The Red Mile will host the finals of the Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship events on Sunday, Sept. 17 with a blockbuster 10-race program featuring $3.4 million in purse money, including eight $400,000 finals bookended by a pair of $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series finals.
Highlighting the program will be the fastest Standardbred in all of racing this season, Confederate, who comes into his event for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings with a five-race winning streak — his last win at The Red Mile in 1:46.1.
Brett Pelling trains the Sweet Lou colt for Diamond Creek Racing and looks to add to his lifetime earnings of $1.43 million coming into the action and, once again, will have Tim Tetrick in his sulky.
Confederate has tasted defeat only one time in his eight starts this semester and, while nothing is guaranteed in racing, the only horse to pin defeat on Confederate, Its My Show, has decided to skip this encounter and, instead, is headed to Delaware, Ohio for the Little Brown Jug.
On the other side of the ledger for sophomore pacing fillies, Twin B Joe Fresh, Strong Poison and Charleston will renew their budding rivalry as these three were only separated by three-quarters of a length with Twin B Joe Fresh emerging victorious after pacing a final quarter in a “Thoroughbred like” :24.3.
Twin B Joe Fresh, trained by Chris Ryder, who co-owns with Pete Trebotica, Barry Soak and Dexter Dunn, will have Dunn back in the bike.
Strong Poison has been a consistent threat since arriving in Lexington and does show one win and three seconds in her four starts here. She, too, paced a final quarter under :25 to finish a very sharp closing second. Trained by Ron Burke for the Burke Stable, Silva Stables, Knox Services and Beasty LLC, Strong Poison will have Yannick Gingras handling the lines in the $400,000 event.
Charleston cut the mustard in her last start and paced her last half in :52.4 but was out sprinted in the final stages through her own final quarter of :25.2. Brett Pelling trains for Diamond Creek Racing.
Always B Naughty, Zanatta, Lets Misbehave and Cultured round out a very strong and balanced field.
Hambletonian winner Tactical Approach heads a stellar field in the KYSS Championship for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
The Nancy Takter trainee, owned by Robert Leblanc, John Fielding, Joe Sbrocco and JAF Racing, has made three starts in KYSS competition with two wins and had a rebound win in his last start, using a :26.1 finale to score in 1:51.2. His only defeat came two starts ago when French Wine nailed Tactical Approach in the final stages of a 1:50 mile. Scott Zeron will be back in the sulky looking to add to current lifetime bounty of $717,989 — $681,489 this semester.
French Wine, by the way, after his 1:50 lifetime best win, travelled up to Philadelphia and won the $252,000 PASS Championship and comes into this event looking to extend his current winning streak to three. Julie Miller trains and Andy Miller will be in the bike to pad the colt’s current bankroll of $687,468 for the Andy Miller Stable, Daniel Plouffe, Jean Christophe Plouffe and One Legend Stable.
The very consistent Ari Ferrari J, trained by Tony Alagna for Kenneth Jacobs, has been “second right there” in three of his four starts at The Red Mile and will have Dexter Dunn in the pilot seat.
Special Way heads the field in the KYSS Championship for three-year-old trotting fillies and looks to remain undefeated this year going after her fifth straight victory. After winning the $240,000 NJSS Final at The Meadowlands on June 2, Special Way only had a qualifier at Pocono Downs and one start at The Red Mile and was a determined winner in 1:51.2 — a lifetime best. Trainer Ake Svanstedt will take the lines once again, as he has done all season for Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld.
Mommamia Volo, Walner Payton and Mambacita were all in the photo finish with Special Way last start and all are in the Championship on Sunday.
Allegiant heads a talented sextet in the $400,000 KYSS final for two-year-old trotting fillies on the strength of a 5-1-0 scorecard in eight starts to go along with a 1:52.2 lifetime best performance in her latest appearance. Trained by Vernon Beachy for Ryan Smith, the daughter of Tactical Landing will be handled by Scott Zeron and looks to more than double her current earnings of $183,400.
Date Night Hanover and Dolce Amara have also shown up in the winner’s circle during the KYSS events and Volcanic Blue Chip has been knocking at the door with three second place finishes in her most recent trio of starts.
The so-far invincible Geocentric heads the field in two-year-old filly pace and comes into the competition with a perfect six-for-six record to go along with a mark of 1:49.4. A Brian Brown trainee, owned by Milt Lehman, Alan Keith, James Stambaugh and Joe Sirocco, Geocentric easily swept her three starts at The Red Mile but got a bit of a scare when she just held safe in the $252,000 PASS final at Pocono. Tim Tetrick will handle the driving chores.
The lightly raced Karl heads a field of 10 in the Championship for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings, coming into the action with a perfect three-for-three scorecard coupled with a mark of 1:52.1 two starts back. This colt has shown versatility with multiple brushing ability and will, once again, have the driving services of Yannick Gingras for trainer Nancy Takter, who co-owns with Christina Takter, Black Horse Racing, Crawford Farms Racing and Bender Sweden.
Other winners in this class have been Longfellow S and Duke Of Walner with Longfellow interrupting Duke of Walner before Karl came on the scene.
The Championship for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings has become a wide-open affair as Better Is Nice, who won the $240,000 NJSS final at The Meadowlands and then came to The Red Mile and won two straight, succumbed to Dancing Champion in their last race.
Better Is Nice, with a 4-1-1 chart in six starts, has banked $238,600 for trainer Tony Alagna, who conditions for Alagna Racing, Pryde Stables and Birnam Wood Farm.
Andrew McCarthy will be in the sulky while Dancing Champion, trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing, Knox Services, Weaver Bruscemi and the Silva Stables, broke his maiden just last start with a 1:51.2 effort. David Miller will do the driving, as he did last start for the first time.
In the “better for the bettor” department, a 20-cent Pick-8 with a $10,000 guaranteed pool will be offered beginning with race two and a Pick-4 with a $10,000 guaranteed pool and 12 per cent takeout will start on race six.
Several other exotic wagers with low takeouts will be offered throughout the Championship program and famed Thoroughbred announcer Pete Aiello and harness racing’s Hall of Fame “encyclopedia” Bob ”Hollywood” Heyden will join the festivities.
Post time is 1 p.m. with free program pages available here, courtesy The Red Mile's website.