Topville Lucky rebounded in a big way in the $111,111 third round of the Kentucky Championship Series for freshman filly pacers in a new mark of 1:50.2 on Tuesday, Aug. 19 at The Red Mile.
Sent off as the 8-1 fifth choice after a break in her prior outing, Topville Lucky and Atlee Bender finished best to collect the filly’s second victory in three starts for trainer Erv Miller.
The daughter of Sweet Lou-Warrawee Winx drew the rail in the field of eight and settled in fifth through the first quarter while first-leg winner Beautiful Memory (Marvin Luna) pushed on to establish the opening split of :27.4. At that first station, Andrew McCarthy and second choice Caviart Daisy went to the top before setting fractions of :55.4 and 1:23.3.
As Caviart Daisy lost her head of steam, Topville Lucky and Seaside Shuffle (Dexter Dunn) were advancing to make their final bids to the wire and were a nose apart going into the stretch, with latter in charge. Topville Lucky uncorked a :26.2 final quarter and sprinted clear to win by 2-3/4 lengths over the favoured Bahama Momma (Scott Zeron), who kicked home well for second. Seaside Shuffle rounded out the triactor.
Topville Lucky is now two-for-three with earnings of $76,104 for owners Ervin Miller Stable Inc., Douglas Overhiser, Dr. Michael Ternisky, and Dr. Scott Leaf. She broke her maiden on debut in the first leg of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series on July 29. Her connections were pleased enough with that effort, in which she came home in :25.3, to move her up in class to the Championship Series on Aug. 10, but she was ninth at the quarter and broke stride before the half. Topville Lucky, bred by Jeremy Yoder, is the first foal out of her unraced dam and was selected for $37,500 at last year’s Harrisburg sale. The filly provided $19.18 to those who supported her.
The 15-race card also included two $48,611 second-round Kentucky Sire Stakes divisions for four-year-old trotters, two $41,666 third-round splits of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series, three $20,833 third-round divisions of the Kentucky Golden Rod Series, and two $13,889 third-round groups of the Kentucky Wildcat Series. The last three series were exclusive to two-year-old filly pacers.
Vic Zelenskyy ($3.16), driven by Dunn, capitalized on breaks in stride by Kentucky champion Dame Good Time (Zeron) and Secret Agent Man (Andy Miller) to capture the Kentucky Sire Stakes division for horses and geldings by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:51.1. He held off Splendid (Todd McCarthy), who flew home to be second over Toms Muscle (Ernie Hendry). The winning son of Greenshoe-Mission Brief resides in trainer Marcus Melander’s shedrow and is owned by SRF Stable and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd. He is now two-for-three in 2025.
Two-time Kentucky champion Date Night Hanover ($3.70) relished her return to the Bluegrass State as she stopped the clock in 1:50.4 to take the Kentucky Sire Stakes dash for distaffs by a length with Dunn aboard. Black Velvet As (Dan Noble) was second, and her stablemate Justasiam As (Marvin Luna) nabbed the show spot. Date Night Hanover, a daughter of Chapter Seven-Dont Wait Up, won for the first time in seven starts this season for trainer Marcus Melander and owners Jeffrey Snyder and ONDA Racing Stable LLC.
Favoured Gala ($3.96) put on a show to secure her second win in as many starts in 1:50.1 in the first division of the Commonwealth for driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Brian Brown. She was seven lengths in front of Need You Now (Patrick Ryder), followed by Call Me Angelita (Tim Tetrick) in third. The daughter of Downbytheseaside-Sweetest Emotion, who was stepping up in class from the Golden Rod Series, competes as a homebred for Diamond Creek Racing.
Hope Hill ($9.44) stopped the clock in a new lifetime mark of 1:51.2 for her second consecutive win in the second Commonwealth division. Favourite Gonebutnotforgottn (Tetrick) was second by a half-length, and Tan Lines Hanover (Zeron) finished third. Trained by Virgil Morgan Jr., the winning daughter of Papi Rob Hanover-Ruth Hill is a Tom Hill homebred. She has won three of her four career outings.
Rocksy ($3.92) took the first Golden Rod Series split in 1:52.1 with Tetrick at the lines for trainer Tony Dinges. Seaside Charm ($6.44) prevailed in the second, guided to a 1:51.4 victory by Tetrick for conditioner Ron Burke. The Wildcat Series winners were Lady Panera ($2.60) and Gauntlet ($3.44).
Tetrick and Dunn each had three stakes wins on the day.
On Wednesday, a field of 11 rookie trotting fillies will attempt to hit their best stride in the $80,000 USD third-round dash of the Kentucky Championship Series at The Red Mile. The 15-race card showcases freshman filly trotters in third-round action with three $30,000 USD divisions of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series, five $15,000 USD Kentucky Golden Rod Series splits, and three $10,000 USD groups of the Kentucky Wildcat Series.
(The Red Mile)