The Ready Cash colt Ready For Moni stalked the speed for the first half of the mile and then pounced on the final turn, surging to a four-length victory to trot the fastest mile of the three $30,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) divisions for two-year-old trotting colts on Sunday, Aug. 18 at The Red Mile.
The Per Engblom trainee sat in the pocket to a :27.4 first quarter while Father Figure protected position from the pylons to lead briefly. Hit Show parked when trying to take the lead around the first turn but promptly ducked to fourth as Father Figure maintained his speed towards a :56.2 half.
Ready For Moni pulled from the pocket rounding the final turn and edged past the pacesetter after three-quarters in 1:26.2. From there Ready For Moni scooted clear of Mcmatters rallying off cover to take second from Legion Of Honor holding third.
Winning his second race from three starts, Ready For Moni has earned $21,500 for owners John Fielding, Lindy Farms Of Connecticut, Herb Liverman and Bud Hartfield. Jimmy Takter drove the $2.80 winner.
Ontopofthehill vaulted off cover to take the first division of KYSS for two-year-old trotting colts, stopping the clock in 1:57.
Uncle Ed launched for the top from the outside while Father Dunn moved into second and Bold Moves into third. Ontopofthehill sat sixth past a :29.3 before catching cover from St Martins, who marched uncovered towards the leader through a :58.4 half and drew to equal terms by three-quarters in 1:28.1.
Driver Chris Page pulled Ontopofthehill off cover for the stretch drive while St Martins lost momentum and went on a gallop. Uncle Ed battled back at the pylons but managed only to hold second, three-quarter lengths behind the winner, while Hemisphere rallied from last to take third.
Owned by Elite Trotting, Ontopofthehill won his first race from six starts, earning $34,021. Ron Burke conditions the Brittany Farms-bred son of Muscle Hill who paid $4.20 to win.
Expectations protected the front and turned away a first-over challenge to take the final KYSS colt split in 1:55.4.
Driver Mattias Melander pushed the Marcus Melander trainee from the pylons but yielded the lead to Sheena Soldier heading to a :28.3 opening quarter. Melander then swung the Muscle Hill colt around Sheena Soldier to take command moving up the backstretch. Sermon, sitting third, tracked his move but got caught first over while matching strides with the leader past a :56.3 half.
Sermon stuck to Expectation’s side passing three-quarters in 1:25.3 but soon faltered through the stretch. Rays The Limits, stalking the speed duel from fourth, angled towards the center of the course and rallied for second while Jax Reddy came from last for third.
Bred by Dunroven Stud LLC, Expectations won his first race from five starts, earning $61,899. Vicky Trotting Inc. owns the $3.60 winner.
Odds-on favorite Ms Savannah Belle travelled overland to win the fastest of the three $30,000 KYSS filly splits by a one-and-a-quarter lengths when trotting a 1:55 mile in the opening division.
Driver Jimmy Takter positioned the Muscle Hill filly fifth while 117-1 shot Oblivion landed on the lead past a :29 opening quarter. Takter then tipped the Per Engblom trainee first over and gained on the leader past a :57 half while flushing cover from Fortune Telln Lady heading towards three-quarters in 1:26.2.
Ms Savannah Belle fanned towards the center of the course moving to the top of the stretch and slid to control as Guinevere Hall hustled through a seam at the inside to take second, one-and-a-quarter lengths behind. Caviart Guilia closed for third.
A homebred filly for Al Libfeld, Ms Savannah Belle won her first race from four starts, earning $39,658. She paid $3.20 to win.
With early leader Caviart Eva going on a break past the quarter, Crucial inherited the top and held command for the remainder of the mile to take the second filly split of the KYSS.
Caviart Eva cleared the front from post 7 circling the first turn while Crucial slid into the pocket ahead of Molto Bene racing third. Following a :29.2 opening quarter Caviart Eva began to gallop and retreated towards the rear of the field while Miss Kendra D angled first over to challenge the leader after a :59.2 half.
Miss Kendra D drew closer to the Ron Burke-trained daughter of Father Patrick and raced only a neck off the lead past three-quarters in 1:28.4 but began to stall when turning for the finish. Molto Bene went on a break from the pocket, which also knocked Sentebale, Hecate and Billie Claire off stride in the backfield all while Crucial clung to a slimming lead. She hit the finish a neck better than Shishito, who closed from second over to take second. Miss Kendra D settled for third.
Winning her third race from four starts, Crucial has accrued $67,623 in earnings for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, William Donovan, Jerry & Theresa Silva Stables, Purnel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Chris Page piloted the $3.20 winner.
Violet Stride took the final KYSS filly division going coast to coast, trotting the mile in 1:56.
Driver Chris Page pushed the daughter of Trixton towards the front from the center of the gate, leading Julia C to a :28.1 opening quarter. The Mark Harder trainee faced little pressure heading to a :57.3 half while Do You Wanna Dance, positioned fourth, edged first over but stalled rounding the final turn.
Violet Stride continued to lead Julia C passing three-quarters in 1:27.2 as the pocket-sitter mounted her bid for the stretch drive. However Julia C broke midway through the stretch while Page dug into Violet Stride to hit the finish ahead of Cover Girl closing from last for second. Heaven, stalking the top two, took third.
Winning her first race from five starts, Violet Stride—bred by Kentuckiana Farms LLC and Jorgen Jahre Jr. of Norway—has earned $19,250 for owners Emilio and Maria Rosati. She paid $11.40 to win.
Kentucky Sires Stakes action continues at The Red Mile on Thursday, Aug. 22 with two-year-old pacing colts and fillies competing in $30,000 divisions for the second preliminary. The card will start at 7:00 p.m.
(The Red Mile)