Brad Kramer triples in Michigan Colt Stakes

MIDLAND, Mich. — Guns A Brazen (Brazen) stamped himself as the season’s leading Michigan-sired 3-year-old harness racing male trotter when he handed Kaa Dee Archie his first defeat on the Michigan fair harness racing circuit in Saturday’s (Aug. 10) $11,150 Michigan Colt Stakes event at the Midland (Mich.) County Fair.

Through the first six weeks of the season, Guns A Brazen and Kaa Dee Archie had managed to avoid each other by drawing into separate divisions, and they both maintained undefeated seasonal records on the circuit, with Guns A Brazen winning all six of his starts and Kaa Dee Archie taking all five.

In their meeting at Midland, Guns A Brazen and trainer-driver Raymond Kinney floated into fourth from his back-row starting spot as Inkadabra Abe and T L Waldo dueled through first-half fractions of :31.1 and 1:00.3. Heading to the midway point, Kinney angled Guns A Brazen three-wide, and he vaulted around dueling leaders with ease and power to build up an eight-length lead at three-quarters in 1:30.1.

From there, the Brazen-Premier Glitter gelding was never in doubt, speeding away from Kaa Dee Archie — who similarly swept three-wide into second on the backstretch — to win by 11-3/4 lengths in 2:01.3. Smashingoodmatch closed for third.

Sandra Kinney and Chad and Jared Kreeger own Guns A Brazen, who is now seven-for-seven this season.

Driver Brad Kramer took three Colt Stakes events on Saturday’s nine-race card after also tripling on Friday (Aug. 9). He won the $9,950 2-year-old filly pace with Brett Boyd trainee Myheaertfromtestart (Megatron) in 2:05.2; and he then teamed up with trainer Kelly Goodwin to sweep the sophomore paces, steering Forever A Flirt (Bondi Hanover) to a 2:01.3 win in the $11,100 filly division and Kourageous Key (Manhardt) to a 2:00 score in the $11,000 split for colts and geldings.

Kramer’s Friday hat trick included a pair of Colt Stakes Green Division wins for trainer Paul Cloer Jr.: Taylor Dawn won the $5,000 freshman filly pace in 2:09, and Topinabee narrowly edged Man Of Time in 2:08.4 in the $5,000 male pace.

The Michigan fair harness racing circuit moves to Charlotte, Mich., on Monday (Aug. 12); the 17-race card is slated to begin at 12 noon.

To watch Michigan fair harness racing live or on demand, visit the Michigan Harness Horsemen’s Association YouTube page here.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting Results

From the Michigan Harness Horsemen’s Association