Undefeated two-year-old trotting colt Kilmister lowered his lifetime mark to 1:52.3 winning an $80,000 division of the Kentucky Championship Series on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 21) at The Red Mile.

After winning a pair of New York Sire Stakes and sweeping the Peter Haughton elimination and final, Kilmister made his Kentucky debut a winning one in the third leg of the series for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

With a big backstretch brush in rein to Brian Sears, even-money favourite Kilmister swept up from sixth to take the lead from Excalibur Bi (Andrew McCarthy) at the :57 half-mile mark and cruised past three-quarters in 1:24.4 en route to the two-length triumph for trainer Marcus Melander. Excalibur Bi chased the winner home in second with Point Of Perfect (Todd McCarthy) finishing third.

A $170,000 yearling purchase from the Lexington Select Sale, the Chapter Seven-Treviso colt has now amassed nearly $250,000 in his first five starts for Courant Inc. 

In the Kentucky Commonwealth Series for two-year-old male trotters trainer/driver Verlin Yoder's Yo Lucky Moni pulled off the biggest upset of the day at 18-1 in 1:56.1 while the Charlie Norris-trained Scotty Deo, at 6-1, bested favourite Espresso by a half-length in the other $30,000 division for his first career win in 1:55.2 with Andrew McCarthy driving.

Dropping out of the Championship Series, Diamond Creek homebred Challenger was the fastest Golden Rod Series division winner in a career-best 1:55.2 for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt.

Melvin Schmucker's homebred colt Country Dagger found success for the second consecutive week in the Golden Rod, taking a new mark of 1:55.4 with Brian Sears catch-driving, while the Carter Pinske stable's Prince Of Honor remained undefeated in two series starts with a career-best 1:56.1 in rein to Todd McCarthy.

The other $15,000 division was won the Nifty Norman-trained Grizz Wyllie, a Father Patrick brother to millionaire Guccio. He took a new mark of 1:56 with Yannick Gingras aboard.

Grand Circuit stakes filly Boudoir Hanover joined the Kentucky Championship Series in the second leg for three-year-old female pacers and delivered a 1:50.3 victory as the heavy 1-9 favourite in rein to driver Todd McCarthy for trainer Tony Alagna.

Racing wide into the first turn from the outside post five, Boudoir Hanover tucked into third and waited until the top of the stretch to launch her attack then reeled in the front-striding Msdinosis Blugrass (Dexter Dunn), who had set fractions of :28.2, :56.1 and 1:23.3. With a late surge approaching the wire, Boudoir Hanover bested Misdinosis Blugrass by 2-1/4 lengths, with her stablemate Dont Fence Me In (Andrew McCarthy) third after some early antics behind the starting gate. Beyond The Sea (Andy Miller) was fourth with early breaker Always Gonna B You (Yannick Gingras) completing the order of finish.

Boudoir Hanover picked up her third win of the season from eight starts and lifted her annual income over the $200,000 mark.  The Captaintreacherous-Bedroomconfessions filly, a five-time winner with lifetime earnings totalling $446,649, is owned by Riverview Racing, Alagna Racing, Caviart Farms and D Plouffe And S Head.

Three-year-old pacing filly Queen Of Success capped off the successful Sunday for the Alagna stable with an impressive 1:49.2 score in the Commonwealth Series. It was a new lifetime mark the Captaintreacherous-Cashway filly, who was driven by Andrew McCarthy.

Fly Like An Angel, driven by Yannick Gingras, dominated her Golden Rod division winning in a career-best 1:50.4 romp for trainer Linda Toscano. A runner-up to her last time out in the Aug. 9 leg, Kentukylady got the job done, winning the other division in 1:52.1 with Christian Lind catch-driving for trainer Jack Gray Jr.

The Red Mile will host the third round of these Kentucky events for freshman filly pacers on Monday featuring 7-5 favourite Strong Poison, who will be aiming to return to the winner’s circle for the second time in the Championship Series. Yannick Gingras will be holding the lines when the Ron Burke trainee begins pacing from post position three in the seventh race. Monday’s card has a $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 (races six through nine) in conjunction with the U.S. Trotting Association’s Strategic Wager Program. Post time is 1 p.m.