Red Mile: Kentucky's best determined in Championship Series finals

The biggest card so far this year at The Red Mile took place on Sunday afternoon with eight $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series finals for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds on the go.

Three-year-old pacing fillies kicked off the Kentucky Championship Series finals, and Boudoir Hanover (Todd McCarthy) had to work to clear Lookatmyrapsheet (Yannick Gingras) past the 26 3/5 opening quarter. Boudoir Hanover then kept the tempo lively through a 54 second half and a 1:21 4/5 three-quarters, with the field single-file behind her. Despite the early two-wide journey and quick pace, nobody could reel in Boudoir Hanover through the lane, though, as she kept clear to win in 1:49 2/5. Lookatmyrapsheet was second, a length and a half behind the winner, and Dont Fence Me In (Andy McCarthy) was third.

A Captaintreacherous filly, Boudoir Hanover is trained by Tony Alagna for owners Riverview Racing LLC., Alagna Racing LLC., Caviart Farms, and D Plouffe And S Head. Bred by Riverview Breeding LLC. and Visionary Breeders LLC., Boudoir Hanover posted her eighth victory from 22 lifetime attempts, and she has now put away $702,998. The 1-5 favorite, Boudoir Hanover returned $2.46 to win.

In the final for sophomore filly trotters, Date Night (Andy Miller) took command before the 27 3/5 opening quarter and then yielded to favorite Selfie Queen (Dexter Dunn). Selfie Queen went on to hit the half in 55 1/5 and the three-quarters in 1:23 1/5, with Eternal Lee (A. McCarthy) unable to reach her after coming first-up from mid-pack. Selfie Queen continued to show the way into the lane, but Miller had room to tip out with Date Night after Eternal Lee faded from contention, and Date Night would surge past Selfie Queen at the wire to win by a nose in 1:50 4/5. Eternal Lee ended up third.

Julie Miller trains Date Night, a daughter of Bar Hopping bred by owners Marvin Katz and Sam Goldband. Date Night has a record of 8-3-0 from 15 starts, pushed her earnings to $419,377, and paid $6.14 to win as the 2-1 second choice.

Team Orange Crush was back for another winner's circle photo in the next race, the final for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters, which was won by their French Wine in 1:53. Point Of Perfect (T. McCarthy), Excalibur Bi (A. McCarthy), Dire Straits (David Miller) and Kimmeridgian (Ake Svanstedt) all had a turn on the lead through opening-half stations of 28 and 55 3/5. Excalibur Bi then made another move by going first-up from third on the way to the 1:25 three-quarters, giving cover to Kilmister (Brian Sears) and French Wine.

French Wine would vault past the other horses to take the lead in the stretch, and from there, he was able to hold sway over a closing Ari Ferrari J (Dunn) by three-quarters of a length. Kilmister wound up third.

The victorious Bar Hopping colt was bred by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld and is owned by Andy Miller Stable Inc., Daniel Plouffe, Jean-Christophe Plouffe, and One Legend Stable. French Wine has four victories, a second, and two thirds from seven attempts, has now pocketed $358,322, and returned $17.54 as a 7-1 offering.

Alagna got another training victory in the final for sophomore colt and gelding pacers with I Did It Myway (A. McCarthy). Dancin Sancho (T. Smith) clicked off a 27 second opening quarter and a 55 1/5 half in that tilt, but River Ness (Gingras) vacated the pocket on the final bend and went by him coming to the 1:22 4/5 three-quarters.

River Ness's bid had briefly given cover to an advancing Pebble Beach (T. McCarthy), and despite River Ness clearing and crossing back down to the cones, Pebble Beach kept coming in the lane and took a narrow advantage. I Did It Myway had tracked Pebble Beach's every move, though, and stormed by him in the final eighth before opening up to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Pebble Beach wound up second from Caviart Camden (Dunn).

Trained by 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 11th win from 19 trips behind the gate, he has now banked $578,658, and he paid $3.04 to win as the 1-2 choice.

Fast As The Wind (Dunn) was in command at the 27 2/5 quarter, 55 3/5 half, and 1:23 3/5 three-quarters in the final for 3-year-old male trotters, but he would be overtaken by a first-up Rebuff (Tim Tetrick) late on the far turn. Rebuff couldn't hold on either, though, as Branded By Lindy (Gingras) fanned out from second-over and was able to out-foot him in the final eighth, prevailing by a length and a quarter in 1:50 3/5. Double Deceiver (D. Miller) was the third-place finisher.

Branded By Lindy, a homebred Chapter Seven colt for Lindy Farms, is trained by Domenico Cecere. He is now a ten-time winner from 20 tries, has stashed away $544,769, and returned $11.32 to win as a 9-2 shot.

Special Way (Ake Svanstedt) didn't disappoint as the 1-2 favorite in the final for rookie trotting fillies. Special Way was well-rated through splits of 29 1/5, 57 1/5, and 1:25 2/5 and staved off a surging Walner Payton (Dunn) by half a length in a 1:52 2/5 mile. Life Itself (Tetrick) was third.

Svanstedt also trains Special Way, a daughter of Walner, for owners/breeders Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, and Al Libfeld. She has four wins from six chances, improved her bankroll to $325,975, and paid $3.00 to win.

Twin B Joe Fresh (Dunn) added the Kentucky title to her New York Sire Stakes crown, taking the freshman filly pace in 1:49 2/5. Twin B Joe Fresh was positioned fourth through a 28 second quarter and a 55 second half set by Strong Poison and then went first-up racing to the 1:22 2/5 three-quarters. Twin B Joe Fresh charged by Strong Poison in the upper part of the stretch and then drew off to the wire, scoring by 3 3/4 lengths. Strong Poison wound up second and Zanatta (Joe Bongiorno) was third.

By Roll With Joe, Twin B Joe Fresh was bred by Brittany Farms, and is trained by Chris Ryder. He also shares ownership of her with Dunn, Peter Trebotica, and Barry Spak. She has socked away $464,412 from six wins and two runner-up results in eight appearances, and she returned $2.56 to win as the 1-5 favorite.

The rookie pacing colts and geldings finished out the card, and Bamboozler (Dunn) went on a speed mission through stations of 27 1/5, 54, and 1:21 1/5 and opened up a big lead going to three-quarters. Meanwhile, heavily-backed Confederate (Tetrick) was mired in traffic fourth-over and then third-over before fanning out widest late on the final bend. Once he had clear sailing, Confederate exploded home, rolling by Bamboozler in mid-stretch and pulling away to win by three lengths in 1:49 2/5. Bamboozler held second from Blue Lou (A. McCarthy).

Bred by Diamond Creek Farm and owned by Diamond Creek's racing operation, Confederate is a Sweet Lou-Geothermal colt trained by Brian Brown. Confederate posted his fourth triumph in five outings, sent his earnings to $296,200, and paid $2.44 to win.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Two $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series finals also occurred on the program. In the tilt for 3-year-old trotting fillies, Rock A Bye Lindy (Tetrick), a 22-1 shot, followed 1-9 favorite More Than Ever (Dunn) from second-over and was able to out-foot her in the closing stries to tally by a nose in 1:52 3/5. Those Blues (A. McCarthy) was placed from fourth to third after Bold And Beautiful (Trevor Smith) went off-stride approaching the wire and was lapped-on, resulting in her being moved back to fifth.

Rock A Bye Lindy, a homebred daughter of Muscle Hill for K R Breeding LLC., is trained by Domenico Cecere. She broke her maiden in her sixth attempt, has now banked $60,800, and returned $46.64 to win.

Race favorite Combustion (T. McCarthy) did the front-end work through a 27 2/5 quarter, 55 second half, and 1:22 4/5 three-quarters in the test for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings, but he was passed by pocket-sitter Cannibal (Gingras) in the final eighth, and Cannibal would keep a rallying Kaptain Karlos (D. Miller) at bay for a neck victory in 1:50 2/5. Combustion had to settle for third.

Cannibal, trained by Nancy Takter, is a homebred for Diamond Creek Farm and their racing operation. He hasn't missed the board in five tries (3-1-1) and now shows earnings of $83,600. He paid $6.64 to win as the second choice.