Karl, the sport’s second-ranked horse, and Sippinonsearoc, the fastest freshman in history, promise to commence another action-packed week of racing in the Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series for their respective ages, gaits and genders on Sunday, Aug. 25 under the lights at The Red Mile.
Sippinonsearoc places his hooves first upon the red clay in the evening’s first race. The son of Downbytheseaside-Queen Anne M and rising star seeks to improve his unblemished record to five-for-five in the third $80,000 USD leg of the Championship Series for freshman male pacers.
Conditioned by Ron Burke, the colt enters this event off his 1:48.2 world record clocking on Aug. 13. He will leave from post position three in the field of seven with Yannick Gingras driving and is the 6-5 morning line favourite.
Sippinonsearock is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, R A S Racing and Knox Services. The colt was bred by Trent Stohler Stable and Alesha Binkley. He has earned more than $150,000 in his four starts to date.
His chief rival appears to be stablemate Louprint. The son of Sweet Lou-Rockin Racer has only been defeated once in four contests. That was by a neck to Sippinonsearoc as the favourite in the first leg of this series on Aug. 4.
Louprint will begin from post position five with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the sulky and is 3-1 on the morning line.
The colt competes as a homebred for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phillip Collura.
While Sippinonsearock has shone brightly, superstar Karl will seize the spotlight when he and Gingras begin their Kentucky Championship Series event from post position three in the sixth race, which is the $80,000 third round for three-year-old male trotters.
The son of Tactical Landing-Avalicious is a Dan Patch Award winner, a Breeders Crown victor and triumphed in the 99th edition of the Hambletonian on Aug. 4. The front-runner for U.S. Horse of the Year honours is the 7-5 morning line favourite in the field of seven for trainer Nancy Takter, who is the first person since her Hall of Fame father, Jimmy, to win consecutive Hambletonians. She is also the first female to do so.
Karl will face familiar foes Secret Agent Man (Andy Miller), who leaves right beside him in post position four and is 4-1 on the morning line. Dame Good Time (Scott Zeron) drew the rail and is 9-2 on the morning line.
Karl, however, has demonstrated his ability over his division on multiple occasions and set his previous lifetime mark over this surface. If the conditions are right, will he trot another historic mile?
Bred by Crawford Farms, the colt is co-owned by his breeder, his trainer and her mother Christina, Black Horse Racing and Bender Sweden.
Karl has annexed $2.14 million from a resume of 16-1-1 in 18 starts.
On Monday, two-year-old trotting fillies will square off in the sole division of the $80,000 third round of the Kentucky Championship Series. The previously undefeated Yo Tillie will look to avenge her neck loss to Aperfect Annie in the second round of this series.
Trained, driven and owned by Verlin Yoder, Yo Tillie is a daughter of Tactical Landing-Consolidator and will leave from post position seven in the field of 10 in the fifth race. She is the 3-1 morning line favourite.
Aperfect Annie is 7-2 on the morning line and will begin trotting from post position three. The Carter Pinske pupil is a daughter of Googoo GaaGaa-Asixpakfromperfect and will be driven by Todd McCarthy.
Both young ladies will have to contend with Divine Thing. The daughter of Greenshoe-A Thing Goin On was third in the first leg of this series, but the Steve Carter trainee has won two straight in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action. The filly is on the rail and is 7-2 on the morning line with David Miller driving.
On Tuesday, the $80,000 third leg of the Kentucky Championship Series for three-year-old pacing fillies features the red-hot Direction. The filly enters this race off a lifetime best 1:50.1 victory in the second leg of this series. The daughter of Always B Miki-Blood Red is trained by Brett Pelling will leave from post position two in the sixth race with Todd McCarthy between the wheels.
The Red Mile will offer 30 stakes this week worth more than $800,000 USD. First post on Sunday is 5:05 p.m. while first post on Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m.
(The Red Mile)