On Monday, Sept. 9 at The Red Mile, Overpayment sprung the upset at odds of 45-1 in the $47,297 third leg of the Kentucky Sire Stakes for four-year-old male trotters, winning by a head. Railee Something outlasted Canterbury Hanover by a neck to score as the heavy favourite in the Kentucky Sire Stakes for four-year-old female trotters.
Bestfriend Volo (Marvin Luna) was widely backed by the public to collect his fourth consecutive victory and fifth from his last six starts, but a miscue behind the gate opened the door for an upset in this event.
Overpayment (Trevor Smith) went straight to the top from post position seven to set the first split of :28.3. That’s when second selection Drink Up Drink Up (Andy Miller) overtook his rival with a half-mile in :55.4 and three-quarters in 1:24.2. Overpayment was perfectly placed in second as Bestfriend Volo was last until the three-quarter pole prior to moving into sixth.
Turning for home, Drink Up Drink Up began to tire as Overpayment was loaded with trot. Bestfriend Volo, however, was far from done. The gelded son of Walner was third at the top of the stretch and was gaining on Overpayment with every stride. Despite a ferocious final panel that was nearly a full second swifter than the victor, Bestfriend Volo came up a head short. Drink Up Drink Up held for third in the 1:52.3 mile.
A son of Nuncio-Two Zuzim, Overpayment (pictured above) entered this race off a fifth-place finish in the second leg of this series behind Bestfriend Volo, but had captured two of his last three starts. Trained by Jeff Smith, Overpayment is now 46-11-8-8 for his career and has earned $190,178. He just established his lifetime mark of 1:51.4 on Aug. 2 at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
Overpayment provided $93.78 to his supporters.
Railee Something (Tyler Smith) fended off the advance of Canterbury Hanover (Tony Hall) to notch her second consecutive win and fourth in her last five starts in 1:53. Dellarose (Luna) was third.
The daughter of International Moni-Railee Priti wanted to be on the engine right from the beginning of the mile. Railee Something set fractions of :28.1, :56.2 and 1:24.4 with Canterbury Hanover right behind her in second. When Hall pulled his mare from the pocket in the drive to the line, Railee Something had enough left to deny her rival a trip to the winner’s circle.
Trained by Roger Cullipher, Railee Something was bred and is owned by Ronald Mersky. The mare increased her bankroll to $917,737 and her resume now stands at 40-16-13-4.
Railee Something offered $2.10 at the windows.
Racing continues Tuesday, Sept. 10 at The Red Mile with a first post of 1 p.m. as the facility gears up for the eight $400,000 USD Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series finals on Sunday, Sept. 15 with a first post of 5:05 p.m.
(The Red Mile)