Red Mile: It Could Be Worse tallies in Kentucky Championship Series

It Could Be Worse worked out an inside trip and then pounced in the lane to win Monday's $80,000 leg of the Kentucky Championship Series for 2-year-old male trotters at The Red Mile.

Chapel (Todd McCarthy) went to the top in a 27 4/5 quarter but went off-stride after that marker, which put Silverstein (David Miller) in front and It Could Be Worse (Scott Zeron) in the two-hole. Silverstein would then maintain control to the half in 57 1/5 as 2-5 favorite Apex (Dexter Dunn) began a first-over march out of the fourth position.

Apex and Silverstein battled around the far turn and to the 1:25 4/5 three-quarters, but Silverstein was able to keep Apex on the outside and turned for home first as Apex dropped back some. However, in the lane Silverstein drifted off the pylons, and that gave It Could Be Worse ample room to rally through, which he did en route to the tally by three-quarters of a length in 1:53. Silverstein held second over an even-finishing Apex with Yo Billie (Verlin Yoder) fourth and Lindy Living (Yannick Gingras) fifth.

Linda Toscano trains It Could Be Worse, a Captain Corey colt bred by Coyote Wynd Farms, for owners The Bay's Stable LLC., Pat and Mark Huber, Bill Elliott and Camelot Stable Inc. It Could Be Worse has a summary of 2-2-0 from four starts, has earned $73,380 and paid $14.18 to win.

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The two $30,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series winners were:

--Zephyr Kemp (by Calgary Games and bred by co-owners Kemppi Stables Oy Inc. and Suojalampi Stable Inc., paid $6.84 to win) in 1:54 3/5 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Marcus Melander and co-owners Pcw Racing LLC. and Sjoblom Racing Inc.;

--Requiem (by Muscle Hill and bred by John Schmucker, Sunset Stables LLC. and Whiskeyontherocks Racing, paid $24.20 to win) in 1:54 2/5 for driver David Miller, trainer Matthew Burkholder and owner Dark Horse Racing LLC.

A trio of $15,000 Kentucky Golden Rode Series divisions went to:

--Never Say Die (by Muscle Hill and bred by Am Bloodstock Inc., paid $6.26 to win) in 1:57 1/5 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Marcus Melander and owner Courant Inc.;

--Deuce Pop (by Tactical Landing and bred by co-owner Atlantic Trot Inc., paid $3.14 to win) in 1:55 for driver Todd McCarthy, co-owner/trainer Randy Jerrell and co-owner Steve Stewart;

--Captain Naughty (by Captain Corey and bred by owner Denise Dennis, paid $6.30 to win) in 1:55 1/5 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Justin Lloyd.

Four-year-old pacers also competed in two $35,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes contests. Women Layer, a Sweet Lou gelding bred by Carl Howard, turned a pocket trip into a 1:49 4/5 victory in his division for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and owners Let It Ride Stables Inc., Douglas Overhiser, Jeff Fought Racing and Larry Wills, while Lather Up mare Bath Bomb rallied from fourth to first in the final quarter to prevail in 1:49 1/5 for driver Andy McCarthy, trainer Per Engblom and owner Morrison Racing Stables. Bath Bomb, who paid $6.66 to win, was bred by Mark Smith.