A day off from racing in Indiana means several Indiana participants headed south Sunday, October 18 to compete at Cumberland Run in Kentucky. Several of the day’s winners were from Indiana, including Coach Stefanos in the $30,000 Open Pace.
Coach Stefanos got away exactly where he began, in the three hole as Lou Hill and Yannick Gingras rushed to the lead from the outside. Funtime Bayama and Dexter Dunn also left the gate and decided to get into the two hole. Funtime Bayama had a big hold on Dunn with Coach Stefanos and Atlee Bender keeping tabs on the top two through the quarter in :26.4. A slow second quarter had Funtime Bayama grab hold even more to the half in :55.4 before the tempo picked up down the backstretch. Serious Miki and Joey Putnam were the first to move to the outside from the back. Coacl Stefanos was able to stay in until tipping out at the three-quarter pole in 1:23.0.
Coming out of the final turn, Funtime Bayama finally moved out pushing Coach Stefanos three wide heading into the stretch. Once he was straightened out, Coach Stefanos was full of pace, rallying home in :26.4 to score the victory by one and three-quarter lengths in 1:50.2. Lou Hill held on for second over Funtime Bayama.
Coach Stefanos paid $6.90 for the win. The six-year-old son of Tellitlikeitis is owned by Ken Duffy, D & M Trading II, and John Stefanos. Erv Miller trains the former Indiana Sires Stakes champion, who was bred by Victory Hill Farm. It was his third win of 2026 and his 23rd overall. He is approaching $1.5 million in career earnings with his career best time of 1:47.2 taken at The Meadowlands last year.
It was the Erv Miller trained two-year-old trotting filly Redice who was victorious in the very next race in the first leg of Kentucky Sires Stakes action. The dual bred filly was parked the first half for Bender before taking over in the final turn and fending off a late challenge by Hotlady Volo and Todd McCarthy. She was a winner in 1:56.0. Your Grace and Marvin Luna finished third.
Redice paid $3.18 as the favorite of the field. The Rebuff daughter is owned by Erv Miller Stable, Anthony Lombardi, and Stepbystep Racing. The filly now has seven wins in 11 starts with her career best time of 1:54.3 taken earlier this fall at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. She now has more than $323,000 on her card as the winner of the Super Final on Hoosier Champions night.
In a leg of the two-year-old trotting colts and geldings division of Kentucky Sires Stakes, Fifty and Famous took home the title with a nearly five-length advantage at the wire in 1:54.0 for Trace Tetrick. Nights In Miami and Marvin Luna finished second over Blazen Sam and David Miller. Fifty and Famous is trained by Tony Quevedo and owned by breeder John Barnard. The dual bred Fiftydallarbill colt is now five for eight in his young career. His win Sunday was a new lifetime mark as his bankroll increased to more than $213,000 with the win. He was also the winner of the Super Final on Hoosier Champions Night.
