Guns A Brazen asserts, Kramer triples in Midland (Mich.)

from the Michigan Harness Horsemen's Association

MIDLAND, Mich. — Guns A Brazen stamped himself as the season's leading Michigan-sired 3-year-old male trotter when he handed Kaa Dee Archie his first defeat on the Michigan fair harness racing circuit in Saturday's (Aug. 10) $11,150 Michigan Colt Stakes event at the Midland (Mich.) County Fair.

Through the first six weeks of the season, Guns A Brazen and Kaa Dee Archie had managed to avoid each other by drawing into separate divisions, and they both maintained undefeated seasonal records on the circuit, with Guns A Brazen winning all six of his starts and Kaa Dee Archie taking all five.

In their meeting at Midland, Guns A Brazen and trainer-driver Raymond Kinney floated into fourth from his back-row starting spot as Inkadabra Abe and T L Waldo dueled through first-half fractions of :31.1 and 1:00.3. Heading to the midway point, Kinney angled Guns A Brazen three-wide, and he vaulted around dueling leaders with ease and power to build up an eight-length lead at three-quarters in 1:30.1. From there, the Brazen-Premier Glitter gelding was never in doubt, speeding away from Kaa Dee Archie — who similarly swept three-wide into second on the backstretch — to win by 11-3/4 lengths in 2:01.3. Smashingoodmatch closed for third.

Sandra Kinney and Chad and Jared Kreeger own Guns A Brazen, who is now seven-for-seven this season.

Driver Brad Kramer took three Colt Stakes events on Saturday's nine-race card after also tripling on Friday (Aug. 9). He won the $9,950 2-year-old filly pace with Brett Boyd trainee Myheaertfromtestart in 2:05.2; and he then teamed up with trainer Kelly Goodwin to sweep the sophomore paces, steering Forever A Flirt to a 2:01.3 win in the $11,100 filly division and Kourageous Key to a 2:00 score in the $11,000 split for colts and geldings.

Kramer's Friday hat trick included a pair of Colt Stakes Green Division wins for trainer Paul Cloer Jr.: Taylor Dawn won the $5,000 freshman filly pace in 2:09, and Topinabee narrowly edged Man Of Time in 2:08.4 in the $5,000 male pace.

The Michigan fair harness racing circuit moves to Charlotte, Mich., on Monday (Aug. 12); the 17-race card is slated to begin at 12 noon.

To watch Michigan fair harness racing live or on demand, visit the Michigan Harness Horsemen's Association YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@MichHarnessHorse).