The third and final Kentucky Sire Stakes preliminaries for two-year-old trotters is set for Thursday night (Sept. 6) at the Red Mile. The last KYSS leg for two-year-old pacers is scheduled for Saturday night (Sept. 8).
Post time for each night will be at 7 p.m.
The $30,000 races will give the freshmen set a final chance to earn enough points to advance to the $2 million KYSS finals program on Sunday, September 16. The top 10 point earners in each division will race for a purse of $250,000 on the card that is the centrepiece of the new Fayette County Fair.
Super Schissel, who swept both his preliminaries for colt trotters, will aim for a sweep when he starts from Post 8 in the first of two KYSS divisions (Race 1) on Thursday night. Super Schissel will be sandwiched on the starting gate between fellow prelim winners Forecast and Dont Letem, the latter a stablemate of Super Schissel in the barn of trainer Jimmy Takter. Takter will drive Super Schissel while Yannick Gingras will be in the sulky behind Dont Letem, who early last month captured the $422,350 Peter Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
On the filly trotting side, Taylor Swiftly has been nothing but trouble for her rivals, as she swept her way to wins in the opening two KYSS rounds. She’ll start from Post 7 in the last of three divisions on Thursday night (Race 5) with Scott Zeron driving for trainer Domenico Cecere. Lindy Pearl, who was a 24-1 upset winner in Round Two with Zeron aboard for Cecere, will line up in Post 4 in the first division (Race 2) and will be joined by Post 7 starter French Cafe, the ‘Team Miller’ filly who won a round-one division.
On Saturday night, Captain Trevor, who is aiming for a KYSS sweep, and Cant Beach That, will line up side by side, respectively, in Posts 6 and 7 in the second of three pacing colt divisions (Race 3). Andy McCarthy drives the Tony Alagna-trained Captain Trevor, while Peter Wrenn directs the Nifty Norman-conditioned Cant Beach That.
Hurrikane Emperor, who recorded a first and second in the opening two KYSS rounds, will start from Post 5 in the first division (Race 1) with Daniel Dube driving for trainer John McDermott Jr. Blood Money and Magic Joe Lindy, who also have a first and second in the KYSS prelims, will square off in the third division (Race 5). McCarthy will drive the Takter-trained Blood Money from Post 2, with Dube in the sulky behind the Cecere-trained Magic Joe Lindy from Post 4.
Beautyonthebeach, who is eyeing a sweep of the KYSS for filly pacers, will start from Post 7 in the first of two divisions (Race 2) with McCarthy driving for trainer Gregg McNair. Round-two winner Edge Of Eternity will line up in Post 4 in that split for driver Cameron McCown and trainer Brian Brown.
With only a few exceptions, nearly all of the participants in the first two KYSS legs will be in action on Thursday and Saturday, but there are also a few newcomers. With 50 points rewarded for a victory, the ‘newbies’ still have a chance to earn a spot in the lucrative finals. The up-to-date point standings for each division can be viewed by clicking here.
The KYSS championship card on September 16 will have a first-race post time of 3 p.m. The Fayette County Fair will run from noon until 6 p.m. Admission is free and the fair will include food trucks, local craft breweries, bourbon tastings and an arts and crafts market.
Several music acts will play on two stages (one inside and one outside), with rising country star and Lexington native Walker Montgomery, Avery Crabtree and Conch Republic among the performers. The racing program will kick off with a horse parade of various breeds and the Harness Horse Youth Foundation will offer hands-on equine experience.
(Kentucky Sire Stakes)