On Sunday, Aug. 31, The Red Mile will host Sunday Night Lights sponsored by Crawford Farms and plenty of folks are hoping the undefeated two-year-old pacing filly, Gala, will shine as she makes her first appearance in the $80,000 USD fourth round leg of the Kentucky Championship Series.
“I didn’t get her until April,” said Brian Brown, the filly’s conditioner. “And she tied up on us the first time I had her entered (in the first round leg of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series last month). So, after that we put her in the [Kentucky Golden Rod], which she did really well in, so we went back to the Commonwealth last week. We were not expecting that kind of mile. She did it so easy without ever popping the plugs.”
The daughter of Brown’s former pupil Downbytheseaside and Sweetest Emotion competes as a homebred for Diamond Creek Farm and drew some serious attention with a 1:50.1 mile on Aug. 19.
The filly’s time was more than a full second swifter than her nearest rival with a last quarter in :26.2. When she went to the top at the half-mile marker in :56.2 the other fillies were simply chasing her to the finish line.
This week Gala drew post position nine in a field of nine and is 5-2 on the morning line. Todd McCarthy will return to the sulky as the filly seeks to maintain her unblemished record and continue marching toward a berth in the $400,000 USD Championship Series Final for her age, sex and gait on Sept. 14.
“That will be it for her,” Brown said. “She is small and so they did not stake her too much. They thought she would just be an Ohio filly. After seeing that (meaning her performance last week) I wish she was staked to the Breeders Crown but it’s better for her to be done if we get into the final and bring her back next year.
“What she does have going for her is she has a big butt and strong shoulder. If she does grow over the winter, she could be very exciting.”
She is certainly bred to be scintillating, hailing from the family of millionaires Sweet Lou, Bettor Sweet and Captain Crunch. Gala has banked $31,107 from her two trips to the post but will endeavor to boost her account in the coming weeks.
The filly also has a fan who holds her near and dear to his heart.
"My grandson is nine," Brown said. "I bought a two-seated jog cart for him, and he's held the lines for her. She is his favourite horse, so we need to be at The Red Mile (Sunday) if she only has possibly two more races for the season."
It appears her main rivals will be Topville Lucky (PP1, Atlee Bender). The daughter of Sweet Lou-Warrawee Winx is trained by Erv Miller and is 7-2 on the morning line.
The filly won her debut in the first round of the Commonwealth Series last month, then was 10th in the second round of the Championship Series after breaking stride. She recovered with a lifetime best 1:50.2 score over favoured Bahama Momma in the same company last week.
Topville Lucky was bred by Jeremy Yoder and has earned $76,104.
She is owned by her trainer’s racing stable, Douglas Overhiser, Michael Ternisky and Scott Leaf.
Seaside Shuffle (Dexter Dunn) will leave from post position six and is 9-2 on the morning line for trainer Ron Burke. The daughter of Downbytheseaside-Hula Shuffle has been the third in the last two legs of this series but brings a 6-3-1-2 record into the event.
She captured her first three starts prior to traveling to Kentucky in Pennsylvania and Ohio while collecting $148,956 in purse money.
Seaside Shuffle was bred by William Walters and Joseph Patrick McLead. She is owned by her trainer’s racing stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services Inc., and R A S Racing.
The 12-race card will also include two $30,000 USD fourth round Kentucky Commonwealth Series contests, three $15,000 USD divisions of the Kentucky Golden Rod Series and two $10,000 USD divisions of the Kentucky Wildcat Series, all for freshman filly pacers.
Racing will continue through Sunday, Oct. 5, following a Sunday through Wednesday schedule. Fans and horsemen can look forward to 5:05 p.m. post times on Sundays, and 1 p.m. post times on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays throughout the meet.
The Red Mile will once again feature industry low takeout on the pari-mutuel side of things while offering fans a full buffet of wagering options including bookend daily double wagering exacta and trifecta wagering, 20 cent superfectas, Pick-3, Pick-4, Pick-5 and Pick-6 offerings and the Super Hi-5.
(The Red Mile)