On Sunday (Sept. 18) The Red Mile will host eight Kentucky Championship finals worth $3.2 million for freshman and sophomore male and female trotters and pacers and two $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth series finals for three-year-old filly trotters and two-year-old male pacers. The total purse value of $3.4 million on the 10-race card is the most lucrative in the history of the Lexington oval and places the Bluegrass State at the top of the heap when it comes to available money in sire stakes programs.
There are storylines galore as the fields vie for Kentucky crowns, but what follows are some of the highlights of Sunday’s action.
Boudoir Hanover, I Did It Myway seek fourth consecutive victories in sophomore pacing finals
Boudoir Hanover and pilot Todd McCarthy will attempt to extend the filly’s three-race winning streak in the $400,000 final for three-year-old female pacers with all three coming in this series.
The daughter of Captaintreacherous -
Boudoir Hanover was bred by Riverview Breeding and Visionary Breeding. She is owned by Riverview Racing, Alagna Racing, Caviart Farms, D. Plouffe and S. Head.
Trained by Tony Alagna, Boudoir Hanover has now earned $526,649. Her record stands at 21-7-5-2.
I Did Myway will face North America Cup winner and defending Kentucky champion Pebble Beach in the $400,000 event for three-year-old male pacers. Pebble Beach won the first meeting between the two in the first leg of this series on Aug. 7, but I Did It Myway has now defeated his rival in the following three legs.
Andrew McCarthy and I Did It Myway will begin pacing from post position four in the field of eight. He is 5-2 on the morning line in the fifth race.
Trained by Alagna, the son of Captaintreacherous - Flyme To The Moon has now earned $383,708 from a record of 20-10-1-3.
The colt was bred by Joe Sbrocco and is owned by Country Club Acres, Sbrocco, Don Latore and Alagna and Fodera Racing.
Pebble Beach will be steered by the younger McCarthy brother and was assigned post position four. Trained by Noel Daley, the son of Downbytheseaside - Santa Rosa is 2-1 on the morning line.
Millionaire Pebble Beach has a record of 21-12-6-3. The colt was bred by Brittany Farms and is owned by Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, County Club Acres, Laexpressfoderadeovolente.
Eternal Lee, Rebuff headline finals for three-year-old trotters
Eternal Lee returns to Kentucky after a fifth-place effort behind Manon in the $253,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final on Sept. 3.
Trained by Chris Ryder, the daughter of Southwind Frank - Charity Hall captured the first and third legs of this series on Aug. 2 and Aug.23 but was fifth behind Kentucky champion Selfie Queen in the second leg on Aug. 14.
Eternal Lee was assigned post position one in the field of nine. She will be driven by Andy McCarthy and is 7-2 on the morning line in the third race.
The filly competes as a homebred for Murray Ferguson Jr. She has earned $266,798 and has a record of 16-5-3-2.
Defending Kentucky champion Double Deceiver must overcome a formidable rival in Rebuff in the contest for three-year-old male trotters.
Double Deceiver won the first two legs of this series on Aug. 8 and Aug. 16 but was sixth behind Rebuff on Aug. 28.
Trained by Carter Pinske, Double Deceiver will leave from post position two in the sixth race in the field of nine. David Miller will be holding lines behind the son of Cantab Hall - Sarcy, who is 3-1 on the morning line.
Double Deceiver has a record of 20-9-7-0 and has amassed $503,479 in purse money.
He was bred by Steve Stewart and Oakwood Farms and is owned by Pinske Stables and Makenna Pinske.
Rebuff and Tim Tetrick drew post position five and are 5-2 on the morning line. The son of Muscle Hill - Meucci Madness rebounded from a sixth-place finish in the Hambletonian on Aug. 6 in the third leg in this series on Aug. 28.
He was third in the fourth leg but was right there with Double Deceiver at the line on Sept. 11.
Trained by Lucas Wallin, Rebuff is the defending division champion and equaled the track record for his age, gait and gender on July 16 at The Meadowlands when he captured a $125,000 division of the Stanley Dancer.
Bred by Steve Stewart and Michael Andrew, Rebuff is owned by Kjell Magne Andersen, his trainer and Peter Delis.
The colt has a record of 17-8-8-2 and has earned $633,270.
Special Way, Kilmister lead the way in finals for freshman trotters
Special Way and her driver/trainer Ake Svanstedt will leave from post position two and are 5-2 on the morning line in the event for female freshman trotters. The field consists of nine fillies and is the eighth race on the card.
The daughter of Walner - Special Hill has won all three legs of this series she has been entered in and has a record of 5-3-1.
Special Way competes as a homebred for Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, and Al Libfield. She has earned $125,975.
Kilmister and Brian Sears will begin trotting from post position one in a field of nine two-year-old male trotters in race four.
Kilmister suffered the first loss of his career in the fourth leg of this series on Sept. 4. The son of Chapter Seven - Proviso was a perfect five-for-five with one of those wins being the $337,000 Peter Haughton Memorial on Aug. 6.
In his last start, Kilmister broke stride as the heavy favourite behind the gate and was never a factor but should return to his ‘A’ game on Sunday.
Trained by Marcus Melander, Kilmister was bred by Moni Market Breeders and was purchased for $170,000 at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale by Courant Inc.
He has earned $249,035 from his six pari-mutuel trips.
Twin B Joe Fresh, Confederate seek championship glory in pacing finals for two-year-olds
Recently crowned a champion in New York by virtue of her triumph in the $200,000 sire stakes final on Sept. 10, Twin B Joe Fresh will leave from post position six in the field of 10 freshman pacing fillies. She is 2-1 on the morning line in the ninth race and will have the services of Dexter Dunn, who also co-owns her, in the bike.
Trained by Ryder, Twin B Joe Fresh was second to Strong Poison, who is also in this field, in her first appearance in sire stakes action on Aug. 2. It was the first time in her career she had tasted defeat after reeling off three consecutive wins in the Empire State.
The daughter of Roll With Joe - Fresh Breeze rebounded with a near world record performance (1:48.4) over Strong Poison in the next leg on Aug. 14. She was then second in a New York sire stakes leg on Aug. 27 before capturing the final.
Bred by Brittany Farms, Twin B Joe Fresh was a $65,000 purchase by her trainer, driver, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
The filly has a record of 7-5-2-0 and has banked $264,412.
Confederate made his first appearance in the sire stakes in the Commonwealth series on Aug. 7 a winning one. In fact, he broke his maiden as he was third in his career bow at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
The son of Sweet Lou - Geothermal has won both of his Championship series legs in and enters the final on a three-race winning streak.
Trained by Brian Brown, Confederate will leave from post position nine in the field of 10. Tim Tetrick will be in the sulky and the colt is 9-5 on the morning line in the 10th race.
Confederate competes as a homebred for Diamond Creek Farm. He has earned $96,200 in purse money from a record of 4-3-0-1.
More Than Ever, Combustion attempt to remain perfect in Commonwealth series action
More Than Ever enters her $100,000 Commonwealth series final for sophomore filly trotters seeking to make it a clean sweep. The daughter of Father Patrick - Anywhere With You will leave from post position two with Dunn at the controls for Alagna.
More Than Ever is 8-5 in the field of seven which is the second race on the card.
The filly was bred by Brittany Farms and is owned by her breeder in conjunction with Riverview Racing.
Combustion places his perfect record on the line in the $100,000 Commonwealth series final for male freshman pacers. The son of Captaintreacherous - Acquavella will be steered by Todd McCarthy and is 7-5 on the morning line in the field of five, which is the seventh race.
Sold under the name Captain Picasso, Combustion was a $260,000 yearling at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
The colt was bred by Brittany Farms and is owned by Diamond Creek Racing, Thomas Dillon, Scott Dillon and Cooper Silva Stables.
Combustion has earned $51,500 and is 4-4-0-0. He is trained by Brett Pelling.
The Red Mile will also offer a $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 (races six through nine) in conjunction with the U.S. Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering program.
Sire stakes action continues Monday (Sept. 19) with six $100,000 Commonwealth series finals for freshman and sophomore female and male trotters and pacers.
On Tuesday (Sept. 20) The Red Mile will host eight $50,000 Golden Rod series for freshman and sophomore female and male trotters and pacers.
First post is 1 p.m.
(The Red Mile)