Sons of Captain Crunch claim Grand Circuit wins

It was a happy hunting ground for the progeny of Captain Crunch at The Red Mile in Kentucky over the weekend, with his sons D A Love Boat and McCrunch victorious in their International Stallion Stakes and Tattersalls Pace divisions respectively.

In his first US start, the Jack Darling trained D A Love Boat stunned punters by downing last monthʻs Kentucky Sires Stakes Championship winner Louprint in the first of the $100,000 International Stallion Stakes divisions for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

D A Love Boat led off the gate before being shuffled back to fourth by the half way point.

Making his move late in the third quarter, D A Love Boat charged home three-wide and fought out a stirring home stretch duel with Louprint, getting the better of the race favourite to win by a nose in a swift 1:48.8 mile rate - just one fifth of a second outside of the world record for a 2-year-old gelding.

The pair distanced the field with the third placed horse a further six and a quarter lengths back.

The win was D A Love Boatʻs second and took his earnings to $96,980.

He is out of the Camluck mare Addicted To Love.

The following day, the Nancy Takter trained McCrunch outmuscled a quality field of 3-year-old colts and geldings in the second of the $211,000 Tattersalls Pace divisions.

Mid-field for much of the mile, McCrunch got a drag into the race before taking over at the top of the straight and running out a one and a quarter length winner in a career best time of 1:48.4.

Unraced at two, McCrunch has now won seven races and $328,421 in stakes earnings.

He is out of the McArdle mare McGibson, making him a half-brother to the Breeders Crown winner and millionaire Boston Red Socks.