Papi Grad heads up International Stallion Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky.— Fresh from her authoritative winner’s circle return in the Bluegrass Stakes, Papi Grad (Papi Rob Hanover) looks to potentially wrap the bow on her freshman campaign when starting in the second of three divisions for the $245,800 International Stallion Stakes (ISS), for 2-year-old pacing fillies, on Friday (Oct. 4) at The Red Mile.

Papi Grad lands post 4 in the seven-filly field, which will hit the track for Race 6 on the Friday card. Listed at 7-5 on the morning line, Papi Grad enters the affair in a potential rematch with Looksgoodinloulou, whom the Steve Carter trainee easily repelled during a far-turn assault to win in 1:51. Dexter Dunn sticks with the daughter of Papi Rob Hanover who may hit the bench following Friday’s race per co-owner Jay Mossbarger, who said after her most recent win “We’ve got one more start left here and we’re probably going to shut her down. We’ve had enough starts for her this year.”

A pair of Bluegrass winners meet in the opening division of the ISS filly pace with 7-5 morning line favorite Rodeo Drive Deo drawing post 7 and 2-1 second choice Unreasonable landing post 4. Rodeo Drive Deo, a Ron Burke-trained daughter of Captaintreacherous, comes into this race off a second-over pounce to a 1:51 win as the 6-5 favorite while Unreasonable enters from a similar closing effort in 1:51 as the 1-5 chalk. David Miller will drive Rodeo Drive Deo while Scott Zeron stays with Unreasonable, a filly by Huntsville, for trainer Erv Miller.

Division three of the ISS filly pace features Rose, one of the only two fillies to beat Papi Grad this season. Rose, winner of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final, draws post 1 off a 1:50.3 victory in the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth final on Sept. 16. Yannick Gingras drives the Ron Burke-trained filly by Sweet Lou in an octet that includes a Canadian invader in Mark Steacy’s Captaintreacherous filly Cant See Me, who draws post 8 off a third-place effort in the $393,680 Shes A Great Lady final on Sept. 21. Bob McClure has the drive.

Friday’s card also has four divisions for the $320,000 ISS for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings beginning in Race 4. A stacked first division has two winners from last week’s Bluegrass with Tactical Dynasty, posting a 1:54.3 front-stepping effort, starting from post 1 and Blank, inheriting a 1:54.4 win through disqualification, from post 7. Yannick Gingras drives Tactical Dynasty for trainer Ron Burke and Dexter Dunn pilots Blank for conditioner Marcus Melander.

Trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt has the favorite in the second ISS colt trot with Happy Jack B from post 1. The even-money morning-line choice comes off a pillar-to-post 1:54.1 effort to win his Bluegrass division last week. The Chapter Seven colt faces eight other rivals in the contest that includes Richard “Nifty” Norman trainee Yannick G Kemp, a colt by Walner who faltered as the odds-on choice and finished ninth in the Kentucky Commonwealth final over two weeks ago. Peter Wrenn will drive Yannick G Kemp from post 7.

Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion Mehshuggah will try to build from a third-place finish in the Mohawk Million in the third split for the ISS colt trot. Scott Zeron steers the colt by Greenshoe from post 1 as the 5-2 morning line choice against a bunch that features another Ake Svanstedt-trained and Bluegrass winner in Gap Kronos S. Svanstedt will drive the Face Time Bourbon colt from post 8.

Super Chapter will try to get back on track in the final ISS colt trot as the 6-5 morning line favorite. Dexter Dunn drives the Marcus Melander-trained son of Chapter Seven after he scratched sick from last week’s Bluegrass division won by the still undefeated Maximus Mearas S, who lands post 8 in this division. Super Chapter, winner of the $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series final, races from post 4 against Maximus Mearas S, who starts from post 8 with Scott Zeron in the bike for trainer Lucas Wallin.

The first division of the ISS filly pace is “The Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg Memorial” and is sponsored by Arden Homestead Stable, E. T. Gerry Jr., Peter Gerry, Stoner Manor Inc., Menhammar Stuteri AB, Jorgen Jahre Jr., LST Stable, Lawrence DeVan and William DeVan. The second division is “The Bob McIntosh Memorial” sponsored by the Perfect Sting Syndicate, Brittany Farms and Val D’or Farms. Division three is “The Arlene Siegel Memorial” sponsored by Jules Siegel and Fashion Farms.

Division one of the ISS colt trot is named “The Six Pack” sponsored by the Six Pack Syndicate and Deo Volente Farms. The second division is “The Muscle Hill” sponsored by Southwind Farms, division three is “The Walner” sponsored by the Walner Syndicate and division four is “The Tactical Landing” sponsored by Hickory Lane Farm and the Tactical Landing Syndicate.

Friday’s card features 14 races on the program. First-race post time at The Red Mile is 1 p.m. (EDT).

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

by Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile