Captain Naughty strolled and Bahama Momma pounced to win their respective $111,111 second-preliminary divisions of the Kentucky Championship Series on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at The Red Mile.
Yannick Gingras sent Captain Naughty to the top in the division for sophomore trotting males, and the colt strode unfazed around the track for a 1:51 win. With 6-5 favourite It Could Be Worse (Tim Tetrick) breaking stride at the start, Captain Naughty comfortably crossed to the lead approaching a :28 first quarter. The remaining four on stride followed the leader up the backstretch and made no challenges through a :56.2 half and 1:24.1 three-quarters. Captain Naughty rounded for home and accelerated with ease for a two-length win at the beam chased by Silverstein (David Miller), who clinched second from pocket-sitter Fineline Hanover (Todd McCarthy).
Petter Engblom trains Captain Naughty, a homebred son of Captain Corey-Msnaughtyashill, for owner Denise Dennis. The colt – exiting a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Hambletonian – won his first race of the year from eight starts and collected his fifth victory in his career from 17 starts, bringing his earnings to $163,354. He paid $13.14 to win.
Bahama Momma (Joe Bongiorno) lifted from a close stalking trip to deliver as the 7-5 chalk in a 1:49.1 mile in the division for sophomore pacing fillies. Bongiorno hustled Bahama Momma for the lead but soon yielded command to Shes A Bulldog (Yannick Gingras) passing a :27 first quarter. Hope Hill (Dexter Dunn) then brushed forward to take control passing a :54.4 half and soon faced a first-over challenge from Seaside Shuffle (Tim Tetrick) into the far turn. All the while Bahama Momma raced third at the inside and waited for clearance through three-quarters in 1:22.4. Shes A Bulldog angled from the pocket into the stretch while Hope Hill drifted from the pylons, giving Bahama Momma a golden seam to dart through and collar the embattled duo late. Bahama Momma grabbed the lead and won by a half-length over Shes A Bulldog while Hope Hill settled for third between horses.
Bongiorno trains Bahama Momma, a filly by Tall Dark Stranger-Idyllic Beach, for owners Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing. The filly won her second race from seven starts this season and her fifth race from 17 starts in her career, upping her earnings to $238,370. She paid $4.92 to win.
A pair of horses collected their fifth straight win when competing in $20,833 Kentucky Golden Rod Series divisions during the Wednesday card. Graceland Hill ($4.56), driven by Dexter Dunn, opened the day when brushing to the lead and holding off first-up Nash (Todd McCarthy) by a half-length in 1:50 in the first division for three-year-old pacing fillies. Shes A Rich Girl (Tim Tetrick) was third. Virgil Morgan Jr. trains the winning daughter of Always B Miki-Darlinonthebeach, who has won six times from eight starts in her debut season, for owner Tom Hill. Need You Now (Patrick Ryder, 1:50.4; $9.40) and Carolina (Scott Zeron, 1:51; $7.56) won the other filly pace splits.
Deuce Pop ($4.18) registered his fifth consecutive win when rallying from a stalking trip for a neck victory over closing Lethal Legacy (Andy McCarthy) with Loyal Leo (David Miller) third in the second division for three-year-old male trotters. Randy Jerrell trains Deuce Pop, a son of Tactical Landing-Atlantic Crest with 11 wins on his card from 24 starts, and co-owns him with Atlantic Trot Inc. and Steve Stewart. Todd McCarthy piloted the colt to his sixth victory of the season in 11 outings. Never Say Die (Dexter Dunn, 1:53.1; $4.80) captured the other male trot contest.
Both the sophomore trotting males and sophomore pacing fillies sparred in a pair of $41,667 divisions of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series for each set on the 15-race card. Sunny Station (Todd McCarthy, 1:49.1; $15.90) stalked the speed and shot through a gap at the pylons to take the faster of the two dashes for pacing fillies over 3-2 favourite Interstellar (Marvin Luna) and pacesetter Atte Station (David Miller). Untouchable As (Tony Hall, 1:51.3; $6.08) ripped from off the speed to land back-to-back wins in the Commonwealth Series, taking the faster of the two divisions for trotting males over Lindy Living (Dexter Dunn) and Confident Volo (Andrew McCarthy). Pacing filly Gracious (Todd McCarthy, 1:51; $6.02) defeated Call Me Angelita (Tim Tetrick) and Caviart Daisy (Scott Zeron), and trotting colt Midwind Chimp (Scott Zeron, 1:53.1; $41.78) scored over King Of The Wind (Joe Bongiorno) and Onemorenkickmeout (Atlee Bender) in Kentucky Commonwealth Series action.
Vainglorious (Andrew McCarthy, 1:52.1; $2.66) and Crazy For Fru (Pat Curtin, 1:54.4; $18.52) won the $13,889 Wildcat Series divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies and trotting colts, respectively.
Live harness racing at The Red Mile resumes on Sunday with a 14-race card headlined by the $80,000 USD Kentucky Championship Series third preliminary for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings. First-race post time is 5:05 p.m. (EDT).
(With files from The Red Mile)