May 23, 2025
Twin B Joe Fresh, the 2024 Dan Patch Horse of the Year and O'Brien Award divisional champion, made her seasonal debut a winning one on the Super Sunday card on May 25 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, repeating in the $136,986 Betsy Ross Invitational (Grade 3) for older female pacers. My Girl EJ (Todd McCarthy), a four-year-old and returning Dan Patch Award winner also making her seasonal debut, got the lead in a :26.4 opening quarter after a four-wide trip around the first turn. Twin B Joe Fresh, who was three-wide during the four-horse battle for the front, settled behind My Girl EJ for driver Dexter Dunn, with Valar Dohaeris (Tim Tetrick) in third. Twin B Joe Fresh and Dunn bided their time from there as My Girl EJ reached the half in :55 and three-quarters in 1:22. Dunn began to move Twin B Joe Fresh midway around the final turn and the five-year-old mare responded to overtake My Girl EJ in the stretch and draw away by 3-1/4 lengths as part of a :27.1 last quarter for the 1:49.3 victory. Valar Dohaeris finished third. The victory was Twin B Joe Fresh’s second consecutive Betsy Ross title, making her the first mare to win the event in back-to-back years since Shartin N did so in 2018 and 2019. Dating back to November 2023, Twin B Joe Fresh has won 13 consecutive stakes or invitational finals, with only two of those victories by less than a length. “She’s a fun mare to drive with her versatility,” said Dunn. “It was a bit of a scramble early, but I knew as soon as we got behind [My Girl EJ] we’d be all right. She does what you want her to do when you want her to do it. When I moved her, she knew exactly what to do.” Twin B Joe Fresh has won 31 of 41 career races and earned $2.75 million for trainer Chris Ryder, who co-owns with Dunn and partners Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak. The daughter of Roll With Joe-Fresh Breeze was bred by Brittany Farms. Sent off as the 1-5 favourite, Twin B Joe Fresh paid $2.40 to win. He’s back! Bythemissal best in Auger Memorial On the strength of a decisive 1:48.3 score May 10 at Eldorado Scioto Downs, double millionaire Bythemissal landed back in the Grand Circuit spotlight after grittily parrying a late charge from 56-1 outsider Spring Inhis Step A to seal a 1:49 win in the $136,986 Joseph Auger Memorial (Grade 3) for older pacers. In line to Yannick Gingras and sent off the 4-5 favourite, Bythemissal completed a third-to-first brush at the end of a :26.3 opening quarter to take control of the terms from Spring Inhis Step A (Tim Tetrick) while Harrah’s Philadelphia track record holder Ruthless Hanover (George Napolitano Jr.) stalked in third. After rating a :54.3 half, Bythemissal accelerated up the backstretch to evade a first-over challenge from Abuckabett Hanover (Dexter Dunn), who was making his seasonal debut. While Bythemissal managed to keep his outside foe at bay past three-quarters in 1:21.2, he found himself surrounded by challengers in the final yards as Spring Inhis Step A lunged forward up the open stretch and Mossdale Ben N (Jordan Stratton) mounted a four-wide push around stalling cover. Bythemissal held his ground to prevail by a quarter-length over Spring Inhis Step A. Mossdale Ben N rallied belatedly for third, less than a length behind the winner. Bythemissal , now a 29-time winner with $2.57 million in earnings, is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable, Eric Good, Rich Lombardo Racing and Weaver Bruscemi. Stephen Dey bred the six-year-old Downbytheseaside-Dismissal gelding. He paid $3.60 to win. On the undercard, even-money favourite Desperate Man scored his fourth win of the season in the $68,493 #SendItIn Invitational Pace, uncontested on the lead through splits of :26.2, :55.4 and 1:22.4 before staving off fellow millionaire Seven Colors (Jason Bartlett) to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:49.3. Matt Kakaley drove the seven-year-old Shadow Play-Dreamlands Latte gelding to his 31st career victory for trainer Travis Alexander and owner Kathy Cecchin of Arthur, Ont. Ken Hanover overcame post eight to give a commanding performance in the $34,247 Open Pace, making the lead to the quarter and then storming home with identical :26.4 quarters to complete an easy-looking victory in 1:48.3 four lengths on top. Driver David Miller and trainer/co-owner Roland Mallar teamed up with the five-year-old son of Captaintreacherous-Kjs Justine, who has now won two straight for his ownership group, including Patrick Leavitt, William Jordan and Dennis Osterholt. Aetos Kronos S resolute in Maxie Lee triumph Aetos Kronos S took the lead from early pacesetter Sir Pinocchio just past the opening quarter then later fended off that pocket-sitting rival in the stretch to win the $136,986 Maxie Lee Memorial Invitational (Grade 3) for older trotters by three-quarters of a length in 1:51. Sir Pinocchio (Jason Bartlett) was the quickest off the gate, but Aetos Kronos S and driver Dexter Dunn were already on the move after getting away third. Sir Pinocchio reached the quarter in :27.2, but Aetos Kronos S controlled the fractions from there, hitting the half in :55.2 and three-quarters in 1:22.4 while bracing for a first-over bid from Antognoni S (Yannick Gingras). Aetos Kronos S kept Antognoni S at bay on the final turn, then did the same to Sir Pinocchio down the lane to win for the third time in four races since arriving in North America from overseas. It was his first victory in his first try on the Grand Circuit. Antognoni S finished third. For his career, Aetos Kronos S has won 22 of 66 races and earned $1.48 million. A nine-year-old son of Bold Eagle-Will Of A Woman, the stallion is trained by Marcus Melander for owners Jeffrey and Michael Snyder. He was bred by Allevamento Kronos Srl. “He’s been great every start and I think he’s just getting better and better,” said Melander. “It’s been a while since he’s raced every 14 days or every three weeks. I think he’s just getting sharper and sharper every week and he’s in really good form right now. It’s very impressive to being doing what he’s doing at nine years old. “Obviously he’s been a great horse his entire career. But getting older and being away for a little bit with some issues, it’s fun to see him do so good. He enjoys it so much.” Sent off as the 3-5 favourite, Aetos Kronos S paid $3.40 to win. Earlier in the day, 3-5 favourite Chapercraz and driver David Miller went to the front at the start and never looked back to win the $34,247 Open Trot by 1-3/4 lengths over Resolve To Win in 1:51.4 for trainer Ron Burke. Hasty Bid finished third. The five-year-old son of Crazy Wow-Chaperess is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phil Collura. Louprint heads top Pennsylvania-sired glamour boys Purses totalling $358,584 were on the line in the Pennsylvania-sired competition for three-year-old pacing males comprising a portion of the Super Sunday undercard at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with Louprint continuing as the king of the division with his third straight victory in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) preliminaries. The Sweet Lou-Rockin Racer colt Louprint , Dan Patch Award winner among freshman pacing males last year, retained the top rung at three with his third Sire Stakes win in as many starts in an undefeated campaign, gaining from the pocket to catch pacesetter Fallout by a “deceptive” half length in 1:50.2. Fallout (Tim Tetrick), second choice to favoured Louprint, drew just inside him and he left with enough alacrity to encourage driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. to take the pocket, whereupon the pacesetter put up pedestrian fractions of :28, :56.1 and 1:24. Louprint had come home in :26.1 without much encouragement in winning a PASS at Pocono Downs last week and the powerful late burst of the champion colt again carried the day here, as he again paced his own last quarter in :26.1 to defeat the gallant Fallout for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Phil Collura and Lawrence Karr. The millionaire colt is the top ranked three-year-old pacer eligible to the 2025 North America Cup, assessed as the 3-1 favourite in TROT Magazine's Spring Book . Twisted Destiny , a Sire Stakes winner at The Meadows who then gained into Louprint’s :26.1 last quarter at Pocono while his six-race win streak over two years was halted, got back on the winning track while upsetting favoured Captain Optimistic (Dexter Dunn) in a 1:49.4 Sire Stakes division. Todd McCarthy had the Bettors Wish-Tug River Princess colt winging off the gate to lead before a :26.4 opener, then yielded to brushing Captain Optimistic, in his seasonal debut, and sat behind him through mid-fractions of :54.3 and 1:22.2. Twisted Destiny was right-lined for the final eighth and quickly got a small advantage, with Captain Optimistic holding gallantly -- the margin of victory was three parts of a length. Chris Ryder is the trainer of the super-sharp pacer for Let It Ride Stables, Alberg Racing and Enviro Stables. Bettors Wish picked up a second sires credit in the Sire Stakes when Wedlock Blue Chip (dam Heavenly Bride) came out of the pocket to win his second straight PASS contest, lowering his mark to 1:50.3 under the guidance of David Miller for trainer Roland Mallar. Favoured Railroad Station (Yannick Gingras) was put right on the choo-choo and froze the timer with splits of :27, :55.4 and 1:23.2, with Miller able to get right behind the leader with Wedlock Blue Chip. The two-holer moved outside entering the stretch and quickly took the measure of the leader, winding up 1-1/4 lengths clear. The Miller-Mallar braintrust scored the victory for owners Richard Cortese and Donald Hawk. In Pennsylvania Stallion Series action, the Tall Dark Stranger-Idyllic Beach gelding Delray Beach reduced his lifetime mark to 1:50.2 despite having to go first-over against pacesetting chalk Lous Albano (Yannick Gingras). The winner paced his own last half in :53.4 without cover in winning by 1-3/4 lengths over pocket-sitter Federer (Tim Tetrick). Josert Fonseca drove the Nancy Takter-trained three-year-old for Black Horse Racing, John Fielding and Morrison Racing Stables. Sugar Man was looped early but pressed on to the lead for driver Tim Tetrick, got some respite during quarter two, then breezed home in :54.3 to lower his mark to 1:50.4. The choice of the bettors, the Papi Rob Hanover-Sweet As Sugar colt succeeded by 2-1/4 lengths for trainer Brett Pelling and owners David McDuffee, Melvin Hartman and Rojac Stables. Tall Dark Stranger got another Stallion Series siring credit with the colt Banderas (dam Reflect With Me), who was parked most of a :26.4 quarter to gain control, set the pace under the handling of Scott Zeron, then withstood the stretch bid of favourite Snack Attack (Jason Bartlett) by a half-length in 1:52, last quarters twin :27.4. Tony Alagna trains the winner for Brittany Farms, Riverview Racing, Steven Head and Pryde Stables. Fusion brought trainer Brett Pelling a second Stallion Series win when the Always B Miki-Pure Country colt won his seasonal debut in 1:51.2. Driver Todd McCarthy kept the seasonal debutant third off a :26 first quarter duel, then moved him to the lead mid-race and went on to be an easy three-length winner for Diamond Creek Racing. Compensate Me sat a good pocket trip, came out at head stretch to challenge, made the lead, then withstood the strong late bid of Damn The Torpedoes (David Miller) by a length in 1:52.2 while pacing his own back half in :55.1. The Sweet Lou-Breakheart Pass gelding was handled by Yannick Gingras for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. Fateful Twist (Heston Blue Chip-Twist Of Fate) pulled a major upset in another division, overcoming a first-over journey to take a new mark of 1:51.2 and return $134.40 to his scattered backers. Odds On Outlier (Peter Wrenn), the only winner in the first two legs of the Stallion Series and the heavy favourite, needed three-eighths of a mile to reach the top, and he may just have paid the price late as Dexter Dunn, who seldom is sent off at 66-1, guided Fateful Twist home first by a head for trainer Jake Huff and owners Cusimano Stables and Carlo Angelillo. Another Sweet Lou winner, Odds On No Limit (out of Odds On Clearwater) got to loaf to the half in :57.3 before streaking home in an amazing :53.2 to complete a 1:51 mile, take a new mark while winning by 2-1/2 lengths and put up his second Stallion Series win. Todd McCarthy had the sulky duties for trainer Travis Alexander and the ownership of Odds On Racing and UFO 2.