Red Mile: Kentucky Championship Series tops Monday's program

I Did It Myway and Special Way found the way to the winner's circle in $80,000 Kentucky Championship Series races for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers and 2-year-old filly trotters on Monday at The Red Mile.

Driven by Andy McCarthy, I Did It Myway followed in second and third as first River Ness (Yannick Gingras) and then Pebble Beach (Todd McCarthy) led through panels of 27 1/5, 54 3/5, and 1:21 3/5. Pebble Beach brought the field into the stretch, but I Did It Myway rallied by him inside the last eighth and went on to a 1 1/2 length win in 1:48 2/5. Pebble Beach had to settle for second, and Caviart Camden (Dexter Dunn) rallied from sixth to third in the last quarter.

Trained by Tony Alagna, I Did It Myway is a Captaintreacherous colt owned by breeder Joe Sbrocco in partnership with Country Club Acres Inc., Don Latore, and Alagna And Fodera Racing. This was his eighth win from 18 starts, he has now banked $298,658, and he paid $12.42 to win as the 5-1 second choice.

Special Way (Ake Svanstedt) left from post nine in the filly trot and grabbed the top spot away from Moni Lisa (Gingras) after a 28 second opening quarter. Special Way then gave up command to favored Mambacita at the 55 4/5 half, and Mambacita stayed on the front-end through three-quarters in 1:24 3/5 and into the lane. Mambacita couldn't seal the deal, though, as Special Way went by her and then held off stablemate Life Itself (Mattias Melander) to tally by half a length in 1:52 2/5. Mambacita ended up third.

Svanstedt trains Special Way, a daughter of Walner-Special Hill, for owners/breeders Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, and Al Libfeld. She broke her maiden in her third chance, has now earned $45,975, and returned $18.96 to win as an 8-1 offering.

The three-year-old male pacers raced in one $30,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series test and a single $15,000 Kentucky Golden Rod Series event. Taurasi (by Racing Hill) won the Commonwealth in 1:50 1/5 for driver Devon Tharps, trainer Tony Alagna, and owners M T Pockets Stables and Victoria Howard, and Mayor Ofthemoment (by Control The Moment and bred by James Bafia) took the Golden Rod in 1:50 3/5 for driver Tyler Shehan, trainer Matthew MacKenzie, and trainer Howard Taylor.

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Rookie trotting fillies faced off in a pair of Kentucky Commonwealth clashes and a trio of Kentucky Golden Rod Series showdowns. Taking the victories in the Commonwealth were:

--Railee Something (by International Moni and bred by owner Ronald Mersky) in 1:55 for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Chris Ryder;

--Yes Please (by Father Patrick and bred by owner Brittany Farms) in 1:55 1/5 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Tony Alagna.

The Golden Rod victors were:

--Catholic (by Muscle Hill and bred by Diamond Creek Farm) in 1:55 2/5 for Tetrick, trainer Marcus Melander, and owner Diamond Creek Racing;

--Southern Patricia (by Father Patrick and bred by Melbern Wengerd) in 1:56 3/5 for Tetrick, trainer/co-owner Clay Simpson, and co-owners Dirk Simpson Stable Inc. and Buddy Simpson;

--Picaboo Lady (by Swan For All and bred by Walter S Fister LLC.) in 1:55 4/5 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer/co-owner Chris Beaver, and co-owners Donald Robinson, William Rufenacht, and Gilbert Short.