The second round of Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) for three-year-old trotters and pacers is set for Thursday night (Aug. 29) at the Red Mile. Six $30,000 KYSS races will open up the 13-race card which will kick off at 7 p.m. (EDT).
Race 1 is the lone division for male trotters, and the Jimmy Takter-trained stablemates Wolfgang and Tactical Landing will start from Post 1 and 2, respectively, in the 10-horse field.
Wolfgang, who won the Goodtimes final at Woodbine Mohawk Park and the Stanley Dancer Memorial at the Meadowlands Racetrack, bounced back from a disappointing off-the-board finish in his Hambletonian elimination to capture the first KYSS leg in 1:53.2 for driver Jordan Stratton. Stratton will be back behind the son of My MVP who has been listed as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line behind Tactical Landing, who is the 8-5 favourite.
Tactical Landing, with Takter in the sulky, made a break at the start of last week's KYSS heat, but after falling nearly two dozen lengths behind, caught the field and closed rapidly down the stretch to finish just four and a quarter lengths behind Wolfgang in third. The son of Muscle Hill, who was an $800,000 yearling purchase, has shown quick improvement this year, as he captured his Hambletonian elimination and then finished third in the $1 million final.
The single KYSS division for male pacers (Race 6) will house an 11-horse field. The Takter-trained (and driven) Grand Teton has drawn the trailing Post 11. Despite having overcome the far outside Post 10 in the opening round to score a 1:51 victory, and moving inside on Thursday, Grand Teton, a son of A Rocknroll Dance, has been listed as the 4-1 third choice.
Favoured at 2-1 from Post 4 is KYSS newcomer American History, a four-time winner this year including a 1:47 sizzler at the Meadowlands. Trained by Tony Alagna, the son of American Ideal is coming off of a second-place finish in the Empire Breeders Classic final at Tioga Downs. Andy McCarthy will drive American History, who also has a runner-up finish on his ledger from the Adios final at the Meadows.
The 5-2 second morning line choice is recent Carl Milstein Memorial (at Northfield Park) champ Thinkbig Dreambig, who will start from Post 6 for trainer Takter and driver Stratton. The son of Bettors Delight finished a half-length back of Grand Teton in second during the KYSS opener as the 1-9 betting favourite.
There will be two KYSS divisions for pacing fillies, and the second split (Race 4) is stacked as the ‘one-two’ finishers from each split last week have landed in this heat. Dance Blue, a most-impressive 1:50.2 winner during Leg One action, will start from Post 4 for driver McCarthy and trainer Nancy Johansson and has been assessed at morning-line odds of 7-5. Pure Paradise, who scored a first-leg win in 1:55, will start from Post 6 for driver David Miller and trainer Brian Brown, and has been pegged as the 3-1 second choice on the morning line.
Runners-up Neverforgetwhour and Band Stand will start from Post 2 and 5 with drivers Elliott Deaton and Matt Krueger, respectively.
The first division (Race 2) appears to be wide open, as Hurrikane Empress (Peter Wrenn, Post 2) and Sun Shines Bright (Stratton, Post 7), who were third and fourth, respectively, last time out to Dance Blue, the program favourites.
Three divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies last week have turned into a pair of 10-horse splits this time out. While first-leg winner Live Laugh Love will sit this round out, Urban Legend and Top Expectations, who captured the other two splits, will be looking to repeat.
Urban Legend, who was a 1:54.2 winner, has drawn Post 6 for the first division (Race 3), for driver Marcus Johansson and trainer Nancy Johansson. Despite the victory, Urban Legend is the 3-1 second choice early behind 2-1 morning line favourite Pat Matters, who closed fast to finish second to Live Laugh Love in the opening round. Pat Matters will be driven by Takter for trainer Paul Kelley.
Top Expectations, who was a 1:55.4 winner and is looking to defend her 2017 KYSS title, will start from Post 1 in the second division (Race 5). Stratton drives the 2-1 favorite for trainer Erv Miller.
The third and final KYSS prelims for two-year-old trotters is scheduled for Thursday, September 8, with the last leg for two-year-old pacers on Saturday, September 9. Leg Three for the three-year-old divisions will be contested on Sunday, September 9. The up-to-date point standings for each division can be viewed by clicking here.
The top-10 point-earners in each of the eight divisions will return for the $2 million KYSS championships on Sunday, September 16, with a special afternoon post time of 3 p.m. The eight $250,000 finals will be the centrepiece of the new Fayette County Fair, which will take place that day from noon to 6 p.m.
The fair will include food trucks, local craft breweries, bourbon tastings and an arts and crafts market. Also, several musical acts will play on two stages (one inside and one outside), with rising country star and Lexington native Walker Montgomery among the performers. The racing program will be kicked off with a horse parade of various breeds and the Harness Horse Youth Foundation will offer hands-on equine experience.
(Kentucky Sire Stakes)