Tactical Landing, who won his Hambletonian elimination and then finished third in the $1 million final on Aug. 4 at the Meadowlands, and Wolfgang, winner of the $202,160 Goodtimes final and $181,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial, will go to post together in Sunday night’s single $30,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) for three-year-old male trotters at The Red Mile. Post time is 7:00 p.m. (EDT).
Both trained by Jimmy Takter, Tactical Landing will start from post 1 with Takter in the sulky, while Wolfgang and driver Yannick Gingras will line up in post 7 in the 12-horse field (Race 9).
Tactical Landing, a son of Muscle Hill who brought a price of $800,000 at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, has shown rapid improvement in five starts this year, culminating with a career-best 1:52.1 win in his Hambletonian elim and then a third in the rich final after racing parked the entire mile.
After racing on Lasix all year, Wolfgang, a son of My MVP, competed in the Hambletonian without the anti-bleeding medication due to stake regulations. Tipped by Gingras past the quarter in his elim, Wolfgang failed to fire and finished sixth, which left him out of the same-day final.
There is also a lone $30,000 division for three-year-old colt pacers on the card (Race 6), with Takter also having a pair of entries, including Thinkbig Dreambig, who captured last Saturday’s $400,000 Carl Milstein Memorial at Northfield Park. Jordan Stratton will drive the son of Bettors Delight from post 3.
Takter will drive Grand Teton, who starts from post 10 in the 12-horse field. The son of A Rocknroll Dance finished second in last year’s $250,000 KYSS final.
The 2017 KYSS champion Band Stand is back to defend her title, lining up in post 3 in the first of two divisions for three-year-old filly pacers (Race 3). Trainer Tony Alagna has enlisted Matt Krueger to drive the daughter of A Rocknroll Dance, who tuned up for Sunday’s race with a 1:53 overnight score on Aug. 9 at The Red Mile.
There is also KYSS action on Saturday night with two-year-old pacers of both sexes on the track. With new regulations in place that opens up the KYSS program—including having the mare reside in Kentucky for 180 consecutive days during the calendar year—star performers from other states have made their way to the Bluegrass. They include the two-year-old colt pacer Hurrikane Emperor and the two-year-old filly pacer Mollydooker, both winners of their respective New Jersey Sires Stakes finals last month at the Meadowlands.
Hurrikane Emperor, whose win in the $75,000 New Jersey final stretched his unbeaten streak to four, will start from post 5 in the last of three divisions for male pacers (Race 5). That division also includes Pyro, who has enough points to be in the field for $252,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes championship on Sept. 1 at The Meadows. Scott Zeron will drive the son of Hurrikane Kingcole for trainer John McDermott Jr.
Mollydooker starts from post 4 in the second of two distaff splits (Race 3) with Brett Miller driving for trainer Alagna. After suffering some equipment issues that took her out of contention in her first sires stakes try in new Jersey, the daughter of Great Vintage cruised to wins in the second leg and final.
All eight divisions for two- and three-year-olds will race in three preliminary legs before $250,000 finals on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 16, with a special post time of 3:00 p.m. For the first time there will be $50,000 consolation races, with those scheduled for Saturday night, Sept. 15.
(KYSS)