Hambletonian winner scores in $80,000 KYSS

Lexington, KY — On Tuesday (Aug. 15) Red Mile conducted 10 sire stakes harness racing events for freshman and sophomore male and female of both gaits on a 16-race card.

Hambletonian victor Tactical Approach (Tactical Landing) made his return to the Bluegrass a triumphant one with a win in 1:51.3 in the $80,000 second round leg of the Kentucky Sire Stakes Series for male sophomore trotters. Better Is Nice (Thatsoveryverynice) collected his third straight win and stamped himself as one to watch in the 2-year-old colt and gelding pacing division.

Tactical Approach Uses Strategy

Tactical Approach and Scott Zeron slipped past Ari Ferrari J (Dexter Dunn) to glide to victory. Khaosan Road (Ake Svanstedt) was third.

Point Of Perfect (Yannick Gingras) assumed command at the beginning of the mile while the Hambletonian winner settled in fifth from his rail position. Point Of Perfect led the field of nine through fractions of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:24.1. The colt, however, had rivals on his trip to the finish line.

TACTICAL APPROACH REPLAY

Ari Ferrari J and Khaosan Road made their bids a bit earlier than Tactical Approach, but he and Zeron went by in late stretch to collect his fifth victory in 10 starts this year.

Tactical Approach is by Tactical Landing, a full sibling to world champion Mission Brief and a Breeders Crown winner. He is out of the Donato Hanover mare Sarcy, who earned $261,333 on the racetrack. Sarcy also foaled Kentucky champion Double Deceiver (Cantab Hall, $770,954). The gelding also won the 2023 Matron Stake for his age, sex and gait and finished second in the $600,000 Breeders Crown final behind King Of The North.

Bred by Steve Stewart and Oakwood Farms, Tactical Approach was purchased for $85,000 under the name Rackuencourt by Robert Leblanc, John Fielding, Joe Sbrocco and JAF Racing at the 2021 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

The Nancy Takter trainee paid $3.36 to win as the favorite.

Tactical Approach has a record of 15-7-0-1 and has banked $657,989.

The Nicer the Better

Andrew McCarthy and Better Is Nice annexed their third victory from four career starts in second round action in the Kentucky Sire Stakes Series for freshman male pacers. Dancin Champion (Tim Tetrick) was second and Tua Many Captains (Andy Miller) was third.

Snap Count (David Miller) went to the lead at the beginning mile with Better Is Nice in fourth place. After pacing the opening quarter in :28.1, Ivy Park (Gingras) passed Snap Count. He clicked off fractions of :56.2, and 1:25.2 before Tua Many Captains, Better Is Nice and Dancin Champion came to call.

BETTER IS NICE REPLAY

Better Is Nice prevailed and outlasted a determined Dancin Champion to win by a neck in 1:53.

Trained by Tony Alagna, Better Is Nice has a record of 4-3-0-1 and has earned $178,600. The colt is the third foal out of 2015 Eternal Camnation winner Thatsoveryverynice and is a half sibling to Danger Zone (Captaintreacherous, $117,400).

Better is Nice was bred by Alagna Racing and Marvin Katz. He was purchased for $30,000 at the 2022 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale by Alagna Racing, Pryde Stables and Birnam Wood Farms.

Todd McCarthy sweeps Kentucky Commonwealth Series splits

Driver Todd McCarthy made his second steer of Kissincaptain (Captaintreacherous)  a winning one in the $30,000 second round division of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series for 2-year-old colt pacers in 1:53.2. The $275,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase is trained by Alagna and owned by Riverview Racing LLC, Marvin and Lynn Katz and KissinCaptain Racing. He paid $12.80 to win.

Kentucky stalwart Prince Of Honor (T. McCarthy, $2.80, Walner) kicked off his season a perfect two-for-two in the leg for sophomore male trotters with a final time of 1:54. He is trained by Carter Pinkse and owned by Pinske Stables and David Hoese.

Djimon and Gingras took the division for sophomore male trotters in 1:54.1. Djimon (Tactical Landing) is a half sibling to Winning Shadow (Credit Winner, $879,276) and Ritson (Cantab Hall, $229,078). He is trained by Mark Steacy and owned by Hudson Standardbred STB Inc., Dale Larson and Steven Downey. He paid $12.66 to win.

Arson, Half to Champion Pure Country, lights up Goldenrod Series

Todd McCarthy guided Arson (Captaintreacherous-Western Montana) to victory in a new lifetime mark in the $15,000 leg for 2-year-old colt pacers. He paid $2.70 to win.

My Favorite Dali (Stay Hungry) and Mitchell Cushing won the second division for freshman male pacers in 1:53.4. The winner paid $11.16.

Chamba (Svanstedt, $4.06, Cantab Hall) won the first division for sophomore male trotters in 1:53.3 with Kenobi (Tetrick, $8.04, Father Patrick) taking the second split in 1:55. Pedal On Medal (Tetrick, $3.50, Father Patrick) won the third division in 1:55.3.

Red Mile offers a rich buffet of wagering items including a 20-cent Pick-6 with 15 percent takeout, a 50-cent Pick-5 with an industry low 12 percent takeout, a Super Hi-5 15 percent takeout, and Pick-4 events, with a $10,000 guaranteed pool in conjunction with the U.S. Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program.

Red Mile races on a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday schedule with a 1 p.m. EDT post time through Oct. 8. Free program pages are available at redmileracing.com in addition to race replays and a daily livestream of each card.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.