The second and final preliminary leg of Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) for three-year-olds highlighted the 15-race card Saturday night at The Red Mile, and with the predicted rains from the remnants of Hurricane Isaac failing to materialize, it left the famed clay oval lightning fast. Of the six KYSS contests that went postward, four winners set new lifetime marks.
Although he was one who didn't lower his career mark, Bolt The Duer capped off the night with a 1:49.1 victory in the lone $30,000 KYSS division for three-year-old colt pacers. Driver Mark MacDonald found himself parked until past the half after floating out of the gate from post six, but it mattered not as Bolt The Duer was much the best over his nine rivals, cruising to the wire three and a quarter lenghs ahead of runner-up Caviart Key, driven by Tyler Smith.
Bolt The Duer won the Adios final in a world-record 1:47.4 and has since added two KYSS wins heading into the $250,000 final on Sunday, Sept. 9, part of the $2 million Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Night at The Red Mile. Bolt The Duer's on-paper dominance on Saturday showed in the show pool as there was $47,265 wagered on him in a total pool of $50,346.
The winning son of Ponder is owned by the Como family's All Star Racing. Pete Foley trains Bolt The Duer, who increased his career earnings to $672,401 with the win.
Also racing in a single $30,000 heat were the three-year-old filly trotters and it was reigning KYSS champ Northern Miss Hall who followed up her first-round win with a 1:55.2 victory. Dan Noble was in the sulky as the daughter of Like A Prayer held off Gisela As and driver Frode Fladen by a half-length.
Johnson Hill Jr. trains Northern Miss Hall for owner Northern Lane Farm of
Grabill, Indiana. The win was her fourth in eight starts this year and ninth overall in 15 starts while increasing her career earnings to $204,520.
Fusion Man and Awsome Valley, both sons of Valley Victory, set lifetime marks in
capturing the two $15,000 KYSS splits for sophomore colt trotters. Tyler Smith drove both winners for his father, trainer Jeff Smith.
Fusion Man scored a 1:53 victory for owner Tdtrot LLC of Hallendale Beach, Florida, while Awsome Valley crossed the wire in 1:54.3 for owner Walter Fister of nearby Georgetown, Kentucky.
Shawnee Dancer, making her first start in the barn of trainer Ron Burke after being purchased following her first-round KYSS win, made it two in a row in the second of two KYSS divisions for three-year-old filly pacers as Kyle Bolon directed the daughter of Jate Lobell to a 1:51.4 victory. Bolon moved Shawnee Dancer from fifth to first down the backstretch and she never looked back en route to the three and three-quarter length win over runner-up Miss Lucy O and driver Dan Shetler.
Shawnee Dancer, who is now owned by the Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Howard Taylor, won her third straight on Saturday to bring her career earnings to $98,710.
Keene Angelic was a four and three-quarter length winner over Scootie Best Lou in the first KYSS split for sophomore filly pacers. Tyler Smith was in the sulky behind the daughter of Ponder as she won in 1:54.1. Keene Angelic is trained by K. Dean Glispie and owned by Doug Bartley and William and Elizabeth Keene.
(The Red Mile)