Miss Jum Jabber and Requiem both shipped to The Red Mile after defeats on the Grand Circuit to find the winner’s circle in their respective $111,111 opening-round divisions of the Kentucky Championship Series on Monday, Aug. 10.

Odds-on favourite Miss Jum Jabber, driven by Andy McCarthy, bounced back from a narrow defeat in the Adioo Volo with a 1:48.2 victory in the Kentucky Championship Series division for three-year-old pacing fillies. McCarthy planted Miss Jum Jabber towards the middle of the pack as Bahama Momma (Joe Bongiorno) moseyed to the lead in a :28 first quarter before coming under attack from Hope Hill (Dexter Dunn) and Shes A Bulldog (Yannick Gingras). Gingras rushed his charge forward to snatch command before a :54.4 half, and Shes A Bulldog continued to speed through the last turn to clock three-quarters in 1:21.4, at which point McCarthy angled off the pylons to race second-over behind Caviart Daisy (Atlee Bender). Upon straightening, Miss Jum Jabber hit full flight and uncorked a :25.3 final quarter to clinch victory by a half-length over rallying Bahama Momma. Shes A Bulldog held third.

Brett Pelling trains Miss Jum Jabber, a filly by Bettors Wish-Treacherous Reign, who is owned by Pelling Racing LLC. The filly, unraced as a freshman, won her ninth race from 11 career starts, pushing her bankroll to $244,362. She paid $3.96 to win.

Requiem went pillar-to-post in a 1:51.1 score – after his loss in the Hambletonian eliminations – in the Kentucky Championship Series split for trotting sophomore males, giving McCarthy a sweep of the top-tier races and leading a one-two finish for trainer Matthew Burkholder.

McCarthy motored Requiem out of post eight to the lead in a :27.1 quarter and to a :54.3 half. Pocket-sitter Kaizen (Markus Niklasson) peeked off the pylons going to three-quarters in 1:22.4 before breaking stride into the stretch, leaving Requiem to stroll through the beam a length winner chased by 7-5 favourite Silverstein (David Miller), who sat third throughout and took second. Fineline Hanover (Todd McCarthy) gave pursuit from third.

Requiem, a colt by Muscle Hill-Ostrich Blue Chip, races for owner Dark Horse Farm LLC. He won his first race from six starts this season and his fifth race from 16 starts in his career, bringing his earnings to $354,461. He paid $17.18 to win.

The 15-race card on Monday also featured $41,667 divisions of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series for three-year-old pacing fillies and three-year-old trotting males. Interstellar (Marvin Luna, 1:49.2, $3.58) swept to the front and led through the remainder for a narrow win over Romantic Beauty (Doug McNair) in the fastest split for the pacing fillies. Zidane Kemp (Joe Bongiorno, 1:52, $6.42) utilized similar speed tactics to win the fastest dash for trotting males comfortably over Inverness Ave (Tim Tetrick). Gracious (Todd McCarthy, 1:50, $4.24) and Rocksy (Dexter Dunn, 1:50.2, $56.18) scored in the other filly pace divisions, while Lindy Living (Dexter Dunn, 1:53, $3.78) and Untouchable As (Tony Hall, 1:52.3, $6.06) took the other divisions for male trotters.

There were also five $20,833 Kentucky Golden Rod Series divisions for three-year-olds. The pacing filly contests went to Papi Robin (Todd McCarthy, 1:51.3, $5.82), Staying At Tonys (Andy McCarthy, 1:50.4, $6.26) and Graceland Hill (Dexter Dunn, 1:51.1, $2.54). The colt trot winners were Impossible Bi (Marcus Miller, 1:52.2, $30.54) and Deuce Pop (Todd McCarthy, 1:53.2, $7.02).

Live harness racing at The Red Mile resumes on Tuesday with a 16-race card headlined by the $80,000 USD second preliminary of the Kentucky Championship Series for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings. First-race post time is 1 p.m. (EDT).

(With files from The Red Mile; photo of Requiem winning on Aug. 10)