Red Mile: Kentucky Championship Series events won by Direction, Chat Room

Three-year-old pacing fillies and rookie colt and gelding trotters had top billing on Sunday night at The Red Mile in Kentucky Sires Stakes races.

Direction (Todd McCarthy) won the $80,000 Championship Series contest for the fillies. After leading at the 28 1/5 quarter, Direction yielded to sit in the pocket behind Bath Bomb (Yannick Gingras) prior to the 55 2/5 half. Bath Bomb was still in front at the 1:23 three-quarters, but Direction came to her outside past that station and vaulted back into command in the lane. Direction had to dig in all the way to the wire to fend off a closing Fearless Bettor (Dexter Dunn) on the outside, and she was able to do so, keeping a nose in front in a 1:50 1/5 effort. Neridas Wish (Andy McCarthy) also had pace on the inside and was third.

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 nine of her 13 career starts, has earned $156,796 and paid $5.60 to win as the second choice.

In the Championship Series dash for the boys, Landing On Time (Scott Zeron) put up fractions of 28 3/5, 58 and 1:27 4/5, but Chat Room (Gingras) found a seam on the inside from the pocket in the lane and rallied to a half-length decision in 1:56 flat. Go Dog Go (T. McCarthy) was second after coming first-up from third on the far turn, and a traffic-troubled Super Chapter (Dunn) had to settle for rallying for third at 1-9.

Chat Room is a Chapter Seven gelding and was bred by Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband and Al Libfeld. The John Butenschoen trainee, who has a summary of 3-2-0 from six appearances and has pocketed $90,280, is owned by James Crawford, Charles Rowe, David J. Miller and Lawrence Means. He returned $26.84 to win as a 12-1 shot.

Davenport, a Captain Crunch half-sister to last year's Horse of the Year Confederate, took the lone $30,000 Commonwealth Series clash for the fillies, rallying to a 1:49 3/5 victory for driver Andy McCarthy. The Diamond Creek homebred, who returned $7.56 to win, is trained by Brett Pelling.

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Winning the Commonwealth Series flights for the rookie colt and gelding trotters were Yannick G Kemp (by Walner and bred by Kemppi Stables Oy Inc., Suojalampi Stable Inc., paid $7.30 to win) in 1:54 for driver Peter Wrenn, trainer Nifty Norman and owners Mel Hartman, Rojan Stables and Little E LLC. and Castel Lindy (by Walner and bred by owner K R Breeding LLC., paid $22.82 to win) in 1:57 4/5 for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Domenico Cecere.

Pelling also captured the two $15,000 Golden Rod Series tilts for 3-year-old pacing fillies with Disney (by Always B Miki, bred by Diamond Creek Farms and owned by their racing operation, paid $5.48) in 1:52 2/5 with Todd McCarthy driving and with Beautiful Roz (by Always B Miki, bred by Jim Avritt Sr., paid $3.62 to win) with Andy McCarthy in the bike for owners Mel Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Bud Hatfield.

Additionally, there were a trio of Golden Rod Series events for the 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters. Those races went to Hey Dude (by Greenshoe, bred by Robert Kuhns and Dan Kuhns, paid $5.18 to win) in 1:57 1/5 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Nifty Norman and owners Carl Jamieson, Jody Jamieson, Joanne Morrison and Greg Hayter, Assiduous (by Walner and bred by Steve Stewart, paid $6.02 to win) in 1:58 1/5 for Dunn, Ryder and owners Bob Mondillo & C Ryder, Joe Sbrocco & Jaf Racing, Pit Bull Stable LLC. and Tony Alagna and Blue Cartier (by Chapter Seven, bred by co-owner Crawford Farms, paid $4.44 to win) in 1:58 1/5 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Tony Alagna and co-owners Brad Grant and Pryde Stables Inc.