Blue Diamond Eyes and Beltassima will seek to maintain their perfect records in the fourth leg of the newly implemented series for four-year-old Kentucky-breds at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on on Tuesday (July 12).
Four $50,000 divisions for horses of each gait will begin the 11-race card. The first leg for four-year-old trotters will be conducted as a non-wagering race.
Kentucky champion and track record holder Blue Diamond Eyes will leave from post position five in a five-horse field in the division for four-year-old pacing mares. The daughter of Captaintreacherous-Aria Hanover, who is the 4-5 favourite on the morning line, will have Hall of Famer Yannick Gingras in the bike for fellow Hall of Famer Ron Burke.
Blue Diamond Eyes hit her best stride upon her return to the Bluegrass State after competing at Meadowlands and Harrah’s Philadelphia in her first three starts of 2022. The mare established a new track standard of 1:49.1 in the first leg of this series on June 7. She followed that performance with two facile victories in the next two legs.
Owned by Thomas and Scott Dillon, Blue Diamond Eyes was a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion and won the $323,600 Three Diamonds as a freshman. As a sophomore, she won the $106,745 Adioo Volo and the $250,000 Kentucky Championship Series final. Blue Diamond Eyes has banked $1.22 million with a record of 38-14-7-5.
Unlike Blue Diamond Eyes, Beltassima has not set a new track standard at Oak Grove, but the mare has dominated her competition in the first three legs of this series for four-year-old trotting mares. She is undefeated this year in three starts. Andrew McCarthy will be holding the lines for trainer Tony Alagna when the duo leave from post position one in the field of six. She is even-money on the morning line.
The daughter of Trixton-Beltane Hanover was second in last year’s $250,000 Kentucky Championship Series final and is a 2021 New Jersey Sire Stakes champion. Owned by Crawford Farms, she has earned $397,947 and possesses a record of 24-10-4-2.
Gingras will also steer Goldies Legacy in the division for four-year-old male pacers. Trained by Jeff Cullipher, Goldies Legacy is 7-5 on the morning line. He is co-owned by his conditioner and Pollack Racing. He will start pacing from post position two in the field of five.
The son of Always A Virgin-AG N AU Bluegrass captured the $250,000 Kentucky Championship Series final as a sophomore and has visited the winner’s circle in four of his last five races. The gelding equalled the Oak Grove track record of 1:48.4 in the first leg of the series on June 7 prior to a sixth-place finish behind Komodo Beach in the second leg after breaking stride early in the mile.
Goldies Legacy once again added to his win total and bank account with a hard-fought victory over rival Komodo Beach in the third leg of the series on June 28. He and Komodo Beach each paced their last quarter-mile in :25.4.
Goldies Legacy has a record of 46-15-4-2 and has earned $439,910.
Cullipher will also harness Caviart Lotus in the same division. The son of Betting Line-Lunar Tide will be driven by Tony Hall and will start his mile from post position five. The gelding is 7-2 on the morning line and shares the same ownership group as Goldies Legacy.
Caviart Lotus seeks his first win of the season and has been fourth, third and third in the previous three legs of this series. He has amassed $197,540 in purse money and has a record of 43-7-6-9.
McCarthy will be at the controls for Komodo Beach’s mile in this race. Trained by Noel Daley, Komodo Beach and McCarthy have been assigned post position three. The gelding is 2-1 on the morning line.
The son of Somebeachsomewhere was second in the first and third legs of this series and won the second leg for his first win of 2022. He has collected $282,890 in purse money and sports a resume of 34-10-9-5. Komodo Beach is owned by Morrison Racing Stables and was second by a neck to Goldies Legacy in last year’s $250,000 Kentucky Championship Series final.
Kildare King seeks to extend his winning streak to three in the division for four-year-old male trotters. The son of Trixton-Exclusivity will begin trotting from post position four in what will be held as a non-wagering event prior to the pari-mutuel card. Gingras will be responsible for guiding Kildare King for trainer Chris Beaver and owner/breeder Robert Goodman.
The gelding just missed in the first leg of the series to Cuatro De Julio in track record time (1:51.1). He has followed that loss with wins in the second and third legs. Kildare King has earned $162,725 and has a record of 31-8-4-3. A win in this event would be his seventh in 2022 from nine starts and push him over $100,000 for the year.
The $150,000 final for the four-year-old series is scheduled for July 19. The top eight point-earners in each division will be guaranteed a spot in the starting gate for the final.
To review point standings for this series, click here.
Racing at Oak Grove is conducted on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with a post time of 3 p.m. CST.
(With files from Kentucky Harness Association)