Red Mile: Hambo finalists lead second round Of Kentucky Championship

Tuesday's (Aug. 17) Kentucky Championship action draws the trotting sophomores to The Red Mile for their second round of the series, with several horses shipping west after competing in the Hambletonian and the Hambletonian Oaks.

Colts and geldings open the card with a duo of Hambletonian finalists -- winter-book favorite Venerate and Really Fast, who went unraced as a 2-year-old and qualified for the August classic. Andy Miller guides Venerate, one of three colts in the race sired by Love You, from post 3 for trainer Julie Miller while Dexter Dunn scores Really Fast from post 5 for trainer Nancy Takter.

The lone dash for the trotting colts and geldings also includes Dancinginthedark M, who supplied ample speed in the $50,000 Muscle Hill and fought strongly in the sprint to the finish before breaking stride to Jujubee in a 1:49 4/5 mile at The Meadowlands. Tim Tetrick is listed to drive the Marcus Melander-trained son of Readly Express from post 4. First-round winner Kildare King and the Anette Lorentzon pair of Tangled Love and Rattle My Cage complete the field.

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A field of seven aligns to close the Early Daily Double with the single Kentucky Championship dash for the sophomore trotting fillies. This field attracts three exiting the Hambletonian Oaks: elimination winners Awesome Trix and Lady Chaos as well as Piper Hanover, who won a $49,550 division of the Reynolds Memorial in July. Aaron Merriman drives Awesome Trix from post 1 for his trainer and co-owner Chris Beaver, with David Miller piloting Lady Chaos for Linda Toscano from post 4 and Todd McCarthy steering Piper Hanover for Tony Alagna from post 6.

That trio of fillies will contest with the pair that finished one-two in the opening round of the Kentucky Championship -- Beltassima and Adirondack. Andrew McCarthy sticks with Beltassima off a 1:52 speed show to hold off Nancy Takter trainee Adirondack by three-quarters of a length and will again start from post 2. Adirondack will start from post 5 with Dexter Dunn in the bike.

Tuesday's stakes action includes four $20,000 divisions of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series on the 14-race card, with two for the colts and geldings and two for the fillies. First-race post time is 1 p.m. (EDT).

-edited release (Ray Cotolo for Red Mile)