Red Mile: A "great eight" for Women Layer in Kentucky Sire Stakes

Women Layer improved to eight-for-eight in 2025 with a career-best 1:49 win for Todd McCarthy and Virgil Morgan Jr. in a $35,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes contest for 4-year-old male pacers on Monday afternoon at The Red Mile. Peace Talks won the companion event for 4-year-old pacing mares.

McCarthy and Women Layer yielded to sit in the pocket behind fellow Morgan Jr. trainee Lou Hill (Dexter Dunn) past the 27 1/5 quarter. After he seized command, Lou Hill went to the half in 54 4/5 and the three-quarters in 1:23 1/5 with Women Layer off the pylons at the latter marker.

In the lane Women Layer went by Lou Hill, and although Lou Hill fought back, he couldn't re-rally past Women Layer, coming up half a length short at the wire. Bet On Big Joe (Geremy Bobbitt) finished third.

A Sweet Lou gelding bred by Carl Howard, Women Layer is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc., Douglas Overhiser, Jeff Fought Racing and Larry Wills. He has a summary of 20-5-2 from 29 career starts, has now earned $653,579 and paid $2.20 to win.

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Bath Bomb (Andy McCarthy), coming off wins in both finals for the group at Oak Grove, worked her way to the top around Peace Talks (Dunn) nearing the 27 3/5 quarter in the dash for the mares and then went on to the half in 56 1/5 and the three-quarters in 1:23 3/5.

Dunn wheeled Peace Talks to the outside in the lane, and Bath Bomb was unable to fend off the challenge today, as Peace Talks went right by and on to a 2 1/2 length victory in life's-best 1:49 3/5. Bath Bomb held second over Capytreach (Andy Miller).

Chris Ryder trains Peace Talks, a daughter of American Ideal, for owners Henderson Farms, Fac Racing LLC. and Robert Mondillo. Bred by Donald Robinson, Michael Robinson, Steve Stewart and James Daut, Peace Talks now has five wins, ten seconds and 11 thirds from 40 lifetime tries, has banked $536,429 and returned $9.64 to win.