The new Four-Year-Old Kentucky-Bred Series, with divisional purses of $50,000 for each leg and finals of $150,000, kicked off Tuesday afternoon (June 7) with three track records at Oak Grove Racing.
In the horse and gelding pacing division, Goldies Legacy equalled the track record of 1:48.4 set earlier in the meet by Surfer Beach. Goldies Legacy, son of Always A Virgin out of AG N AU Bluegrass driven by Yannick Gingras, paced his first quarter in a blistering :25 and led the entire mile to equal the track record. Goldies Legacy is owned by Pollack Racing and trainer Jeff Cullipher, and was bred by Dave Yoder of Kentucky.
In the mares pacing division, Blue Diamond Eyes, a winner of more than $1 million at two and three, outpaced her competitors to set a new four-year-old mare pacing track record of 1:49.1 over the fast five-eighths-mile surface. Driven by Gingras, a winner of two of the Kentucky-Bred divisions, Blue Diamond Eyes is trained by Ron Burke, owned by Tom and Scott Dillon and was bred by Brittany Farms of Kentucky.
Beltassima, a daughter of Trixton out of Beltane Hanover, led the entire mile in the mares trotting division while winning by five lengths in 1:56.1. The victory kicked off her season for owner Crawford Farms while bringing Beltassima’s lifetime earnings to $347,947. Beltassima is driven by Andrew McCarthy, trained by Tony Alagna and was bred by D Farm of Kentucky.
In the male trot, Cuatro De Julio, a son of Trixton out of the Ready Cash mare Clarabelle, set a new track record of 1:51.1, giving McCarthy two of the four winners in leg one of the new four-year-old series. A career winner of $586,711, Cuatro De Julio is trained and owned by Marie Ortolan Bar partner D Farm, and was bred by Dream With Me Stable of Ontario.
“We are off to a great start with this new series," said Bob Brady, Kentucky Harness Association President. "New opportunities for four-year-olds will only continue to advance the Kentucky program. The team at Oak Grove continues to do a great job. The next two months of racing leading into The Red Mile will be exciting.”
(With files from Kentucky Harness Association)