Round three of the Kentucky Championship Series for trotting three-year-olds went to post during the Sunday (August 29) card at The Red Mile, with Empressive Hill besting the $40,000 division for fillies and Venerate taking the $40,000 split for colts and geldings.
Empressive Hill opened the card with a 1:51.4 effort to top her competition by 3-1/4 lengths. Trainer/driver Jordan Derue sent the daughter of Muscle Hill after the lead past a :28.2 first quarter and took over control from early leader Adirondack before a :56 half. The field stayed mostly single file until Empressive Hill clicked three-quarters in 1:24.3, where Beltassima angled off the pegs from third for the stretch drive. But Empressive Hill held authority through the lane and strolled to victory while chased home by Piper Hanover, who secured second from stablemate Beltassima.
Co-owned by Derue with Bruce Soulsby, Alan Weisenberg and Gilbert Short, Empressive Hill won her fifth race from six starts this season and her seventh from 13 overall, lifting her earnings to $97,175. She paid $2.80 to win.
Venerate maintained his stride through the mile and came charging with a fierce stretch bid to catch tempo-setter Really Fast at the beam in a 1:52.2 mile.
Really Fast, sent off as the odds-on choice, took the lead to a :28.1 first quarter while Kildare King settled into second and Venerate into third. Driver Andy Miller kept Venerate at the pegs past a :56.3 half and started his move with the Love You colt passing three-quarters in 1:25.3, where Cuatro De Julio and then Kildare King lost stride. The race became a sprint to the finish between Venerate and Really Fast through the straightaway, with Venerate kicking home in :26.2 to land a head in front over Really Fast. Tangled Love, who broke at the start, grabbed third another nine lengths behind the pair.
Owned by Pinske Stables and Andy Miller Stable Inc., Venerate won his second race from eight starts this season and his seventh from 18 overall, pushing his earnings over the $1 million mark. Julie Miller trains the $10.80 winner.
The pair of $20,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series divisions for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings went to Jula Muscle Pack ($4) and Platinum As ($3.40), who both registered 1:53.3 clockings in their victories. Andrew McCarthy steered Jula Muscle Pack for trainer Per Engblom and Dexter Dunn drove Platinum As for trainer Anette Lorentzon.
Princessa ($56.20) surged from the pocket to upset 1-9 favourite Altar in the $20,000 Kentucky Commonwealth split for three-year-old trotting fillies. Andrew McCarthy sat in the bike behind the Bob Stewart trainee, who stopped the clock in 1:51.1.
Point totals for both the Kentucky Championship and Kentucky Commonwealth Series are available at the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission website.
Racing resumes at The Red Mile on Monday (August 30) with 10 races on tap. Kentucky Championship Series action returns on Tuesday (August 31) with two $40,000 divisions for pacing sophomores – one for the colts and geldings and one for the fillies. The card also features three $20,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series divisions – two for the colts and geldings and one for the fillies. First-race post time both days is 1 p.m. (EDT).
(With files from The Red Mile)