Jk Endofanera powers to Allerage victory

LEXINGTON, KY– The aged harness racing divisions were in the spotlight on closing day at The Red Mile, competing in the $79,000 Allerage Mare Pace, $66,000 Allerage Mare Trot, $134,000 Allerage Trot, and $148,000 Allerage Pace on Saturday, Oct. 10.

 

The Jimmy Takter-trained Jk Endofanera tracked the cover of Foiled Again while State Treasurer blazed on the lead to rally by the tiring leader and the rest of the field in a 1:48.3 win in the Allerage Pace.

 

On the lead, State Treasurer set splits of :26.4, :53.1, and 1:20.4 with about two-lengths separation on pocket-sitter Doo Wop Hanover. He was the first to challenge State Treasurer in the stretch, attempting to sling shot to control, but the back field crept towards the top two by the eighth pole, manned by Jk Endofanera towards the center of the course. Under the guidance of Brett Miller, he stormed by State Treasurer and Doo Wop Hanover to claim the top spot. Mcwicked charged home for second, while Bettor's Edge slid up the pylons for third.

 

Competing for the 3 Brothers Stable and conditioner Jimmy Takter, Jk Endofanera, the son of Art Major from the Presidential Ball mare Presidential Lady, returned $10.80 to win. He scored his sixth victory in 13 starts this year, and also beat his lifetime best of 1:48.4 taken at Hoosier Park.

 

 

Powering by tempo-setter Magic Tonight at the top of the stretch, Il Sogno Dream hustled to a 1:50.2 victory over Master Of Law, Gural Hanover, and Flanagan Memory.

 

The male trotter by Cantab Hall out of the Fill V mare La Reve sat back as Magic Tonight brushed by Flanagan Memory through a :27.1 quarter to take the lead. Driver Scott Zeron pulled Il Sogno Dream first over through a :55 half and advanced towards Magic Tonight through a 1:23.2 third-quarter. He accelerated into the stretch, kicking away by three lengths from Gural Hanover and Master Of Law and sustaining that margin to the finish.

 

Owned by Bill & Dan Manes, and Leonard and Randy Christopher and trained by Christopher Beaver, Il Sogno Dream returned $13.20 to win in his fifth win in 15 attempts this season.

 

"Chris [Beaver] has done a heck of a good job with him," Bill Manes said. "As a two-year-old he was racing good, and he [Beaver] wanted to race him late this year, and it seems to be paying off now."

 

"We're taking him back to Canada tomorrow morning," Manes also said. "We're going to race him up there this fall [at Woodbine Racetrack]; make a few starts in the Open. Then he's heading to Florida for the first part of the year."

 

"The instructions were simple," Scott Zeron said. "They said 'If you have to be first up, that's probably his best spot because he's got that grinding speed and he can just carry it to the end.' He was a pleasure to drive; he did everything right, perfect gaited. When I cleared to the front, he just swelled up and took off all on his own."

 

 

Trained by Brian Brown, Color's A Virgin claimed the Allerage Mare Pace in a near-wire-to-wire effort of 1:50 over Skippin By and Show Runner.

 

Pulling to the outside from third through a :28.2 first quarter, driver David Miller charged Color's A Virgin to the lead, leaving Initowinafortune in the pocket. Holding off a far-turn challenge from Show Runner and a stretch rally from Skippin By, Color's A Virgin, off of fractions of :54.4 and 1:23.3, sprinted to a half-length victory.

 

Competing for the interests of Emerald Highlands Farm, Color's A Virgin, an Always A Virgin mare out of the Allamerican Ingot mare Full Color, scored her seventh win of the season. She paid $2.60 to win.

 

European star D'One continued her American domination in the Allerage Mare Trot, gliding to a 1:51.3 win over Harley Momma and Bax Of Life.

 

A Donato Hanover mare from the Supergill mare Giant Diablo, D'One made her move for control after a :27.4 first quarter, clearing from Handover Belle and White Becomes Her. She dashed around the remaining part of the track, going fractions of :54.3 and 1:23.2 in progress to her 1:51.3 mile. Harley Momma slid by tiring rivals at the pylons to secure second, while Bax Of Life was third off a rally down the center of the course.

 

Obtaining her fifth win of the season, as well as her third in four American starts, D'One paid $2.40 to win. She's owned by Stall Kenny 23, trained by Roger Walmann, and was driven by David Miller.

 

"I've been here with other horses [since Giant Diablo came in 2001], but this is the first horse I have trained and fathered," Roger Walmann said. "Our plan was to bring her to The Red Mile in this good shape."

 

When asked if a world record at The Red Mile was included in Walmann's plans, he said "For me, it was first to win the race. If [she] can do that, then the record can go. Before the race, I think it was not a good enough combination [for a record to happen]. Giant Diablo was racing with the colts [older horses], so they're much better."

 

"She was like this [grabby] in the warm-up, too," Walmann also said. "It was difficult for her to have a new driver [original is Örjan Kihlström] with a horse with small problems, but Dave [Miller] is a very good driver, so I had no problem with that."

By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile