Dexter Dunn sweeps $253,000 International Stallion Stakes

LEXINGTON, KY— Chris Ryder pupil Twin B Joe Fresh (Roll With Joe) began a Dexter Dunn sweep of the $253,000 Perfect Sting International Stallion Stakes, for freshman harness racing pacing fillies, on Friday afternoon (Oct. 7) at The Red Mile.

Dunn stalked from fourth with Twin B Joe Fresh through a :27.3 first quarter but made the move to race first up into a :56.1 half. As pacesetter Treacherous Penny accelerated around the far turn to three-quarters in 1:23.4, Twin B Joe Fresh nonetheless ranged nearer to the lead and easily put away her competition in the stretch to win in hand in a 1:50 mile. Strong Poison rallied from second over for second, beaten 1-1/4 lengths, with Light And Tight finishing third and Caviart Davia taking fourth.

“She’s a pretty special filly,” Dexter Dunn said after the race. “Chris [Ryder] and Pete [Trebotica] liked her from day one and she hasn’t let us down yet.”

Trainer Chris Ryder also said for Twin B Joe Fresh “Schedule’s all over, all over – no more racing this year. [She’s] just going to Brittany Farm to be turned out and she has no more stakes left.”

Twin B Joe Fresh nabbed her eighth win from 10 starts and added to her account now worth $598,162. She is co-owned by Chris Ryder, Dexter Dunn, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak and paid $2.22 to win.

TWIN B JOE FRESH REPLAY

A few races later, Dunn steered a catch drive on Mcseaside (Downbytheseaside) for trainer Ron Burke to a 1:51.2 victory.

Bellisima Hanover circled Zanatta to the quarter in :28 to lead while Mcseaside was reined in to race third. Coasting through a :56 half, Bellisima Hanover soon faced a challenge from Mcseaside to the far turn while Zanatta raced on a tight hold in a locked pocket.

Mcseaside cleared to lead and began separating from the field by three-quarters in 1:24 to turn for home with an open-length lead. The seas parted for Zanatta and she gave futile pursuit to narrow on the winner’s margin, but to still finish second beaten a length. Caviart Marcella finished third and To All A Goodnight took fourth.

“[She’s] obviously a nice filly,” Dunn said after the race. “I’m lucky I picked up the drive on her – not really [a] big [filly], but game. She was a little aggressive, [so] I thought if I started her up too early in the mile, she was probably going to be a little tired. We came out sort of at the half and [I] tried to get her relaxed a little bit. We moved on from there – she got a little lonely on the straight but held on good.”

Mcseaside won her third race from eight starts and pushed her bankroll to $283,364 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Beasty LLC, J&T Silva Stables and Knox Services LLC. She paid $3.16 to win.

MCSEASIDE REPLAY

Each division of the Perfect Sting International Stallion Stakes was sponsored by the Perfect Sting Syndicate and Brittany Farms / Val D’or Farms.

Racing resumes at The Red Mile on Saturday (Oct. 8) with a 10-race card highlighted by three divisions of the $317,700 International Stallion Stallion Stakes, for freshman trotting fillies, and three divisions of the $299,100 Tall Dark Stranger International Stallion Stakes, for freshman pacing colts and geldings. First-race post time is 1 p.m. (EDT).

For complete race results, click here.

by Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile