Red Mile: Karl, Direction tally in Kentucky Championship Series

The stage is now set for next Sunday's $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series finals after 3-year-old colt trotter Karl and sophomore pacing filly Direction won their respective divisions of their last preliminary rounds.

Karl (Yannick Gingras) led through panels of 28, 56 1/5 and 1:24 2/5 and held off a two-wide bid through the lane by pocket-sitter Secret Agent Man (Andy Miller) to prevail by a neck in 1:50 4/5. Dame Good Time (Scott Zeron) came in third in the non-wagering event.

By Tactical Landing, Karl is trained by Nancy Takter. Bred by Crawford Farms, he is co-owned by them in partnership with Nancy, her mother Christina, Black Horse Racing and Bender Sweden Inc. He has a summary of 18-1-1 from 20 starts and has earned $1,919,816.

Direction (Todd McCarthy) sat in the pocket behind Fearless Bettor (Dexter Dunn) at the 28 1/5 quarter, 56 2/5 half and 1:24 3/5 three-quarters but rallied two-wide in the lane and used a 26 second final kicker to get around Fearless Bettor for the victory by half a length in 1:50 4/5. Neridas Wish (Andy McCarthy) checked in third in the dash, which also went as a non-bettor.

Brett Pelling trains Direction, a daughter of Always B Miki who was bred by Diamond Creek Farm and is owned by their racing operation. Direction has won ten of her 15 career starts and has earned $216,796.

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Pelling and Diamond Creek also won the $30,000 Commonwealth Series tilt for 3-year-old pacing fillies with Davenport (by Captain Crunch and a half-sister to Horse of the Year Confederate) in 1:51 with Andy McCarthy at the controls and a $15,000 Golden Rod Series division with Disney (by Always B Miki, paid $3.68 to win) in 1:52 3/5. Todd McCarthy piloted Disney.

For July rallied to a 1:53 1/5 victory for driver Mattias Melander, trainer Lucas Wallin, co-owner/breeder D Farm LLC. and co-owners Harbor Racing Stable LLC. and Order By Stable in the lone Commonwealth Series section for 3-year-old male trotters. For July, who is by Greenshoe, returned $9.84 to win.

The pair of $15,000 Golden Rod Series showdowns for sophomore trotting colts and geldings went to Magic Hill (by Muscle Hill, bred by Mel Hartman and Herb Liverman, paid $5.38 to win) in 1:54 3/5 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Nancy Takter and co-owners Morrison Racing Stables and John Fielding and Naked Cowboy (by Tactical Landing, bred by Crawford Farms, paid $11.38 to win) in 1:53 1/5 for driver Andy McCarthy, co-owner/trainer Dylan Davis and co-owner Howard Taylor.

Gifted One vaulted off cover to take the other Golden Rod Series race for 3-year-old filly pacers in 1:51 1/5 with Dexter Dunn in the bike for trainer Tony Alagna and co-owners Robert Leblanc, Brad Grant and Pryde Stables Inc. Gifted One, who is by Captaintreacherous and was bred by Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and Lynn Katz, returned $7.94 to win.