Red Mile Racing

DIPLOMACY TAKES BIG M FEATURE

By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
(Lisa photo)

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Diplomacy made his first start at The Meadowlands in 19 weeks a winning one Friday night, as the Per Engblom trainee came from well off the pace to record his second victory of 2026 in the featured $15,000 high-end conditioned trot.

It certainly didn’t look good for those who backed the 9-2 third choice, who came into the race off a last-place finish at Yonkers after an early break. Camera Man led at the quarter in a snappy :26.4 before 3-5 public choice Chapercraz took over and led at the half in :55.

Diplomacy was anything but menacing heading past the five-eighths, sitting gapped along the rail in fourth as Chapercraz hit the gas and led at three-quarters by 3½ lengths in 1:23.

Celebrity Bambino, the 2023 Hambletonian favorite, was now in motion, as Diplomacy picked up some cover around the far turn to get into contention and go after the leader. Winning driver Todd McCarthy swung the 5-year-old gelded son of Muscle Hill-That’s All Moni to the center of the track for the stretch drive, before taking off and surging past Chapercraz by a head at the wire in a lifetime-best 1:52.2. Camera Man was placed third after Celebrity Bambino was disqualified for going off stride at the finish.

“I was pretty happy after the first half,” said McCarthy. “I just had to help him get around that last turn a little bit. Once he straightened up (in the stretch) he really wanted to go forward.”

Trained by track leader Per Engblom, Diplomacy lifted his lifetime numbers to 11 wins in 42 tries, good for earnings of $120,208. He returned $11.20 to win.

A LITTLE MORE: Mark Herschberger was the leading driver on the card, guiding four to the winner’s circle. … Rock On Line’s win at odds of 48-1 left several 20-cent Pick-5 players smiling. After a sequence that saw winner’s odds of 9-1, 1-1, 9-2, 3-2 and 48-1, those with winning tickets cashed in for $7,757.12. … All-source betting on the 14-race program totaled $2,359,383. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:35 p.m.

Big Ranger sets new track record
Second leg of Ohio Sires Stakes action for 3-year-old c**ts

by Jason Roth, for Scioto Downs
(Conrad photo)

All five Ohio Sires Stakes winners Monday (May 25) at Eldorado Scioto Downs set new lifetime marks, but Big Ranger set a high precedent, winning the first division for 3-year-old trotting c**ts in a track record performance. Tripping the beam in 1:51.2, Big Ranger bested Mission Accepted’s 1:52 mile set back in 2018.

Driver/trainer Ronnie Gillespie sent Big Ranger from post seven and made the top before the first turn. The pair hit the opening quarter in 27.1 and :56 for the half before pulling the plugs just before the 1:24.1 third quarter. Big Ranger trotted home in :27.1 under a hand drive to win by two and three-quarter lengths over Rose Run Banker (Chris Page); Rose Run Boom (Luke Hanners) finished third.

When asked if he was expecting a track record performance, Gillespie said he wasn’t.

“I did tell the owners, not this start, but the next start, if he can’t trot in 51 comfortable, I wouldn’t take him to the Hambo. But he did it real comfortable tonight, so my goal is to see how well he can do it off the pace. He’s going to have to come off the pace to race with those Grand Circuit horses.”

Big Ranger is by In Range out of the Tactical Landing mare Big Blue Bird. Bred by Spring Haven Farm, Big Ranger was a $25,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase by Madison Global. The c**t now has nine wins 11 starts lifetime and $450,360 in earnings.

Tom Largo and Chris Lems won the other $75,000 split for c**t trotters, taking their mile in 1:53.1 after getting the perfect pocket trip behind pacesetter Grape Crush (Brett Miller). Trained by Scott Cox for Jughead Stables, G Peters and Robert Kubiak, the Long Tom gelding out of the Valley Victor mare Smith Hall now has seven wins in 13 lifetime starts and $206,400 in earnings. Grape Crush was second with Soulful Saul (Hanners) third.

Trainer Tony Alagna and driver Marvin Luna teamed up to win two of the three $50,000 OHSS pacing splits for 3-year-old c**ts with Myboypank and Up In Place.

Myboypank won the first division in a new lifetime mark of 1:50 for owner Sam Bowie. The Catch The Fire gelding out of the Wester Terror mare Bazooka Terror was a $20,000 Ohio Selected Yearling Sale purchase and now has five wins in eight lifetime starts. Pacesetter Lindy Dragonwater (Page) was second with Pet Project (Trevor Smith) third.

The Alagna/Luna teamed up to win the last division with Up In Place, who is now three for three on the season for owners John Barnard and Alagna Racing, in 1:50.4. The son of Lather Up out of the Park Place mare Helen’s Place Girl bested Prolific Blend (Austin Hanners) who was second and Odds On Sugar (L. Hanners) who finished third.

The middle split was won by Backninebar (Page) in 1:51.1 for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and Knox Services. The Downbytheseaside c**t is out of the Western Ideal mare Restless De Vie and has now earned $169,968 in 14 lifetime starts with four wins. Tsunami Seas (Miller) was second with Odds On Phil (L. Hanners) third.

Racing continues at Scioto Downs on Wednesday (May 27) with three carryovers on the 16-race card: $5,322 superfecta carryover for race 1; $3,931 Pick-4 carryover starting in race 3 with a $15,000 guarantee; and a $4,173 Super Hi-5 carryover for race 4.

The 91-day 2026 Eldorado Scioto Downs regular season runs through Saturday, September 19. Races are held Tuesday-Saturday, with special holiday cards on Memorial Day and Labor Day instead of the Tuesday card that week. The track will then re-open for the Breeders Crown, with eliminations held October 16-17 and the finals October 23-24. More information about all the racing action at Scioto can be found on the Eldorado Scioto Downs website.

Whiskey Wow Trots Fastest Mile Ever at Oak Grove in KYSS; Dunn Wins Five

from Oak Grove Racing Publicity
(Tony Centonze photo)

OAK GROVE, Ky. — The 4-year-old Crazy Wow-Whimzical Britt gelding Whiskey Wow connected as one of five winners for driver Dexter Dunn on a day of Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) action at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Monday (May 25) and won with sensational speed to trot the fastest mile in the history of the Southwest Kentucky track.

Leaving from post 5 with a major scratch of Go Dog Go, Whiskey Wow slid towards the top and settled into rhythm through a :27 first quarter with 3-5 favorite My Degenerate (driven by Tyler Miller) following from the pocket. Miller moved My Degenerate off the pylons passing three-eighths and attempted to clear for the lead but parked to a :55.1 half and floundered on the rim while Whiskey Wow extended up the backstretch. Whiskey Wow clicked three-quarters in 1:22.3 and reached for the finish under steady Dunn encouragement to notch a four-length win in 1:50.3 over pocket-chaser Boots N Beer (Joey Putnam) with Royal Comet (Josert Fonseca) taking third. My Degenerate tired to fourth.

Matt Wilson trains Whiskey Wow, an 11-time winner from 23 starts with $144,030 earned, for owner Burlin Brower. His 1:50.3 mile bests the track record for trotting geldings of 1:50.4 set by Dover In Motion in 2024, which was the previous mark for the fastest trotting mile ever at Oak Grove. Off the fourth choice in the betting inside the five-horse field, Whiskey Wow paid $15.80 to win.

Dunn later snagged the other $50,000 KYSS dash for 4-year-old trotting horses and geldings with 1-9 favorite Gimpanzee Dancer in a 1:51.3 mile. After floating towards mid-pack off the starting gate, Dunn eventually hustled Gimpanzee Dancer three wide to push for the front into a :27 first quarter. He continued wide through the stretch first time and grabbed command from Te Quiero Lindy (Tyler Miller) heading to a :55.1 half but cruised comfortably through the remainder. Gimpanzee Dancer strode away off three-quarters in 1:23.2 to romp by 5-3/4 lengths over Te Quiero Lindy with Vugoo (Yannick Gingras) closing for third, another three lengths behind, and Yo Sheldon (Zyler Maxwell) rallying down the center of the track for fourth.

Chris Beaver trains Gimpanzee Dancer, a 4-year-old stallion by Gimpanzee-Weslynn Dancer, and co-owns him with partners Carolina Acosta and Derek Ivany. He won his fifth race from seven starts this season and his 11th race from 36 starts in his career, earning $464,667. He paid $2.16 to win.

The lone $50,000 KYSS dash for 4-year-old pacing mares also went to Dexter Dunn as he plowed forward past a :26.4 quarter to take the lead with 1-5 favorite Three Times Bettor and roll down the road for a 1:49.4 victory under wraps. She accelerated off middle fractions of :55 and 1:22.2 to easily put away pocket-chaser Aintnothingucando (Yannick Gingras) in second, beaten 2-1/4 lengths, with Rose (Tim Tetrick) motoring wide late for third. Odds On Chesapeake (Todd McCarthy) was shuffled back and gave pursuit for fourth.

Three Times Bettor remains unbeaten from four starts this season and collected her eighth victory in a row. Thaddeus Weir owns the daughter of Bettor's Delight-Three Times A Lady with 13 wins on her card from 21 starts and $288,814 earned. The Brett Pelling trainee paid $2.48 to win.

Dunn's other wins in his five-pack came outside of KYSS events when he scored in a $20,000 conditioned pace with even-money favorite Funtime Bayama ($4.02 to win) in a 1:49.1 mile and in the following race, the $30,000 Open Handicap Pace, with Wayne Oke trainee Muskateer Hanover ($4.72) in a 1:50.1 mile. The 6-year-old gelding by Sweet Lou-Marinade Hanover, owned by Calcutta Stable LLC, won for the second time in the top class at Oak Grove this meet, holding off late pursuers Admiral Hill (Yannick Gingras) and Tip Top Cat (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) for the season-best win.

Trainer Ron Burke and driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. swept the pair of $50,000 KYSS events for 4-year-old pacing horses and geldings starting with a 1:49.2 front-stepping win by 1-9 favorite Harrisburg Heist. Wrenn eased towards the top through a :26.3 first quarter and cruised through middle fractions of :54.4 and 1:23 before gaining some separation for a wrapped-up win by 1-1/2 lengths over pocket-chaser Damn The Torpedoes (Tim Tetrick) in second. Special Select (Dexter Dunn) hugged the pylons for third and Falcon (Yannick Gingras) faltered from a first-over push for fourth.

A 4-year-old gelding by Downbytheseaside-Cashaway, Harrisburg Heist won his third race from four starts this season and his 16th race from 35 starts, earning $675,202 for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., Phillip Collura and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. He paid $2.14 to win.

Burke and Wrenn teamed in the following race for a solid rebound victory with Captain Arturovico in a 1:50 front-stepping performance. Captain Arturovico cleared control past a :26.3 first quarter and carried his speed to a :54.2 half before stablemate Banderas (Yannick Gingras) angled first up to give pursuit. Banderas only made mild gains against Captain Arturovico to three-quarters in 1:22.1 and finished second best as the 3-5 favorite by three-quarter lengths while Lafitte (Tim Tetrick) saved ground to take third from pocket-sitter Delray Beach (Dexter Dunn), who settled for fourth.

Captain Arturovico, a gelding by Captaintreacherous-Tilikum, won his first race from eight starts this season and his 13th race from 38 starts in his career, earning $390,809. He competes for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Larry Karr and Phillip Collura and he paid $8.02 to win.

R Dutchess (Tim Tetrick) worked a perfect pocket trip to take the single $50,000 division of KYSS for 4-year-old trotting mares with a 1:52.4 effort. Tetrick hustled the Tyler Butenschoen trainee to the fore and strung out 6-5 favorite Winnpanzee (Yannick Gingras) through a :26.4 first quarter before settling for the pocket. Winnpanzee clocked a :55.3 half and worked another breather up the backside while confronted by a fierce first-over charge from Voguish (Dexter Dunn) to three-quarters in 1:24.3. Voguish retreated around the last turn as Winnpanzee reached for the line, giving R Dutchess clearance to tip outside and lay aim on the tiring leader. R Dutchess zipped by in the stretch and posted a 1-1/4-length win over Winnpanzee with Aperfect Annie (Todd McCarthy) saving ground for third and Best Friends Girl (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) following suit in fourth.

A daughter of Father Patrick-The Ice Dutchess, R Dutchess competes for lessees M And L of Delaware and Armitage Farm. She won eighth race from 30 starts, earning $559,438, and paid $11.88 to win.

Live racing resumes at Oak Grove on Tuesday (May 26) with a 14-race card headlined by a $30,000 Open Handicap Trot, carded as Race 2. First-race post time is 1:10 p.m. (CDT). For more information, visit oakgrovegaming.com.