Sweet Lou, Rose was bred by Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. with Jason Melillo and is now owned by Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi with Jack Piatt III and Larry Karr. She's won seven times and finished second once in eight outings, has banked $337,213 and returned $2.30 to win.
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In the other International Stallion Stakes divisions for the trotters, which all went for purses of $80,000, Onajetplane (Andy McCarthy) scored from first-over in 1:52 2/5, defeating Tactical Dynasty (Gingras) by a length and three-quarters, Gap Kronos S (Ake Svanstedt) went first-up from fourth past the half, took the lead when tempo-setter Go Dog Go (Todd McCarthy) broke in the stretch for the second straight week while on his way to victory, and ended up prevailing by three lengths in 1:51 4/5 over Hidalgo (Gingras) and Super Chapter (Dexter Dunn) forged his way to the front out of the two-hole approaching the 1:24 2/5 three-quarters and defeated Maximus Mearas S (Zeron) by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:52.
Bred by Buck Haven Farm, Onajetplane, a Walner colt, is co-owned by trainer Noel Daley in partnership with Sjoblom Racing Inc., L A Express Stable LLC. and Joonas Järvinen. Onajetplane has made three appearances in the winner's circle in addition to one second-place result from his eight tries, sent his bankroll to $232,780 and paid $5.10 to win.
"We were able to take [shoes] off for three of his starts now - he won two of them and was pretty unlucky in the Mohawk Million; didn't get the greatest of trips," Daley said after the race. "He's fine with it and has great feet."
Gap Kronos S, a Face Time Bourbon colt trained by Svanstedt, was bred by Winged Lion Breeding Ab and is owned by Bruni Racing Team Inc. He has three wins and a second from six starts, has put away $91,395 and returned $7.72 to win.
A Marcus Melander trainee by Chapter Seven, Super Chapter was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms and is owned by Jeff Snyder and Arthur Pronti. Super Chapter, who has five tallies go to with a second and a third from eight trips behind the gate, has a bankroll of $376,230 and paid $2.66 to win as the favorite.
"We got two really nice colts this year, this one and Maryland," Melander said after the race. "Hopefully they can stay sound and healthy the rest of the year and we can have some fun."
--quotes by Ray Cotolo--