The Red Mile kicked off its 2026 harness racing season with a 10-race card featuring eight $70,423 Kentucky Proud Series finals on Sunday, July 26.
Easter Bb ($3.16) found a pocket trip and pounced smoothly for the win in the Proud Series final for freshman trotting males, taking his fifth straight victory. After grabbing control to a :28.2 first quarter for Wyatt Avenatti, Easter Bb settled for a seat behind Yo Bo (Verlin Yoder) and, following splits of :57 and 1:27.1, angled outside to attack the leader coming for home. The Phil Knox trainee hustled by Yo Bo and pulled clear for a 3-1/4-length win in 1:55.2 with Boitano (Anthony MacDonald) giving chase from a ground-saving trip for third. Brant Brower owns Easter Bb, a gelding by Creatine-Fear Her Makeup, who is now five-for-six.
Timothy ($5.62) stayed brave in making an uncovered assault from the half to the finish to earn a gritty 1:51 victory in the event for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Leaving from post six, 20-year-old Zyler Maxwell floated Timothy, the 9-5 favourite, forward into third as Odds On Python (Josh Sutton) motored to the lead approaching a :26.4 first quarter. Maxwell stayed put from third up the backstretch until Dragon Sting (Atlee Bender) started to tip off the pylons, forcing Maxwell to pull Timothy and lead the overland charge into a :55.2 half. Timothy pushed towards Odds On Python as the tempo stayed hot to three-quarters in 1:22.4, and the pair went toe to toe in the stretch, where Timothy muscled past the pacesetter and then staved off late charges to seize victory by a half-length in a 1:51 mile. Fletchers Field (Geremy Bobbitt) closed for second with L B I (Tim Tetrick) also rallying late to take third. Victor Allen trains Timothy, a colt by Catch The Fire-Designated Drinker, for owner Michael Tarkington. The colt won his sixth race from 13 starts.
Aerowulf ($10.26) opened the card with a first-up grind to win the Proud Series final for freshman pacing fillies. Andrew McCarthy forged up the rim with her from a mid-pack spot after odds-on favourite and pacesetter Watermelon Sizzle (Devon Tharps) posted a quick early clip of :26.2 and :55.1. Aerowulf steadily advanced on the favourite through the last turn and, after three-quarters in 1:24.1, thrusted past and strode comfortably to a four-length win in 1:52.3. Tammys Wish (Tim Tetrick) persevered from a wide trip out of post 10 for second with Midnight Beauty (Zyler Maxwell) splitting through traffic for third. Carter Pinske trains Aerowulf, a daughter of Catch The Fire-Lyons Katrina, for owner Dr. Madonna Morrison. The filly took her fourth win in six tries.
Docs Girl Friday ($9.92) swarmed to the front after following cover from her stablemate and landed a neck win on 2-5 favourite Rocksy (Tim Tetrick) in the final for sophomore female pacers. Docs Girl Friday, seventh to a :27.3 quarter, caught a tow from Odds On Ufo (Marvin Luna) approaching a :55.2 half cut by Rocksy and readied for a stretch sprint while passing three-quarters in 1:23.3. As Odds On Ufo faltered in the stretch, Docs Girl Friday lifted and reached for the lead late to nail Rocksy in the final strides while pocket-sitter Caviart Santa Fe (Joey Putnam) settled for third. Randy Jerrell trains and drives the Shadow Play-Docs Hope filly Docs Girl Friday, who posted a 1:52.1 victory to up her record to six-for-12 lifetime for owner Dr. Andrew Roberts.
Pillsbury ($7.56) emerged from a ground-saving trip to collar loose longshot leader Festival (Josert Fonseca) to win the three-year-old filly trot final. Festival, off at 55-1, repelled challenges from Woodside Jasmine (Geremy Bobbitt) and Songbird (Marvin Luna) through fractions of :28.4, :57.2 and 1:25.2 while building a four-length cushion rounding for home. She wavered in the lane following the duels, while Andrew McCarthy had ample clearance at the inside to gather momentum with Pillsbury. Once finding a seam late in the stretch, Pillsbury darted forward to win by a length in 1:54.4 with Julie Palema (Tyler Miller) recovering from a break at the start to take third. Pillsbury, a filly by Gimpanzee-Flame Mearas S, is now three-for-15 lifetime for owner Dr. Madonna Morrison and trainer Carter Pinske.
Mustang Baby ($4.22) took the lead past a :28.2 first quarter and held firmly to the finish to win the Proud Series final for freshman trotting fillies. She strolled comfortably through middle fractions of :57 and 1:27.1 for Tim Tetrick while turning away the challenge from long-parked Countrydiamondmama (Andrew McCarthy) when spinning for home. The Rod Debeck-owned and -trained daughter of International Moni-Crazy Grigio coasted to a 1-1/2-length win chased by Thrill Me (Tyler Miller), who rallied from third-over to take second. Ms Ladybug (Marvin Luna) saved ground through the mile and took third. Mustang Baby stopped the clock in 1:56.2 for her fourth win in seven lifetime appearances.
Deuce Pop ($3.30) rushed wide around the last turn to snatch command and hold to the finish for the victory in the final for three-year-old trotting males. Andrew McCarthy landed towards the back of the pack to a :28.1 first quarter as Yo Billie (Verlin Yoder) climbed towards and then planted onto the lead before a :56 half. Yo Billie cruised unfazed on the engine to three-quarters in 1:24.4 while Deuce Pop roared three wide and rolled for the finish with steam. Deuce Pop ripped past Yo Billie and bore in through the stretch as Zillionaire Kemp (Tim Tetrick) stormed onto the scene from near last late, but McCarthy kept Deuce Pop to task to the finish for a half-length win. Gorilla Sighting (Atlee Bender) gave chase at the inside for third. Randy Jerrell trains Deuce Pop, a son of Tactical Landing-Atlantic Crest, and co-owns him with partners Atlantic Trot Inc. and Steve Stewart. The 1:53.2 mile improved the colt's tally to nine-for-22.
Crazygirlsburnsage ($5.26) pushed first-up for Josert Fonseca after fast early fractions and sailed home a snug winner in the rookie male pace final. After racing fifth to the quarter in :27, Fonseca tipped his charge off the pylons nearing a :55.1 first half and marched him uncovered after leader My Body Guard (Atlee Bender). Crazygirlsburnsage surged past My Body Guard after three-quarters in 1:24.1 and crossed the line an easy winner by 1-3/4 lengths. Secret Sun (Zyler Maxwell) gave chase from a second-over trip for second while My Body Guard settled for third. Todd Luther trains Crazygirlsburnsage, who stopped the clock in 1:52 for his second win in seven starts. The gelding by Perfect Sting-Sage N is owned by Greg Luther Racing LLC.
Live harness racing at The Red Mile resumes on Monday with a 15-race card headlined by a $35,000 USD division of Kentucky Sire Stakes for four-year-old pacing males. There will also be a non-wagering $35,000 USD split for four-year-old pacing mares before the main program. First-race post time on the betting card is 1 p.m. (EDT), with the non-betting event set for 12:45 p.m.
The Red Mile will host harness racing on a Sunday-Wednesday rotation through Sept. 9 and then on a Sunday-Tuesday rotation through Sept. 22, the week that precedes the 2026 Grand Circuit meet. Sunday cards will begin at 5:05 p.m. (EDT) with all other race days starting at 1 p.m.
(The Red Mile; photo of Timothy winning on July 26)