Kentucky is known for their strong whiskey and Fifty Proof fit right into the theme Tuesday, October 27 at Cumberland Run in Corbin, Ky. The dual sired trotting gelding poured it on in the stretch to score the win in the $40,000 second leg of Kentucky Sires Stakes for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters.
Fifty Proof began from post five and was perfectly fine with getting away in fifth as The Reason and Yannick Gingras took over the top spot followed by Dad’s Tab and Tim Tetrick. The field was in single file through the quarter in :29.4 and even through the half in :59.0, there were no changes.
Heading down the backstretch, Gaining Muscle and Dexter Dunn began to move up on the outside, flushing Nights in Miami and Marvin Luna out. When Gaining Muscle was matching Fifty Proof stride for stride, he went off stride, but it didn’t phase Fifty Proof. He kept right on trotting around the final turn.
At the head of the lane, Trace Tetrick knew he had horse left and was able to maneuver Fifty Proof to the far outside. Once he was clear, Trace let the trotter loose and he closed with a burst of speed as the longest shot on the board, getting the win by a head in the three way photo, defeating his older brother Tim with Dad’s Tab. Nights in Miami was another neck back in third in the mile timed in 1:56.0.
Fifty Proof paid $75.04 for the win. The freshman son of Fiftydallarbill is owned by breeder John Barnard, who also owns the Indiana sire, whom Trace drove to victory in the Breeders Crown. Katricia Adams trains Fifty Proof, who earned his first career win in the effort. He has also competed in Indiana Sires Stakes this summer with a second place finish.
Fifty Proof is out of the Bar Hopping mare Free Drinks, who was purchased by Barnard to add to his brood mare band. Fifty Proof is her first foal and he has a full sister that is a weanling this year that has yet to be named.
Later in the card, another Indiana trotter made it to the unique winner’s circle off to the side of the paddock as Atlee Bender guided Don’t Tell Anyone to victory in the $15,000 non winners of a pari-mutuel trot. The Don’t Let’Em gelding got away in second before using his best speed late, traveling by his opponents in the lane for the win by one and three-quarter lengths. Caught ina Scandal and James Stiltner II, who used to stable and race in Indiana, finished second over Pearl of Hanover and Yannick Gingras.
Don’t Tell Anyone paid $5.60 for the win. The three-year-old is owned by Black and White Stable and trained by Roni Vandervort. Dr. Paul and Cathy Webb bred the gelding, who has 10 wins this season in 22 starts. His career best time was taken at the Indiana State Fair in the Governor’s Cup Championship under the direction of Leander Schwartz.
