Red Mile: Luna Lovegood, Yo Tillie wire foes in Kentucky Championship Series
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The outside post eight proved no obstacle for Luna Lovegood and Yo Tillie in the pair of $80,000 Kentucky Championship Series tests for rookie trotting fillies on Monday afternoon's program at The Red Mile.
Luna Lovegood, who was making her career debut, led the way through fractions of 29, 57 3/5 and 1:27 2/5 on her way to winning by half a length in 1:55 4/5 for driver Dexter Dunn. Barclay closed in 27 1/5 for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt to rally from seventh to second in the final quarter, and Divine Thing (David Miller) came in third from the pocket.
From the first crop of Gimpanzee, Luna Lovegood is trained by Marcus Melander for owner Holly Lane Stud East LTD. Bred by Blue Chip Farms and Stefan Melander, Luna Lovegood was a $100,000 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase and was victorious after a fourth and a first in two baby races at the Meadowlands. She paid $25.08 to win as an 11-1 shot.
Yo Tillie, who swept the Kentucky Sires Stakes at Oak Grove, improved to five-for-five lifetime for owner/trainer/driver Verlin Yoder with a 1:53 4/5 tally in the other flight. She was in front at the 28 1/5 quarter, 56 1/5 half and 1:25 three-quarters while she opened up a big gap on the others, and although favorite Aperfect Annie (Todd McCarthy) kicked home in 27 4/5 from fourth, she never got close to Yo Tillie, who won by 3 1/4 lengths. Stacking Green (Yannick Gingras) collected third.
A daughter of Tactical Landing bred by GBW Breeding Farms Inc. and Black Creek Farm, Yo Tillie has pocketed $134,500 to go with her perfect status. She returned $6.46 to win as the 2-1 second choice.
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In addition to his victory in the Championship Series, Melander also took two of the three $30,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series tilts.
Kadena (Dunn, paid $7.32 to win), a Mission Brief Stable-bred by Gimpanzee who was the highest-priced Standardbred yearling sold at public auction last year ($800,000 at Lexington), won her first start in 1:58 1/5 for owners Jeff Snyder and S R F Stable, and Get It All (by Muscle Hill, bred by Al Libfeld and co-owner Marvin Katz, paid $16.52 to win) bagged the nightcap in 1:58 1/5 for driver Scott Zeron and co-owners Brixton Medical Inc. and Hatfield Stables.
Rounding out the Commonwealth Series winners was Best Friends Girl (by Tactical Landing and bred by Bluestone Farms LLC. and Fredericka Caldwell, paid $6.30 to win) in 1:57 for driver David Miller, trainer Carter Pinske and owner James Wilhite Jr.
Gingras and McCarthy both doubled in the four $15,000 groupings of the Kentucky Golden Rod Series.
Gingras scored with Pink Bomb (by Chapter Seven and bred by co-owner Crawford Farms, paid $3.70 to win) in 1:59 for trainer Nancy Takter and co-owner Heather Marshall and Oklahomasmokeshow (by Tactical Landing and bred by co-owner Crawford Farms, paid $3.96 to win) in 1:59 1/5 for trainer Tony Alagna and co-owners Brad Grant, Pryde Stables Inc. and David Anderson.
McCarthy was victorious with Points Inthe Paint (by Bar Hopping and bred by owner Al Libfeld, paid $15.86 to win) in 1:59 for trainer Carter Pinske and Caviart Ivy (by Love You and bred by Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and Sam Goldband, paid $19.34 to win) in 1:57 1/5 for trainer Noel Daley and co-owners Patricia Stable, Caviart Farms and Sjoblom Racing Inc.