The Red Mile begins its Sunday-Monday-Tuesday week with an octet of stakes events on Sunday, Sept. 10 highlighted by a pair of $80,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series events.
Three-year-old pacing fillies are featured in the fourth leg of this Championship Series and a budding rivalry between Twin B Joe Fresh, Strong Poison and Charleston are the headliners in this very talented sextet.
Twin B Joe Fresh, who has a chance to eclipse the million dollar mark in earnings with a win, has $979,439 in career bounty coming into the action and is the narrow 9-5 favourite on the morning line on the strength of a four-race winning skein, including a lifetime best 1:48.2 performance over The Red Mile on August 8.
Since then, she’s traveled to the Poconos to win the $250,000 Lynch Memorial in 1:49.4 and then on to New York where she won the $107,000 Empire Breeders Classic at Tioga Downs in 1:51.3 highlighted by a final panel in a scintillating :25.4.
Twin B Joe Fresh is trained by Chris Ryder, who co-owns with Peter Trebotica, Barry Spak, and Dexter Dunn, who will be in the sulky on Sunday. And will leave from post two.
Strong Poison comes off a splendid 1:50 winning effort in her last start and has earned $605,992 to go along with a 1:48 mark at Hoosier Park in the $115,000 Nadia Lobell.
Owned by Burke Racing along with J and T Silva Stables LLC, Knox Services and Beasty LLC, this filly is trained by Ron Burke with her most recent win featuring a final half in :53.2 and last quarter in :25.3.
Yannick Gingras will be in her sulky from post one as the 5-2 second choice in the morning line.
Charleston, a $683,289 winner in her own right, has been chasing both Twin B Joe Fresh and Strong Poison in her last two starts and paced her last quarter in a thoroughbred-like 25 seconds, missing by just a half length.
Brett Pelling trains for the Diamond Creek Racing and has, once again, engaged Tim Tetrick to handle her lines and is 3-1 on the line from post position three.
Cultured, Zanatta and Duchenne complete this exceptionally talented field.
Sophomore trotting colts and geldings will be in the limelight in the companion $80,000 KYSS Championship Series with Hambletonian winner Tactical Approach designated as the 5-2 morning line favourite, despite having drawn the outside post intros talented septet.
Trained by Nancy Takter for Robert Leblanc, John Fielding, Joe Sbrocco and JAF Racing, Tactical Approach has banked $641,489 this semester to go along with a 1:50.3 mark, registered in the Hambletonian.
In his last start, Tactical Approach was gunned down in the final stages of a 1:50 mile, losing to French Wine by a half length. French Wine is not entered this time around so Ari Ferrari J is listed as co-second choice at 7-2.
Ari Ferrari J has four wins this year for trainer Tony Alagna, who conditions for owner Kenneth Jacobs, but is winless at The Red Mile thus far with a pair of second and a fourth in his last start after cutting much of the mile.
Dexter Dunn has the driving assignment from post one
Also listed at 7-2 is Khaosan Road trained by Ake Svanstedt for Knuttson Trotting, Inc. and Little E LLC.
Coming into the action with a 3-2-3 scorecard in nine starts, Khaosan Road cut the mustard in his last start in the PASS Championship Final before succumbing to French Wine late.
After a so-so two-year-old season earning $12,810, Khaosan Road has bounty of $258,746 this year and a mark of 1:52.1f.
Kilmister, Buckhead Ridge, Brodeur and Point Of Perfect round out the field.
Post time is 1 p.m. with a huge betting buffet available for all members and guests of the “Send It In Army.”
Low takeouts on exotic wagers and a $10,000 guaranteed pool on the Pick-4, with a 12% takeout, highlight the Sunday action.
Free program pages are also available at redmileracing.com.
(The Red Mile)