Captain Crunch gelding upsets in International Stallion Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky.— A pair of stunners took center stage from the three divisions of the $300,900 International Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old pacing colts on geldings on Saturday (Oct. 5) at The Red Mile: first with DA Love Boat (Captain Crunch) shocking in a photo and last with Fallout (Captaintreacherous) scorching the track in a blowout harness racing win.

With fast fractions laid and a strained favorite on the lead, DA Love Boat mounted a far-turn assault on 1-9 chalk Louprint that proved a successful gambit in the final strides of the first ISS division for pacing colts.

Driver Yannick Gingras activated DA Love Boat off the wings of the gate and crossed to the top before yielding command to Strangerinthenight (driven by David Miller) as he swooped from post 9 to the lead through am :27.2 first quarter. Thirsty Thursday (Matt Kakaley) then lunged out of third to challenge for the lead, at which point Louprint (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) made his move off the pegs to try for the front. All the while, DA Love Boat found himself shuffled to fourth while Louprint cleared command after a :54.1 half.

Louprint slowed the tempo slightly through the final turn, prompting Gingras to send DA Love Boat forward on the rim. DA Love Boat loomed to match strides with Louprint past three-quarters in 1:22 and engaged in a stretch-long battle that Louprint valiantly fought. Despite staying game to the pylons, Louprint failed to wade DA Love Boat’s final surge over the line to miss a nose decision to the 26-1 shot in a 1:48.4 mile. Boomerang (Dexter Dunn) gave chase off a ground-saving trip for third, another six lengths behind, and Strangerinthenight took fourth.

“To be honest, I am as surprised as anybody,” winning trainer Jack Darling said. “He’s been a nice colt, just has always had bad posts and things didn’t work out. But he sure came through today.”

DA LOVE BOAT REPLAY

Darling owns DA Love Boat through his Jack Darling Stables Ltd. The Captain Crunch colt collected his second win from six starts and has now earned $71,589. He paid $54.84 to win.

Metro Pace winner Fallout (Tim Tetrick) decimated his competition in the closing ISS split for pacing colts, romping to a 1:48.4 victory on a 1-9 promise.

Tetrick made his move for the lead with Fallout after a :26.4 first quarter and swooped to overtake Ayeaye Captain Deo (Andy McCarthy) midway up the backstretch. He tripped the half in :54.2 and steadily opened his advantage while speeding through the final turn to clock three-quarters in 1:21.2. Fallout’s foes floundered in the stretch as Tetrick kept his charge to task while all alone and rolling over the line a 10-1/2-length winner. Tom Horn (David Miller) grabbed second, Delray Beach (Yannick Gingras) closed from last for third and Odds On No Limit (James MacDonald) finished fourth.

FALLOUT REPLAY

“He’s a pretty cool horse, man,” Tim Tetrick said after the race. “He gets over the ground real easy, likes his work and he’s a lot of fun to sit behind. And he looks like [Captaintreacherous], feels like him and works his ears the same. He’s just like his daddy.”

Fallout, a colt by Captaintreacherous, won his fourth race from nine starts and has now earned $486,750 for owners Robert LeBlanc, Pryde Stables Inc. and Caviart Farms. Tony Alagna trains the colt who paid $2.24 to win.

After the favorite faltered in the first ISS division, American Son (Dexter Dunn) delivered as the 1-2 choice in the second ISS split, timed in 1:49.4.

Dunn nestled American Son to the pylons as TH Colby (Yannick Gingras) pushed for the lead and soon sat a pocket to Banderas (James MacDonald) through a :27.4 first quarter. Once the scramble settled, Dunn sent American Son off the pegs and to the lead before a :54.3 half and cruised through the final turn to clock three-quarters in 1:22.3. American Son drifted from the pylons as he sprinted for home and only faced a stout challenge in the last eighth from No Trespassing (Scott Zeron) springing from second over, but the public choice held firm to the finish to win by a neck. No Trespassing took second with Banderas finishing third and World Beater (Todd McCarthy) giving chase in fourth.

AMERICAN SON REPLAY

“I’m pretty high on this colt,” trainer Chris Ryder said. “He hasn’t won the last couple of starts, but he got there today and he’s going to have a big future.”

American Son, an American Ideal colt competing for owner Henderson Farms, collected his fourth win from seven starts and has now earned $175,150. He paid $3.18 to win.

Divisions one and three of the ISS colt pace were named “The Tall Dark Stranger” sponsored by the Tall Dark Stranger Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms. The middle division was named “The Summa Cum Laude” sponsored by Midland Acres.

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

by Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile