Ron Burke pupil Blue Diamond Eyes returned to The Red Mile with fury on Sunday, Sept. 12, scoring a 1:47.2 victory by open lengths in the single $40,000 Kentucky Championship Series division for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Driver Yannick Gingras sent Blue Diamond Eyes for the front heading to a :26.1 first quarter and cleared to command as the field rolled into the backstretch. The daughter of Captaintreacherous carried her speed to a :53.2 half and around the final turn to click three-quarters in 1:20.4. She then accelerated off the bend and opened three lengths on pocket-sitter High Minded, who gave futile pursuit as Thebeachiscalling made slight gains first-over. Blue Diamond Eyes continued to expand her lead to the finish, crossing the beam 7-1/4 lengths ahead of Thebeachiscalling in second. So Irresistible overtook High Minded late to claim third.
Owned by Thomas and Scott Dillon, Blue Diamond Eyes notched her fourth win from 12 starts this season and her ninth from 25 overall, pushing her earnings to $864,914. She paid $2.80 to win.
Goldies Legacy grabbed command from pylon-starter Komodo Beach around the first turn and kept the favourite at bay in the lone $40,000 Kentucky Championship Series split for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, winning in 1:50.4.
Also driven by Gingras, Goldies Legacy took the front into the backstretch off a :27.2 first quarter and snagged a breather to a :57.1 half. Gradually upping the tempo into the final turn to trip three-quarters in 1:25.3, Goldies Legacy had the momentum for the stretch sprint home to pace a :25.1 final quarter and slide 2-3/4 lengths ahead of Komodo Beach to the finish. Mad Man Hill rallied to take third from Exploit in a photo.
Co-owned by trainer Jeff Cullipher with Pollack Racing LLC, Goldies Legacy has won six of his 18 starts this season and eight from 28 overall while earning $146,985. The Always A Virgin gelding returned $5.20 to win.
Four More Years ($5.20) won the $20,000 Kentucky Commonwealth division for sophomore pacing colts and geldings with a backstretch brush to the top in progress to a 1:49.3 victory. Dexter Dunn sat in the sulky for trainer Nancy Takter and Diamond Creek Racing.
In Lou Of Money ($4.20) delivered as the favorite with a coast-to-coast score in the $20,000 Kentucky Commonwealth split for sophomore pacing fillies. Todd McCarthy steered the Robert Cleary trainee to a 1:49.4 victory under minimal pressure for owner Royal Wire Products Inc.
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 with a nine-race card on tap. Sunday’s Kentucky Championship divisions were the last of the series, which will go to final on Sunday, Sept. 19 with eight $250,000 contests for each division of developing Standardbreds on a day worth over $2 million in purses. The Kentucky Commonwealth Series finals follow the Championship card, with eight $50,000 events going on Monday, Sept. 20. First-race post time each race day at The Red Mile is 1 p.m. (EDT).
(With files from The Red Mile)