The three-year-olds raced in the first of three $30,000 legs of the Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) over a fast track at The Red Mile on a perfect Kentucky Sunday evening (August 19).

The colt trot featuring a couple of Hambletonian contenders was the last of the stakes but the most intriguing and Wolfgang (Jordan Stratton) bounced back from a disappointing effort on that day to hold on in a tight photo over longshot Eurobond (Domenico Cecere) in 1:53.2. Race favourite and Hambo heat winner Tactical Landing (Takter) went off-stride just before the start from his rail post with two horses trailing, losing too much ground to threaten the top two though he did recover to be third.

Stratton put Wolfgang on the front and had his own way for much of the race until Euro Bond joined him on the final turn as the passed the three-quarters in 1:26.1. That pair slugged it out through the length of the stretch with Euro Bond gaining a slight edge, but Wolfgang was game and dug back in for the win.

The winner is trained in the Jimmy Takter barn and is owned by Brixton Medical, Goran Falk, Hatfield Racing, and breeder Fair Island Farm. The son of My MVP was a $60,000 Lexington yearling.

Twenty-two trotting fillies were spread over three divisions and the first group took the track for race two. Perry Soderberg’s recent Tattersalls Mixed Sale purchase Urban Legend (Marcus Johansson) shaved two-fifths of a second off her career best with a 1:54.2 win over Byway (Jordan Stratton) in her first start for the new owner and trainer, Nancy Johansson. Marcus settled her in early from post two then moved to the front as they passed the half in :56.3. The rest was easy as Urban Legend comfortably held the challenge from Byway and won in hand. Diamond Creek Farms bred the winner, who was a $70,000 Lexington Selected Sale buy.

Last year’s KYSS final winner in the class, Top Expectation (Jordan Stratton) took the second division for trainer Erv Miller in 1:55.4. She also moved to the front after everyone had settled, got easy fractions then sprinted home in :27.1 to hold the late-moving Deschanel (Trace Tetrick) at bay with something left. Daniel Plouffe owns Top Expectations, another Lexington sale grad at a $120,000 premium from breeder Dunroven Stud, LLC.

Live Laugh Love (Peter Wrenn) won the third and fastest of the filly canters in 1:52.2, using every bit of a :28 final quarter to hold off the charge from longshot Pat Matters (Jimmy Takter) by a diminishing neck. Wrenn had her moving early from the outermost post, cleared at the :28.2 quarter then rated the mile evenly for the win. Diamond Creek and Mel Hartman bred the winner and added Dave McDuffee as a partner after she went through the Lexington yearling sale for $90,000.

Pacing fillies numbered 15 with Fine Art (Josh Sutton) winning the first of two divisions in 1:55. In the style of the evening, Sutton moved his charge to the front as they went into the final turn then used a :27 flat sprint home to outlast pocket-sitter Tipp City (Hugh Beatty). Fine Art, a $67,000 Lexington Selected Sale yearling is trained by Nick Surick for his interests and Louis Willinger. The Bettors Delight filly is a Brittany bred.

The Johanssons took the second filly pace with the improving Dance Blue, who equalled her career-best of 1:50.2 in the process. Marcus brushed his filly by early leader and eventual place finisher Neverforgetwhour (Elliott Deaton) then flew home with a fast :26.3 close to hold that rival safe. Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband and Goran Anderberg own the winner, a $50,000 Lexington Select but from breeders Steve Stewart and Cotton & Julie Nash.

Jimmy Takter pupils finished one-two in the single pacing colt division but the order was something of a surprise with the trainer driving Grand Teton to a win over heavily favoured Thinkbig Dreambig (Jordan Stratton). Beginning from the outermost post 10 in the bulky field of 12, Takter had Grand Teton crossed over to the front by the :27.4 quarter then rated even fractions while Stratton chose a long uncovered grind for Thinkbig Dreambig, who duelled with the leader through a :26 flat end to the 1:51 mile but could not get by. Adam Bowden owns the winner, a homebred, as Diamond Creek Racing.

Racing returns to The Red Mile on Thursday at 7 p.m. with Wiener Dog racing the highlight.

(The Red Mile/KYSS)