As the oppressive heat continues, so do the appearances of talented freshman filly pacers at The Red Mile. The Lexington, Kentucky facility hosted a 16-race card on Tuesday, July 29 with one $109,589 first leg division of the Kentucky Championship Series, two $41,096 first leg divisions of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series, three $20,548 divisions of the Kentucky Golden Rod Series and two $13,699 first leg divisions of the Kentucky Wildcat Series.
For anyone that cashed a ticket on Beautiful Memory (Marvin Luna), it will indeed be something to remember. The daughter of Perfect Sting-Reflect With Me was the third longest shot in the field of 10 two-year-old female pacers but she did not realize what the toteboard flashed as she went about her work for trainer Tony Alagna.
Favoured Bahama Mama (Scott Zeron) was second and the public’s second selection, Caviart Daisy (Andrew McCarthy) rounded out the trifecta.
Leaving from post position seven, Luna placed Beautiful Memory in third place through a first quarter in :28.2 established by Shes A Bulldog (Yannick Gingras). That rival continued on the front end through splits of :55.3 and 1:23. Luna and his horse were briefly in fourth place entering the final drive to the wire, but the reinsman guided to her third as Shes A Bulldog tired from her earlier efforts and Big Weekend (Dexter Dunn) assumed the top position.
Beautiful Memory paced a stout :26.4 last quarter-mile to outlast her closing competition and hit the line in 1:50.3 to have her picture taken for the first time in her career.
Bred by Brittany Farms, Beautiful Memory hails from the first crop of her sire, a dual Dan Patch Award winner. Her dam brings her own illustrious set of credentials to the table as Reflect With Me is a Breeders Crown victress and banked $928,892 during her time on the racetrack.
Beautiful Memory is her second foal and is a half-sibling to Banderas (Tall Dark Stranger, $144,704).
Reflect With Me’s dam, Remember When (Camluck, $1,245,718), also produced Memory Game (Artiscape, $339,226), Lucys Pearl (Well Said, $341,213), Think Again (Art Major, $228,533) and Time Watch (Captaintreacherous, $223,850).
Beautiful Memory was a $337,838 purchase from the 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale by Micki Rae Stables LLC.
The filly’s resume is now 1-0-1 in three starts after a third and a fourth in New Jersey Sire Stakes company.
Those that supported her were rewarded with a $133.88 payout.
Need You Now remains undefeated, Topville Lucky springs the upset in Commonwealth Series
In only her second trip to the gate, Need You Now (Patrick Ryder) remained undefeated with the poise of an older horse in the first leg of the Commonwealth Series for conditioner Chris Ryder. Chicanery (Andrew McCarthy) was right behind her with favourite Hope Hill (Dexter Dunn) in third.
Leaving from the rail in the evening’s second third event, the daughter of Captaintreacherous-Dream Outloud sat in second behind Heartofthesunrise (Scott Zeron) as that filly paced fractions of :28.2 and :56.4. Shuffled back to fourth by the three-quarter pole, Need You Now bided her time as Chicanery took command through a split of 1:24.3.
Patiently steered by her pilot, Need You Now advanced to third behind Heartofthesunrise and Chicanery rounding the final bend but the filly demonstrated she had plenty of gas left in the tank with a :26.4 last panel to outfoot her rivals.
Need You Now stopped the clock in a new lifetime best of 1:52.
Competing as a homebred for Dr. Fred Kruszelnicki, Need You Now is a full sister to 2021 Sam McKee Memorial victor Catch The Fire ($1.53 million) and Captains Place ($211,939).
The filly is now two-for-two and boosted her bankroll to $34,247.
She provided $6.92 as the public’s third selection.
Topville Lucky (Atlee Bender) came from off the pace to break her maiden in her first attempt over heavily favoured Bettor Be A Star (Ryder) and Tan Lines Hanover (Zeron) in 1:53 at odds of 18-1.
The daughter of Sweet Lou-Warrawee Winx commenced her journey from post position seven in the field of eight as Easy Station (David Miller) established the first quarter-mile of fraction of :29.1. Bettor Be A Star, sitting in second, could wait not longer and went to the top in a half of :58.4. On the lead is where the favourite continued through three-quarters in 1:26.1.
Topville Lucky, however, would not be denied and placed herself in fourth position at the top of the stretch. The filly then tossed down a blistering :25.3 final quarter mile to leave Bettor Be A Star and the rest of the field in her wake.
Bred by Jeremy Yoder, Topville Lucky is trained by Erv Miller, who also co-owns her with Douglas Overhiser, Dr. Michael Ternisky and Dr. Scott Leaf.
The filly is the first foal out of her unraced dam and fetched $27,000 USD at the 2024 Standardbred Horse Sale.
Topville Lucky’s dam is a half sibling to Warrawee Unique (Sweet Lou, $300,123), Warrawee Xtreme (Sweet Lou, $163,210) and Warrawee Yale, (Captaintreacherous, $183,009).
The filly provided $38.22 at the windows and has now collected $20,548 in purse money from her career debut.
Favourites rule in Golden Rod, Vainglorious upsets in Wildcat Series
Naughty Beauty (Todd McCarthy) broke her maiden in her first attempt for trainer Andrew Harris in the first division of the Kentucky Golden Rod Series. The daughter of Bettors Delight-Beautyonthebeach was bred by James Avritt Sr, and is owned by Bill Pollock, Bruce Areman and her trainer.
The filly paid $5.28 for her first trip to the winner’s circle, and she tripped the teletimer in 1:51.2.
She B Minnie (Ryder) also broke her maiden as the favourite in the second Golden Rod division for trainer Ryder. It was second lifetime start for the daughter of Always B Miki-Shebesailin as she finished third in her first trip to the gate.
Bred by Thaddeus Weir, She B Minnie is owned by Ryder Henderson Mondillo, Anne Demers and William Donovan.
The filly paid $4.34 to win.
Lets Justin Turtle (Yannick Gingras) took the third division of this series in 1:54 for trainer Ron Burke. The daughter of Cattlewash-Rose Run Victory was bred by her trainer’s racing stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phillip Collura. She competes as a homebred for those individuals.
Like her counterparts, Lets Justin Turtle broke her maiden as the favourite. This was her second trip to the gate with a second in first attempt.
The filly paid $3.40 to win.
Instafamous provided Bender and E. Miller with their second sire stakes win on the evening. The daughter of Tall Dark Stanger-Attention Hanover won the first division of the Wildcat Series in 1:55 to break her maiden in her first start.
The filly was bred by Crawford Farms LLC and is owned by her trainer, Douglas Overhiser and Greg Gillis.
Instafamous paid $4.50 to win as the favourite.
Vainglorious and T. McCarthy upended favoured Bettor Bet Miki to the second leg of the Wildcat Series in 1:54.1 at odds of 20-1 for trainer Tahnee Camilleri.
The daughter of Bettors Delight-Bronskimackenzie A was a winner in her first attempt.
Vainglorious was bred by her conditioner who owns her in conjunction with David Kryway.
The filly paid $43.04 to win and provided T. McCarthy with two sire stakes triumphs on the evening.
Racing will continue through Sunday (Oct. 5), following a Sunday through Wednesday schedule. Fans and horsemen can look forward to 5:05 p.m. post times on Sundays, and 1:00 p.m. post times on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays throughout the meet.
Please be advised, however, post times for this week Monday (July 28), Tuesday (July 29) and Wednesday (July 30) will be transitioned to 5:05 p.m. due to extreme heat in the Bluegrass.
The Red Mile will once again feature industry low takeout on the pari mutuel side of things while offering fans a full buffet of wagering options including bookend daily double wagering exacta and trifecta wagering, 20 cent superfectas, Pick-3, Pick-4, Pick-5 and Pick-6 offerings and the Super Hi-5.
(The Red Mile)