Millar Farms and trainer Eric Adams did some serious cross-border winning on Sunday evening thanks to a career-best performance from Top Gear in the $300,000 K.Y.S.S. Final for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings at
the Red Mile.
Top Gear was treated to a dreamy trip in the two hole by driver Dave Magee, who rallied the homebred son of Real Desire-Trust Me Ashley to a one-length score over race favourite Rockincam in an eye-catching clocking of 1:50. Real Hero grabbed the show dough in the rich event.
A :26.3 final quarter sealed the deal for Top Gear, who was overlooked as a 10-1 outsider in the eight-horse affair. After going 2-for-5 as a freshman, Top Gear has put together a 4-6-1 sophomore record from 19 trips postward. The lion’s share of the purse more than doubled his overall bankroll, which now stands at $248,240.
Here’s a recap of what transpired in the other $300,000 K.Y.S.S. Finals:
Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
Joes Miss Daisy cruised to an eight-length win in a time of 1:54 for driver Dan Noble and trainer Johnson Hill, Jr. The Jennas Beach Boy-Ineverwearum miss, who was sent off as the 1-5 choice, easily defeated Hello Camie and Just A Glimpse.
The victory improved the homebred’s freshman record to 3-2-0 in five starts for owner/breeder Johnson Hill of Washington Township, OH and Brent Tartar of Franklin, MA. She has stashed away $175,000 to date.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts & Geldings
Beach Boy Tiger pulled off a 16-1 upset for driver Dave Palone, who went by way of Chicago to win with the Steve Carter-trained son of Jennas Beach Boy-Tigress Woods. Parked every step of the mile, the rookie brushed to the lead shortly past the three-quarter pole and drew off to win by a length over Camgrandest in 1:53.1. Visual Delight grabbed the bronze medal.
It was the juvenile’s fourth win in nine lifetime starts, and the lion’s share of the purse helped his earnings swell to $160,848. Peggy Carter, Robert Reid and Chuck Grubbs of Ohio share ownership on the gelding.
Two-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
Screaming Awsome extended her winning streak to three-in-a-row thanks to a winner effort in a career-best clocking of 1:58 for the team of driver Mike Lachance and owner/trainer Buck Sprinkle of Ocean Ridge, FL. The Like A Prayer-Twilight Time miss brushed to the lead at the three-quarter pole and drew off to win by 2-1/2 lengths over Louanda Dream. Adagio was a distant third.
Sent off as the 5-2 second choice in the wagering, the filly improved her record to 7-1-0 in nine starts while bumping her bankroll to $170,000.
Two-Year-Old Trotting Colts & Geldings
Audition pushed his winning streak to three-in-a-row thanks to his 1:56.3 triumph for co-owner/trainer Robert Taylor and driver Dave Magee. Sent off as the odds-on choice, the gelded son of Valley Victor-Hot Dog Mustard rallied from just off the pace to win in 1:56.3 – a lifetime best clocking for the youngster. It was 2-1/2 lengths back to runner-up Soulful Delight, with Pembroke Big Bo finishing a well-beaten third.
Taylor shares ownership on the homebred with Kevin Dixon of Lynchburg, TN and Taylor and Robert Rietveld of Bourbonnais, IL. The win was the trotter’s fourth score in seven trips postward, and the lion’s share of the purse boosted his cash stash to $174,331.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
Nannina went to the front and laid down splits of :28.2, :58.4 and 1:29.2 before turning on the jets and kicking home in :27.4 en route to a 1:57.1 victory for trainer/driver Brad Hanners. The heavily favoured daughter of Valley Victor-Nannina Ambrosio fended off runner-up Felicity Hall by three-quarters of a length. Celebrity Olympia was third.
After going just 1-for-11 as a rookie, Nannina is now 3-for-3 to kick off her sophomore campaign for owner Freida Ivory of Greenwood, DE. The filly has salted away $239,334 in lifetime earnings.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts & Geldings
Victors Future powered away to win by four lengths in a career-best clocking of 1:54.4 for the dynamic duo of driver Brian Sears and trainer Trond Smedshammer. Sent off as the 6-5 favourite, the son of Valley Victor-Baby Bella only needed a :29.1 final quarter kick to post the convincing score over Onmyagame and Defend The Rock.
Joe Muscara of Huntingdon Valley, PA holds the papers on the seven-time winner. The $150,000 payday gives the colt a bankroll that stands at $348,316.
Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
Bestofbothworlds gave driver Brian Sears his second stakes victory on the card thanks to her 1:50.4 tally. The Ronnie Burke-trained daughter of Cambest-Summers Soul, who matched her lifetime mark with the winning effort, rallied from just off the pace to win by a length over race favourite Best Boss. Flip Flop Summer rounded out the top three finishers.
Owned by Fred Woolford of Mount Brydges and Park Lane Stable of North York, ON, the filly improved her 2010 record to 5-3-1 in 13 starts with the win. Despite going winless in five starts as a rookie and banking a mere $2,720, the pacing lass now owns a cash stash of $202,690.