Red Mile: Emmas Mystery CCL swiftest in Bluegrass Filly Trots

Emmas Mystery CCL bolted from a ground-saving trip to a lifetime-best 1:51 4/5 victory in the first of three divisions - a race sponsored by the Harness Horse Youth Foundation's 50th anniversary - of the $255,349 Grade 3 Bluegrass Stakes for sophomore trotting fillies on Saturday (Oct. 10) at The Red Mile.

Leaving from the pylon post, Emmas Mystery CCL eased into fifth while a three-wide battle ensued for the lead to a 28 1/5 first quarter. Leading Lady (Yannick Gingras) pushed from between horses to take the lead from Whatarace Hanover (Todd McCarthy) before Lauren's Chapter (Niko Karna) brushed from the three-wide path to the lead heading to a 55 2/5 half. Southwind Chaska (Tim Tetrick) began floating off the pylons from fourth moving for the final turn and flushed Whatarace Hanover, which prompted Gingras to pull Leading Lady from the pocket and left a gap for Emmas Mystery CCL to shoot through at the inside.

Leading Lady looped by Lauren's Chapter while Whatarace Hanover pressed first-over to three-quarters in 1:23 4/5, but Andy McCarthy found clearance to fan Emmas Mystery CCL from the cones to the center of the track straightening for home. Emmas Mystery CCL gathered strong momentum for the finish and swept by tiring Leading Lady late to win under wraps by 1 1/2 lengths. Whatarace Hanover grabbed second from Leading Lady and Southwind Chaska finished fourth.

Noel Daley trains Emmas Mystery CCL for owner Winning Key Inc. The filly by Muscle Hill - out of stakes-winning Donato Hanover mare Mistery Woman - won her second race from 11 starts this season and her sixth race from 20 starts in her career, good for $331,435 in earnings. She paid $15.14 to win.

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Pylon-starter Godusa (Jason Bartlett) cut the corner in a seven-wide charge to the finish to land the spoils in the second Bluegrass dash - sponsored by the Tactical Landing and Karl Syndicates - in a 1:54 1/5 mile.

Bartlett situated Godusa into third as Naked And Famous (Todd McCarthy) battled Sparks (Yannick Gingras) for the lead to a 28 3/5 first quarter. Sparks cleared command into the backstretch, but McCarthy swung Naked And Famous out of the pocket and slid back to the lead while the tempo remained steady to a 57 1/5 half.

Crossover (Dexter Dunn) launched an uncovered bid out of fifth to the far turn and ground forward as Sparks crept out of the pocket passing three-quarters in 1:25 2/5. The field swarmed Naked And Famous as she tired and drifted into the stretch, giving Bartlett racetrack to dart Godusa through and snatch the lead. Godusa held firmly in the stampede to the finish to win by a half-length over 38-1 shot All Time Trot S (Ake Svanstedt), who weaved from a ground-saving trip to take second. R Ro (Andy Miller) recovered from a break at the start to rally from last and widest on the track for third while Decreed (Tim Tetrick) found an opening through a wall of horses to take fourth.

"She's been racing well in Ohio all year and really raced well here in Kentucky," winning trainer Nancy Takter said after the race. "She's maybe just a step below the absolute best fillies, but she raced super in the Kentucky [Championship Series] final and she's definitely on the upswing."

A filly by Ready For Moni out of Trixton mare Behold The Dream, Godusa has now won three races from 12 starts this season and five races from 20 starts in her career, earning $269,242 for owners E Five Racing and John Fielding.

Kentucky Filly Futurity consolation winner Isabella Bi (Ake Svanstedt) returned for another Red Mile victory with a front-stepping 1:52 2/5 win in the final division of the Bluegrass, sponsored by the Greenshoe Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms.

Svanstedt sent Isabella Bi forward out of post seven and took control from Joyofmylife As (Tony Hall) heading for a 29 second first quarter. Isabella Bi accelerated in the backstretch to a 56 1/5 half and maintained her speed to three-quarters in 1:24 in progress to a snug 1 3/4 length victory. Joyofmylife As gave pursuit for second with Jailbird Jog (Anthony MacDonald) kicking from well-back for third and La Mancha (Dexter Dunn) sitting a pylon trip for fourth.

Isabella Bi competes for owners Ake Svanstedt, Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing, Little E LLC. and Mr. Lars Olsson. The filly by Tactical Landing, out of the Ready Cash mare Call Me Bi IT, has now won three races from 12 starts this season and four races from 19 starts in her career, earning $220,956. She paid $4.84 to win.

--press release (Red Mile)--