Red Mile: Asiago heads Kentucky Sire Stakes winners on Sunday evening

Asiago, the third-place finisher in the Hambletonian Oaks, with a decisive and dominant 1:52 winner in one of two $30,000 divisions of the first leg of the Kentucky Sire Stakes for 3-year-old filly trotters on Sunday evening at The Red Mile.

Driven by Jimmy Takter, Asiago brushed from fifth at the 28 2/5 opening quarter to the top passing the 56 3/5 half. She then coasted through three-quarters in 1:25 before sprinting home in 27 seconds while Takter sat motionless in the bike. Back Splash (Aaron Merriman) found room in the lane to get up for second, 7 1/2 lengths behind the winner, and there was a dead-heat for third between Refined (Tyler Smith) and Angry Eyes (Doug McNair).

Per Engblom trains Asiago, a daughter of Muscle Hill, for owners Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband, Al Libfeld, and Black Horse Racing. This was her sixth career win, and she has now earned $255,485. She was the 1-5 favorite and paid $2.40 to win.

The other split for the sophomore trotting fillies went to Strip It Down AS (Elliott Deaton) in 1:55. She sat in the pocket behind defending sire stakes champion Whispering Oaks (Takter) through fractions of 28 3/5, 58, and 1:27 1/5, angled out two-wide in the lane, and out-finished Lindy Pearl (Drew Monti), who was rallying after a second-over trip, to score by a length. French Cafe (Andy Miller) came in third.

Strip It Down AS is an Archangel filly trained by Anette Lorentzon for co-owner/breeder ACL Stuteri AB and co-owner Kjell Johansson. Strip It Down AS made her third appearance in the winner's circle, and she has now pocketed $57,864. She was a 10-1 offering and returned $23.00 to win.

Deaton and Lorentzon also connected in the first of two $30,000 sections of the opening round of the Kentucky Sire Stakes for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters as Shake N Bake tallied in 1:52 1/5.

Shake N Bake took back to sixth from post three and got pace to chase, with Seven Hills (Peter Wrenn) and then Guaranteed (Takter) putting up opening-half fractions of 28 2/5 and 55 3/5. The tempo remained quick in the third quarter as Guaranteed dueled with a first-over Sheer Muscle (Doug McNair) before that one rolled off-stride heading to the 1:23 2/5 three-quarters.

Deaton began to fan out with Shake N Bake late on the last turn, and he rallied strongly in the four path in the lane, mowing down the leaders and getting up to score by a head. Thunder (Aaron Merriman) finished well after a stalking trip for second, and Seven Hills was third.

A Manofmanymissions half-brother to double millionaire Maven, Shake N Bake is owned by Michael Soehnlen. Shake N Bake is now a three-time winner, and he has put away $185,707. He was dispatched at 4-1 and paid $10.60 to win.

In the other test for the male trotters, Chin Chin Hall (Peter Wrenn) followed the live cover of Zack's Got The W (Andy Miller) from second-over, went three-wide turning for home, took command, and kicked clear to win by 5 1/4 lengths in 1:52 2/5. Forecast, who moved to the lead past the 28 4/5 opening quarter, reached the half in 56 4/5, and battled with the first-up Zack's Got The W to the 1:25 three-quarters, wound up second, and Zack's Got The W held third.

Chin Chin Hall, a Cash Hall gelding and a three-quarter brother to Cantab Hall, is trained by Nifty Norman for owners Oldford Racing LLC. and David McDuffee. Chin Chin Hall now has a record of 4-2-2 from 11 attempts, and he has banked $244,680. He was the 1-5 public choice and returned $2.40 to win.