I Did It Myway upset defending Kentucky champion and this year's North America Cup winner Pebble Beach in the $80,000 second leg of the Kentucky Championship Series for three-year-old male pacers during the mid-August Monday afternoon card at The Red Mile.
Andrew McCarthy drove I Did It Myway to the mild 5-1 upset victory over heavy 1-5 favourite Pebble Beach, who was driven by his brother Todd. The winning Captaintreacherous colt stopped the clock in 1:48.2, missing his lifetime mark by just one-fifth of a second, for trainer Tony Alagna and breeder Joe Sbrocco, who co-owns with Country Club Acres Inc., Don Latore, and Alagna And Fodera Racing.
Leaving from post four just outside of Pebble Beach, I Did It Myway tucked in front of the favourite with River Ness (Yannick Gingras) driving on further out to take over command through a :27.1 opener.
After the action settled in front at the quarter pole, Pebble Beach swept to the top and the millionaire son of Downbytheseaside reached the half in :54.3 and three-quarters in 1:21.3.
The bettors' choice was still clear on top at the top of the lane but I Did It Myway had launched his attack turning for home and he began to close in down the stretch then passed Pebble Beach near the wire for the 1-1/2-length victory. Pebble Beach held on for second in a photo finish with Caviart Camden (Dexter Dunn) flying late from the backfield.
Picking up his first stakes win of the season, I Did It Myway returned $12.42 to his backers at the betting windows. He is now three-for-10 with $165,050 banked this year.
Alagna also watched his trainee Taurasi (Devon Tharps) repeat in the glamour boy's Commonwealth Series as the lightly raced gelded son of Racing Hill left his rivals three lengths behind through the stretch to score his fourth straight win in 1:50.1 with a :25.4 closing kick.
Mayor Ofthemoment (Tyler Shehan) pulled off a 38-1 shocker in the $15,000 Golden Rod Series division, closing widest of all in the stretch for the 1:50.3 triumph.
Two-year-old trotting fillies also faced off in a $80,000 second-round division of the top tier Kentucky Championship Series with Special Way scoring a maiden-breaking 1:52.2 victory for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt.
After a couple of early lead changes through a :28 opening quarter, Special Way made a brief appearance on the front out of post nine before the 1-4 favourite, Mambacita (David Miller), took over.
Special Way followed the Alagna-trained Jim Doherty Memorial runner-up in the pocket through middle splits of :55.4 and 1:24.3 before chasing her down in the stretch and holding off her 99-1 late-flying stablemate Life Itself (Mattias Melander) by half a length. Mambacita settled for third.
Special Way, who was making her third career start, returned $18.96 for the upset.
The homebred Walner-Special Hill filly is owned by Marvin Katz of Toronto, Ont., Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont., and the Kentucky-based Brittany Farms.
In the Commonwealth Series for freshman trotting fillies, the streaking Chris Ryder trainee Railee Something overcome an outside post and topped her seven foes with a two-length victory in 1:55 to match her mark taken two weeks ago in the opening leg. Dexter Dunn was the winning driver.
Alagna picked up another victory with first-time winner Yes Please taking the other Commonwealth division in 1:55.1 with Tim Tetrick aboard.
Tetrick doubled up in the Golden Rod Series driving the undefeated Catholic (1:55.2) and Southern Patricia (1:56.3) to division wins. Todd McCarthy guided Picaboo Lady (1:55.4) to victory in the other split.
On Tuesday, The Red Mile will host second-round series action for two-year-old male pacers and three-year-old male trotters. The undefeated rookie Blue Lou will put his perfect record on the line while defending Kentucky champion Double Deceiver will be looking for his third consecutive win after establishing a new lifetime mark in the first round.
There will be a guaranteed $10,000 Pick-4 (races six through nine) in conjunction with the U.S. Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program.
First post at Red Mile is 1 p.m. EST.