The annual Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) Championship Night, featuring eight $175,000 finals for two and three-year-old trotters and pacers, is set for Sunday, August 30 at the Red Mile.
The night is a great opportunity for fans in the Bluegrass State to see the ‘new’ Red Mile, which has been undergoing renovations which include a newly-remodeled simulcasting area and a soon-to-open area for 906 historical racing machines.
All four KYSS two-year-old champions will be on the track in their respective finals on Sunday night in hopes of repeating.
Although the 2014 Two-Year-Old Colt Trot champ Cinnabar Hall was winless in 10 starts heading into this year’s KYSS action, the son of Groton Hall has swept his two preliminaries and he is now the odds-on favourite to repeat. Reigning filly trot champ Armatrading scored a career-best 1:55.4 victory in Round 2 of the KYSS and she hopes to defend her title.
Cielle, who won last year’s Two-Year-Old Filly Pace final, is still searching for her first win in 2015, but the daughter of Third Straight has a second and third in the KYSS prelims. The one to beat in the final for three-year-old filly pacers is Twilight Princess, who has swept her way into the final and has the continent’s leading dash-winning driver, Aaron Merriman, in the sulky.
Merriman will also drive defending colt champion Bestbestraight in the final for three-year-old pacers. The son of Third Straight posted a win and a fourth in the opening two legs. Formidable competition should come the way of Tail Gunner Hall, who has six wins and four seconds from 10 starts this year. Also a son of Third Straight, Tail Gunner Hall scored a career-best 1:52 win in a Kentucky Fair contest earlier this month at the Red Mile, and he comes into the KYSS final off a 1:53.2 win in the second KYSS round.
In the two-year-old finals, prelim winners Cavalcade Hall and Barryscourt will meet up in the colt trot, as will Kentucky Hall and Abbieville in the filly trot. Filly pace prelim winners Lakeisha Hall and Bellatricks will square off in the filly pace, while Cracker Cam, who swept his way in the opening rounds for freshman male pacers, is heavily favoured in the final.
Nearly 200 televisions have been added to the renovated wagering and simulcasting area, with Standardbred, Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred signals available. The area includes added wagering windows and self-serve units. Also, new, appetizing food service options are available.
Two guaranteed Pick 4 pools will be available for wagering. There will be a $10,000 guaranteed Pick 4 on Races 7-10, with a $7,500 guaranteed Pick 4 on Races 11-15. If there are no winning tickets on the first Pick 4, there will be a carryover into the second Pick 4.
Post time for the first race is 7 p.m. Admission and parking is free.
(Red Mile)