Three-year-old filly pacers and male trotters took their turn in the Kentucky Championship Series spotlight on Monday at The Red Mile, with Miki And Minnie and Go Dog Go getting the job done in their respective $80,000 contests.
Miki And Minnie (Dexter Dunn) took the lead past the 28 1/5 quarter in the filly pace, and after a 56 2/5 half and a 1:24 2/5 three-quarters, she sprinted home in 25 3/5 while under a tight hold to win by a measured three-quarters of a length in 1:50. Early leader Looksgoodinloulou (Yannick Gingras) was second and Champagne Room (Andy McCarthy) got up for third.
A Chris Ryder-trained Always B Miki homebred for Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo and Lawrence Minowitz, Miki And Minnie has a summary of 15-5-1 from 21 starts, has earned $1,394,177 and paid $2.10 to win.
The complexion of the colt and gelding trot changed shortly after the start when MGM Yonkers Trot and Beal champion Super Chapter (Dunn) made a break. With Super Chapter no longer in contention, Go Dog Go (Todd McCarthy) took the lead from the pole position, put up fractions of 28 3/5, 58 3/5 and 1:27 1/5 and blasted home in 26 1/5 to tally by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:53 2/5. Gimpanzee Dancer (A. McCarthy) was next, followed by Te Quiero Lindy (Andy Miller).
Carter Pinske trains Go Dog Go, a Greenshoe colt, for co-owner/breeder Wiesman Farms LLC. and co-owner Al Libfeld. He now has six wins, two seconds and three thirds from 16 trips behind the gate, has put away $470,218 and returned $7.34 to win.
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Found, an Always B Miki half-sister to 2023 Horse of the Year Confederate, won the lone $30,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series clash for pacing fillies in 1:51 4/5 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Brett Pelling and owner/breeder Diamond Creek.
Taipan As, a Walner homebred gelding for Acl Stuteri Ab, took his Kentucky Commonwealth Series split for the male trotters from second-over in 1:52 3/5 for driver Tony Hall and trainer Anette Lorentzon, while Herecomesdajudge, a Muscle Hill colt bred by Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz, led throughout in a 1:52 1/5 victory for co-owner/driver Andy Miller, trainer Julie Miller and co-owners T L P Stable, Caroll Huffman and Patrick Hoopes in his section. Taipan As paid $16.58 to win while Herecomesdajudge returned $20.10.
Driver Andy McCarthy swept the $15,000 Kentucky Golden Rod Series dashes for filly pacers with:
--Duchess Deo (by Papi Rob Hanover and bred by Deo Volente Farms, Riverview Breeding and Steve Wienick Racing, paid $30.18 to win) in 1:51 for trainer Marna Shehan and owners Jack Darling Stables and Brad Grant;
--Baret (by Bettor's Delight and bred by Brittany Farms, paid $12.10 to win) in 1:50 for trainer Brett Pelling and owner Diamond Creek Racing.
The colt and gelding trotters were split into two Kentucky Golden Rod Series flights, and those races were taken by:
--Whiskey Wow (by Crazy Wow and bred by Crawford Farms, paid $4.40 to win) in 1:52 1/5 for driver David Miller and owner/trainer Burlin Brower;
--Grande Via (by Muscle Hill and bred by Steve Stewart and Timot Stable Inc., paid $16.52 to win) in 1:52 1/5 for driver Yannick Gingras, co-owner/trainer Andrew Harris and co-owners William Pollock and Bruce Areman.