Red Mile: Brown, Dunn seeking big payday in Kentucky Championships

A total of $3.4 million in purse money will be on the line making Sunday's Kentucky Championship Series finals the richest day in Red Mile history. Trainer Brian Brown is hoping that his standout 2-year-old pacing colt Confederate can win for the fourth straight time at the historic Lexington oval and capture the $400,000 championship in the last of 10 races on the afternoon program.

"I wish I had 10 like him in the barn," said Brown from his Delaware Fairgrounds home base. "Marcus Johansson [stable manager for Diamond Creek Farms] told me before they sent me the colt that I should take my time." Brown followed the program and the results have been incredible thus far.

"This colt knows what he's doing," said Brown. "You could see that in his very first start [July 28] at Hoosier Park where he came from the back and was charging home." That was Confederate's first start of the season and it more than set him up for his arrival in Kentucky. Still, with the conservative approach Brown didn't pit the son of Sweet Lou against the top competition and instead chose the Commonwealth division on August 7 for the first stakes start. Confederate was a dominant winner in 1:51 2/5 giving Brown and his team the confidence to move Confederate to the top tier of the Kentucky program.

On August 16 making just his third start Confederate sprinted off in 25 3/5, cracking the 1:50 barrier with a stunning 1:49 3/5 mile. Tim Tetrick put Confederate on the lead in his third start, an $80,000 leg on September 6, and the colt relaxed nicely and then flew home in 26 2/5 for his third win.

On Sunday Confederate landed post nine in the field of 10.

"I'm not happy with the draw," Brown said as expected. "I think he can overcome it."

Driver Dexter Dunn has a host of talented stock in multiple $400,000 finals and he chose Bamboozler (post 5) in that juvenile final.

"I really like him," Dunn said as to why he opted for the John Butenschoen-trained colt over Mamba (post 2). "He got away from me a little," continued Dunn in reference to an August 28 $80,000 contest where Bamboozler cut wicked fractions of 27 4/5, 54 1/5, 1:21 and was just nipped in a 1:49 2/5 mile finishing second by a nose.

Trainer Tony Alagna has three in this division with Kopi Luwak, a colt from the first crop of Stay Hungry, is the fastest this year with a 1:49 2/5 record. David Miller will drive him from post 7.

Dunn guides Fast As The Wind (post 4) in the $400,000 final for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters carded as race six.

"He's been racing well coming home in 26 in his last few starts," said Dunn of the Cantab Hall-sired colt that hasn't had much of a chance closing into strong final halves in all three preliminary legs.

Dunn will drive a pair of Walner-sired freshman in the $400,000 2-year-old finals for colt and filly trotters, landing post eight with Ari Ferrari J in the fourth race male division and post nine with Walner Payton in the eighth race final for fillies.

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Though winless this year Ari Ferrari J, a $620,000 yearling purchase from last year's Lexington Selected auction, has shown potential. "He's finished well in his last few trips for me but it's going to be tough on him from the outside," said Dunn.

The once-beaten Kilmister (post 1) is the likely favorite in the field for trainer Marcus Melander.

"There was nothing wrong with him," Melander said after the Chapter Seven-sired colt made a break behind the gate in the September 4 final preliminary leg. "The starting gate slowed down and sped up and he got a little confused. He's fine."

Dunn knows it's a tall order for Walner Payton in the freshman filly final. "She's been racing great," Dunn said. "It's a very tough field but she can leave the gate." A winner already as a 2-year-old in the $240,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final, Walner Payton has two seconds and two fourths in her four Red Mile stakes appearances.

Special Way, a homebred Walner filly from the Svanstedt stable, drew post 2 and is the likely betting choice following three straight stakes victories over the Red Mile surface.

Dunn is hopeful that the filly Selfie Queen will have a good day on Sunday in the third race 3-year-old filly trot. "She really likes this track," Dunn said of the Muscle Hill-sired lass that has wicked speed but at times can be difficult to steer. Selfie Queen (post 3) has won two of her three starts since arriving in Lexington, including a 1:51 1/5 personal best in an $80,000 leg on August 14. On Sunday she will likely be the favorite although the field does include Eternal Lee, a Southwind Frank-sired filly that upset her at odds of 17-1 when the two met on August 23 at The Red Mile. Eternal Lee (post 1) returns following a fifth-place finish behind Manon in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final at The Meadows (Sept. 3).

Caviart Camden is another colt Dunn has been driving that hasn't been able to crack the winner's circle while chasing the best 3-year-olds through wicked final quarters. "He's really raced well," said Dunn, who will steer Caviart Camden from post 2 in the fifth race. "I think he could get third or fourth in there."

The standouts I Did It Myway (post 4) and North America Cup winner Pebble Beach (post 3) figure to make it tougher on the Dunn-driven Caviart Camden in this division, with I Did It Myway currently riding a three-race win streak.

Twin B Joe Fresh hopes to complete the New York Sire Stakes-Kentucky championship sweep just eight days apart in the $400,000 final for juvenile pacing fillies (race 9). A winner on September 10 at Tioga Downs in 1:50 4/5, Twin B Joe Fresh landed post six for Sunday's final.

"I think the draw works well for her," Dunn said. "I was happy to be able to get her a trip in the New York final. With this race eight days away and her needing to ship I think it worked to her advantage."

Already a winner over The Red Mile surface this year in a season's best 1:48 4/5 clocking, Twin B Joe Fresh faces a field of nine rivals and is the 2-1 morning-line choice.

For Dunn the mount on Twin B Joe Fresh is a bit different from others in that he owns a piece of the filly with trainer Chris Ryder, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak.

"I own a piece of three horses right now," said Dunn. As to his previous ownership history: "I've had a lot of slow horses."

Twin B Joe Fresh has won five of seven starts this year heading into Sunday's championship. She'll face a solid group that includes Strong Poison, an Always B Miki-sired filly that has three wins in four preliminary legs and has a win and second in two matchups this year against Twin B Joe Fresh. Strong Poison drew post 4.

First post for The Red Mile's Sunday program is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.