Harness racing's top-ranked horse, Miki And Minnie, is back in Lexington, as is fifth-ranked Super Chapter, to compete in their respective $80,000 USD third-round divisions of the Kentucky Championship Series on Monday, Aug. 25 at The Red Mile.

Dan Patch Award winner and Kentucky champion Miki And Minnie makes her first foray to Lexington in 2025 fresh off her long-awaited meeting with Canada’s 2024 Horse of the Year, Chantilly, in the James Lynch Memorial at Pocono Downs on Aug. 16. The win was her eighth in nine starts this year, with her only loss a narrow place finish to Rodeo Drive Deo in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event in June. 

The daughter of Always B Miki-Thats The Ticket has never missed the board 20 appearances and has banked $1,864,867. Her victories include last year’s Breeders Crown Final and Three Diamonds. This year, Miki And Minnie has trophies from the Fan Hanover, Jerry Silverman Memorial, and Shady Daisy. She competes as a homebred for Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo and Lawrence Minowitz.

Trained by Chris Ryder, Miki And Minnie drew post five in the field of five and is 4-5 on the morning line in the 10th race, the sole Kentucky Championship Series division for sophomore pacing fillies. She will be guided by Dexter Dunn as she seeks her sixth consecutive victory on Monday.

The waters may not be quite as deep this week for the champion, but she will have to face old rival and world champion Looksgoodinloulou. The two fillies battled last year in the Kentucky Sire Stakes over the red clay and at The Meadowlands in their pursuit of a Breeders Crown. Looksgoodinloulou will have the services of Yannick Gingras for trainer Ron Burke. The daughter of Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper is 5-2 on the morning line and will begin pacing from post two.

The filly enters this contest off a 1:48.4 score in the second leg of this series last week, but she was fourth behind Miki And Minnie in the Silverman the only time they have met this year. Looksgoodinloulou has a record of 14-7-3-0 and has earned $525,083. She is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Larry Karr, and Phillip Collura.

Defending Kentucky champion Super Chapter makes his appearance in the sixth race, the lone Kentucky Championship Series contest for three-year-old male trotters. The son of Chapter Seven-Lifetime Pursuit will have Dunn as his pilot for trainer Marcus Melander. The colt, fresh off his Earl Beal Jr. Memorial victory, is 4-5 on the morning line in the field of seven.

Leading all three-year-olds in North America with a bankroll of $963,989, Super Chapter’s only defeat in seven starts this season is at the hands of Nordic Catcher S in the Hambletonian after being locked in down the lane. He enters this event off a 1:50 world record performance in the Beal, where he beat the extremely talented Emoticon Legacy by a nose. Prior to his lone loss, the colt defeated Dan Patch Award winner and stablemate Maryland in a division of the Empire Breeders Classic, captured the Yonkers Trot, and was impressive in a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial. Super Chapter is owned by Jeff Snyder, Arthur Pronti, and Hanover Shoe Farms Inc.

As with every engagement, Super Chapter will face some stiff opposition from morning-line second choice Go Dog Go. Todd McCarthy will be in the sulky for trainer Carter Pinske when the pair leave from the rail. They have been given a 3-1 billing.

The son of Greenshoe-Primary Target brings his own credentials to this event with Super Chapter being a familiar foe. This year, Go Dog Go opened his campaign with wins in a leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, a division of the Reynolds, and the second division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial in a lifetime-best 1:50.4. The colt was third in his Hambletonian elimination to Nordic Catcher S and was eighth in the final after going to the front from post 10. 

Go Dog Go won a qualifier in Lexington on Aug. 17 in 1:53.4, and it appears all systems are go for the colt’s return after the Hambletonian. Owned by Wiesman Farms LLC and Al Libfeld, the colt possesses a career resume of 15-5-2-3 and has earned $590,577.

Monday's card will also feature three $30,000 USD Kentucky Commonwealth Series divisions, four $15,000 USD Kentucky Golden Rod Series splits, and one $10,000 USD Kentucky Wildcat Series dash.

(The Red Mile; photo of Miki And Minnie winning on Sep. 1, 2024)