Red Mile: Favorites blanked in Kentucky Commonwealth Series finals

The Red Mile hosted eight $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series finals on the Monday afternoon (Sept. 21) card, where no favorite found the winner's circle through the stakes action.

Hanna Hill opened the stakes when she overcame a five-pronged Marcus Melander contingent to deny the chalk and land a 1:53 2/5 victory - her fifth straight victory - in the final strides of the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series final for 2-year-old trotting fillies.

Leaving from the pylon post, driver Andy McCarthy settled Hanna Hill into sixth as stablemates A Tale Of Kemp (Marvin Luna) and Jot It Down (Dexter Dunn) pushed towards the front to a 27 3/5 first quarter. A Tale Of Kemp took control and strolled to the half in 56 1/5 as stablemate Agano (Mattias Melander) tipped out of fourth to race uncovered. Odds-on favorite and stablemate Sabia (Scott Zeron) angled outside to race second-over while McCarthy slid Hanna Hill into a third-over seat. A Tale Of Kemp wavered past three-quarters in 1:24 4/5 and gave way into the stretch while Sabia kicked off cover and Hanna Hill gathered momentum widest of all. Sabia hit the front inside the final eighth, but Hanna Hill glided over the top to snatch victory by a neck. Diana Hanover (Tim Tetrick) rallied from a ground-saving trip for third and Esther Rod (Corey Callahan) closed for fourth.

Petter Engblom trains Hanna Hill, a homebred Gimpanzee filly out of stakes-winning mare Caprice Hill, for owner Tom Hill. The filly now has five wins from seven starts and pushed her earnings to $97,880. She paid $8.58 to win.

Caillou Hanover rose from a ground-saving trip to split tiring rivals late and register the largest upset of the day when taking the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series final for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

Driver Atlee Bender floated Caillou Hanover forward into a seat third while Thiago Hanover (Yannick Gingras) hustled to lead the pack to a 26 4/5 first quarter. Thiago Hanover remained on the muscle up the backstretch to a 54 1/5 half and through the far turn as he faced a first-over challenge from Toby Ornot Toby (Tim Tetrick). Toby Ornot Toby stuck a nose in front past three-quarters in 1:21 4/5 but paced evenly for home alongside Thiago Hanover as the backfield fanned across the track. Louaville shot through a seam at the inside as did Door Dash (Andy McCarthy) to the pylons while Captain Apple (Dexter Dunn) swept off cover from second-over towards the front before veering in late. Through the scuffle, Bender brought Caillou Hanover towards the outside and knifed through traffic late to seize victory by a half-length. Door Dash took second with Captain Apple grabbing third and Louaville taking fourth.

Erv Miller trains Caillou Hanover, a Downbytheseaside-Charisma Hanover gelding, for owners Ervin Miller Stable Inc., Stepbystep Racing, Andray Farm and Lava Java Stable. Caillou Hanover won his fourth race from 14 starts this season and from 23 starts in his career, earning $175,150. He paid $31.60 to win.

Dexter Dunn swarmed off cover with longshot Dog Dare You past tiring rivals to upset in the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series final for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings in a 1:51 1/5 mile.

Crazygirlsburnsage (Josert Fonseca) grabbed the early lead before Totally Tyler (Yannick Gingras) brushed forward to take the lead through a 27 3/5 first quarter with Debonaire (Marvin Luna) following. Debonaire then slid to the top and promptly faced a rush from 2-5 favorite Night Agent (Andy McCarthy) as he shot up the rim to take the lead passing a 54 3/5 half. Dunn meanwhile pulled off the pylons from sixth and steadily advanced up the rim to catch cover as Crazygirlsburnsage angled back outside to challenge for the lead marching to three-quarters in 1:23. Crazygirlsburnsage tired in the stretch while Night Agent fought to hold command and Dog Dare You built steam off a covered trip. Dog Dare You thrusted to the lead and then held off a late rally from Totally Styler to win by a neck with Dunmire (Scott Zeron) closing from third-over for third. Night Agent held fourth.

Chris Ryder trains Dog Dare You, a Bulldog Hanover-Tessa Hanover gelding, for owners Robert Mondillo and Julie Nash. The gelding broke his maiden with the victory, which came in just the fifth start of his career, and has now earned $65,300. He paid $29.54 to win.

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Sister Girl Blues swooped up the rim through the last turn to get the jump on a closing pair of Erv Miller trainees and hold on for a 1:51 victory in the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series final for 2-year-old pacing fillies.

Driver Dexter Dunn floated forward with Sister Girl Blues from the pylon draw to secure a seat in fourth as Haven (Todd McCarthy) swooped down to take the lead from 3-5 favorite Baby Puppy (Atlee Bender) passing a 27 3/5 first quarter. Haven maintained her speed up the backstretch to a 55 2/5 half and through the last turn, where Dunn tipped off the pylons to push towards the leader. Sister Girl Blues slid by Haven after three-quarters in 1:23 1/5 and stayed game in the stretch to hold a head in front at the beam as Ryan Station (Marcus Miller) soared from third-over for second while Baby Puppy finished evenly between horses in third. Haven settled for fourth.

Chris Ryder trains and co-owns Sister Girl Blues, a Captaintreacherous-Warrawee Youknow filly, with partners FAC Racing LLC., Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing and Leblanc and Pryde Stables. The filly broke her maiden with the win, coming in just the seventh start of her career, and she has now earned $71,100. She paid $7.64 to win.

Naked And Famous ripped off a second-over trip and withstood a late lunge from 7-5 favorite Decreed to win the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series final for 3-year-old trotting fillies in a 1:52 3/5 mile.

After Degas (Yannick Gingras) brushed to the lead through a 27 4/5 first quarter, Chiquita Ba-beeman (David Miller) looped out of fourth and towards the lead heading for a 56 4/5 half all while Naked And Famous (Todd McCarthy) nestled onto a helmet on the outer tier behind first-up Che Bella (Joe Bongiorno). Che Bella ranged forward to match strides with Chiquita Ba-beeman by three-quarters in 1:24 2/5 but spun level for home while Naked And Famous and Decreed (Tim Tetrick) uncorked speed off cover. Naked And Famous fired towards the top with Decreed alongside in the final eighth and pestering relentlessly, but Naked And Famous held firmly to the finish for a nose win while Degas checked in third another four lengths behind. Serenity As (Dexter Dunn) kicked from near last for fourth.

Noel Daley trains Naked And Famous, a daughter of Six Pack-Sleep Tight My Luv, for owner CTC Stable. The filly won her third race from 12 starts this season and her seventh race from 24 starts in her career, banking $287,350. She paid $10.96 to win.

Neighver Punt vaulted off a helmet in the lane to clinch a 1:51 3/5 victory in the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series final for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

Planting into sixth through a 28 second first quarter, Neighver Punt (Scott Zeron) edged off the pylons in the backstretch to track Lindy Living (Dexter Dunn) as he chugged uncovered up the rim after leader Zidane Kemp (Joe Bongiorno). Zidane Kemp clocked a 56 second half and bore pressure from Lindy Living through the last turn and by three-quarters in 1:24 before retreating in the lane. Lindy Living lunged for the lead but succumbed to a pair of swift-closing bids late as Neighver Punt dashed off cover to win by a half-length. Untouchable As (Tony Hall), the 6-5 favorite, rallied from third-over for second while Lindy Living settled for third and Midwind Chimp (Mattias Melander) took fourth.

Marcus Melander trains Neighver Punt, a Bar Hopping-Twice Is Right colt purchased for $25,000 at the 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, for owner Courant Inc. The colt won his third race from 11 starts this season and his fourth race from 20 starts in his career, earning $241,485. He paid $15.26 to win.

Trainer Marcus Melander snagged another win when his trainee End Result led every step to score a 1:54 2/5 victory in the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series final for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

End Result (Dexter Dunn) eased out of post five to grab the lead from stablemate Offenbach (Scott Zeron) heading to a 28 second first quarter. Once on the point, End Result cruised to a 56 3/5 half and 1:26 three-quarters under minimal threat. He extended for home under snug lines by Dunn to stride over the line a two length winner with Capt Osborne (Tim Tetrick) emerging from a ground-saving trip for second. Offenbach gave chase in third while Kountry Win (Yannick Gingras), the 2-1 favorite, plateaued from a first-up push in the last turn to take fourth.

A Muscle Hill-Culmination colt, End Result has now won two races from seven starts and banked $85,700 for owners Mantorp LLC., Heights Stable, Joseph King and K. Kjellgren Livs Ab Inc. He paid $9.12 to win.

Tim Tetrick, who collected his 15,000th driving win in his first drive on the afternoon, notched win No. 15,001 in the last stake of the day when towering home with Gonebutnotforgottn to win the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series final for 3-year-old pacing fillies in a 1:50 3/5 mile.

Gonebutnotforgottn raced in sixth to a 28 second first quarter cut by Call Me Angelita (Joe Bongiorno) and stayed put as 6-5 chalk Sunny Station (Todd McCarthy) circled out of third to take the front approaching a 55 2/5 half. Tetrick soon tipped Gonebutnotforgottn off the pegs and cruised third-over around the far turn while She Stings (Yannick Gingras) pressed uncovered after Sunny Station to three-quarters in 1:23 1/5. Sunny Station spun gamely for home but fatigued from fights on all flanks entering the final eighth. Tetrick launched Gonebutnotforgottn to the center of the track in the lane and stormed to the line to put a neck in front of stubborn Sunny Station at the beam. Call Me Angelita chased through a seam at the inside for third and She Stings stayed on for fourth.

Anette Lorentzon trains Gonebutnotforgottn, a Captaintreacherous-Book Babe filly that she owns and bred. The filly won her second race from nine starts this season and her fourth race from 16 starts in her career, earning $166,876. She paid $21.22 to win.

Marcus Melander led all trainers on the day with a hat trick. Along with his pair of stakes wins, he won towards the end of the card when Love's Passion (Dexter Dunn) reeled in late leader Neck Beads to take an $8,300 conditioned trot in a 1:54 4/5 mile. She paid $3.62 to win.

Live harness racing at The Red Mile resumes on Tuesday (Sept. 22) with a 16-race card featuring eight $50,000 finals of the Kentucky Golden Rod Series for 2- and 3-year-olds. First-race post time is 1 p.m. (EDT).

For more information on the 2026 live harness racing season, visit The Red Mile website (https://www.redmileracing.com).

--press release (Red Mile)--