Nezuko Kamado S found the winner’s circle in her first start since claiming the Grade 1 Hambletonian Oaks earlier in the month as she launched off cover for a 1:51.1 victory in the $111,111 Kentucky Championship Series third preliminary for sophomore trotting fillies on Sunday, Aug. 30 at The Red Mile.

Leaving from post five, driver Scott Zeron secured a snug spot in the middle of the pack with Nezuko Kamado S while Heart For Two (Yannick Gingras) pushed from the outermost draw for the lead to a :28.2 first quarter. Ygritte (Mattias Melander) soon circled from the pocket to the lead and then gave way as Jailbird Jog (Anthony MacDonald) brushed forward to seize command to a :56.1 half. Zeron found a seat third over to the last turn following uncovered Madam Cheval (Tim Tetrick) and second-over Islandgirl Hanover (Joe Bongiorno) and gradually fanned to the centre of the track coming off three-quarters in 1:23.4. Nezuko Kamado S straightened and marched over the top of her peers to snag the lead late and surge to a three-quarter-length win over Islandgirl Hanover. Ygritte took third.

Marcus Melander trains Nezuko Kamado S, a homebred Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos It filly for Anders Strom’s Courant Inc. The filly collected her sixth win from seven starts this season and her 12th victory from 18 starts in her career, pushing her earnings to $1,522,397. She paid $3.12 to win.

Sea Bistro Hanover (Todd McCarthy) ripped from last to first in a three-horse showdown with a :24.2 final quarter to win the $111,111 Kentucky Championship Series third preliminary for sophomore pacing males contested prior to the pari-mutuel card as a non-wagering race. The gelding sat off of :28.1, :55.3 and 1:24 fractions cut by Ubrute (Yannick Gingras) before storming down the centre of the track to grab the win by a length in a 1:49 mile over pocket-popping Funky Buddha (Dexter Dunn).

Brett Pelling trains Sea Bistro Hanover, a gelding by Captaintreacherous-Santa Rosa, for owners David McDuffee, Paul Bordogna and Melvin Hartman. The gelding won his fifth race from 12 starts this season and his sixth race from 19 starts in his career, raising his bankroll to $303,668.

Driver Andrew McCarthy recorded the 4,000th win of his North American career as Gandhi ($5.34), a Perfect Sting gelding out of champion mare Pure Country, scored in the second $13,889 Kentucky Wildcat division of the night. The reinsman brought the Joe Holloway trainee to the front past the quarter, and Gandhi rolled to a 1:50 score. 

McCarthy moved to the United States in 2007 and originally worked for Noel Daley before opting to pursue driving full time. The reinsman ascended to the sport's upper echelons and has won more than 200 races every year since 2014 and driven his charges to more than $103.3 million in earnings. The Swedesboro, N.J. resident also won with L B I (1:50; $11.62) in a $20,833 Kentucky Golden Rod series division on Sunday to bring his North American win total to 4,001 in 29,830 starts

Sunday’s card also featured a pair of $41,667 Kentucky Commonwealth Series divisions for sophomore trotting fillies. Shes Moni (Scott Zeron, 1:50.1; $5.32) took top honours from the two splits after brushing to the lead past the quarter and strolling to a 3-1/4-length win over Joyofmylife As (Tony Hall), with odds-on favourite Crossover (Dexter Dunn) third. Degas (Yannick Gingras, 1:53; $10.80) converted a pocket trip to a head victory over first-up Naked And Famous (Todd McCarthy) to win the other dash by a head, with Avenzee (Tim Tetrick) third. Nancy Takter trains Shes Moni, a daughter of Walner-Thats All Moni, for owners Brittany Farms LLC and Marvin Katz while Eric Patalan conditions Degas, a Gimpanzee-Air Quote Hanover filly, for TheStable Degas Group.

Rockin Image-Metro Shopping gelding Door Dash (Yannick Gingras, 1:48.3; $3.24) posted the quickest win of the two $41,667 Kentucky Commonwealth divisions for pacing three-year-old males when winning pillar-to-post over pocket-chasing Louaville (Scott Zeron) by 1-3/4 lengths. Winnercircleseeker (Tim Tetrick) was third. Captaintreacherous-Apple Hanover colt Captain Apple (Dexter Dunn, 1:49.4; $8.54) rallied from a pocket ride a few races later to down pacesetter Thiago Hanover (Yannick Gingras) and win the other division by a half-length, with Toby Ornot Toby (Tim Tetrick) third. Trent Stohler trains Door Dash for owners Trent Stohler Stable Inc., Ben Graber and Tim Graber while Chris Ryder trains Captain Apple for himself and partners Lisa Ezzo, Alan Johnston and Let It Ride Stables Inc.

Some other regally blooded winners flourished on the Sunday card. La Mancha (Tim Tetrick, 1:52.3; $24.78), a Walner filly out of world champion Manchego, kicked off a pocket trip to take the second division of the Kentucky Golden Rod for sophomore trotting fillies. Benny B Hill (Dexter Dunn, 1:49.2; $2.20), a Captaintreacherous gelding out of Breeders Crown winner Peaky Sneaky, scored in the closing Kentucky Golden Rod division for sophomore pacing males. The other Golden Rod splits for colts went to the Perfect Sting-Captiva gelding Stingman (Yannick Gingras, 1:48.2; $6.24) and L B I, by Downbytheseaside-So Miki Hanover. The Father Patrick-Jeanine miss Clemency (Todd McCarthy, 1:53.2; $3.16) and Numanthia (Marvin Luna, 1:53; $2.98) took the remaining filly Golden Rod splits.

Isotta Bi (Dexter Dunn, 1:52; $4.04) won the lone $13,889 Wildcat division for three-year-old trotting fillies.

Live harness racing at The Red Mile resumes on Monday with a 14-race card headlined by the $80,000 USD Kentucky Championship Series third preliminary for three-year-old pacing fillies and the $80,000 USD Kentucky Championship Series third preliminary for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings. First-race post time is 1 p.m. (EDT).

(With files from The Red Mile)