Red Mile: Fast miles in Monday's Kentucky Championship Series

Woman Of Passion and Better Is Nice got the job done in $80,000 Kentucky Championship Series action on Monday afternoon at The Red Mile.

Racing in the tilt for 3-year-old trotting fillies, Woman Of Passion (Todd McCarthy) tracked Allegiant (Scott Zeron) through fractions of 28 1/5, 55 3/5 and 1:23 1/5, then wheeled to the outside before the top of the lane. Woman Of Passion would brush past Allegiant in the upper part of the stretch and went on to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:50 1/5, defeating 1-9 favorite Date Night Hanover (Dexter Dunn), who closed in 26 2/5 from fourth. Spy Coast (Yannick Gingras) advanced from fifth to third in the last quarter.

That time of 1:50 1/5 was just two-fifths of a second off the world record and made Woman Of Passion the fastest 3-year-old filly trotter this year.

A daughter of Walner, Woman Of Passion was bred by Al Libfeld and Marvin Katz and is owned by Libfeld. She has a summary of 8-3-2 from 19 outings, has banked $220,849 and paid $25.32 to win as an 11-1 shot.

Better Is Nice was fourth at the 27 second quarter and 54 second half in the division for sophomore male pacers, but Andy McCarthy put him in motion on the last turn, and he sprinted right by a spent leader in Dancin Champion (David Miller). Better Is Nice opened up by six lengths at the 1:21 1/5 three-quarters, and his 27 2/5 final kicker was enough to hold off closing bids by a traffic-troubled Women Layer (T. McCarthy) and Nuclear (Dunn), who dead-heated for second while three-quarters of a length back of Better Is Nice in the 1:48 3/5 career-best effort.

Alagna Racing LLC. and Marvin Katz bred Better Is Nice, a Bettor's Wish gelding, and now Alagna Racing LLC., Pryde Stables Inc. and Birnam Wood Farms own the Tony Alagna trainee. Better Is Nice is a ten-time victor from 23 appearances, has put away $724,183 and returned $18.44 to win as an 8-1 offering.

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Drawing Rights, by International Moni and bred by owner Murray Ferguson Jr., rallied to take the one $30,000 Commonwealth Series flight for sophomore filly trotters in 1:52 3/5 for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Chris Ryder. Sent off at 6-1, she returned $15.22 to win.

Swaggy Cal, a Rockin Image gelding, won the single Commonwealth Series dash for 3-year-old male pacers from the pocket in 1:52 3/5 for driver Marvin Luna, trainer Todd Luther and owner Greg Luther Racing LLC. It was a non-wagering contest.

There were a trio of $15,000 Golden Rod Series showdown for 3-year-old filly trotters during the card, and they were taken by Dolce Amara (by Muscle Hill, bred by co-owner Kjell Andersen, paid $2.60 to win) in 1:53 1/5 for driver Scott Zeron, trainer Lucas Wallin and co-owner Marvin Katz, Ged Ged Yah (by Googoo Gaagaa, bred by co-owner Peninsula Farm Inc., paid $10.94 to win) in 1:53 2/5 for driver Andy Miller, trainer Julie Miller and co-owner Paul Sunderhaus and Justasiam As (by Lionhunter and bred by owner Acl Stuteri Ab, paid $7.18 to win) in 1:53 2/5 for driver Tony Hall and trainer Anette Lorentzon.

Lou Hill, a Sweet Lou gelding piloted by Dexter Dunn for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and owner/breeder Tom Hill, was a 1:51 1/5 winner in the sole non-wagering Golden Rod Series test for 3-year-old male pacers.