The Red Mile: McNairs, Avritt double up in Kentucky Sires Stakes for two-year-olds

The Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) for freshman pacers comprised the first five races on Saturday night at The Red Mile. Each division, three for the boys and a pair for the girls, went for a purse of $30,000.

Local horseman Jim Avritt of Lebanon, Kentucky, was on hand to watch his pair of talented homebred fillies sweep both divisions of the first leg for the father son trainer-driver team of Gregg and Doug McNair.

Mr. Averitt’s wondrous evening began with Beautyonthebeach, the Somebeachsomewhere first foal from his World Champion and multiple Grand Circuit stakes-winning mare Precocious Beauty, winning the opener in 1:53 in a forwardly-placed effort. After unpressed early fractions, a threat came in the form of the previously-unbeaten Margret Hill (David Miller) who rolled up on Beautyonthebeach around the final bend but was rebuffed with a 26 4/5 final stanza by the winner.

The team came right back with Prescient Beauty, an Art Major full sister to the aforementioned Precocious Beauty, going virtually the same trip and taking the same 1:53 record. Comfortable throughout, Prescient Beauty warded off the strong close of another unbeaten Brian Brown pupil in Edge Of Eternity (D. Miller) with minimal urging through the 27 1/5 end of the mile while winning for the third time in four outings.

Captain Trevor (Andy McCarthy) became another stakes winning credit for Captaintreacherous, who is enjoying a remarkable start to his career as a sire, with a 20-1 upset score in 1:51 2/5 in the first colt split for trainer Tony Alagna. McCarthy set the colt up beautifully with a quick start, securing a pocket trip behind honest fractions set by Yacht Week, who dueled with Blacklight around the second turn then drifted off the rail, allowing a clear path for Captain Trevor, who held off the furious rally of Magic Joe Lindy (Scott Zeron) through the 27 1/5 final quarter. Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Brad Grant and Captain Trevor Racing own the winner, a $75,000 Harrisburg purchase from breeders Bay’s Stable and Riverview Racing.

Blood Money (Jordan Stratton), a son of another exciting first crop sire in Sweet Lou, won the second colt split in 1:51 3/5. Stratton worked out a lovely second-over ride, then fanned off the cover with plenty through the 26 3/5 final quarter to get by Egomania (D. Miller) and U S Captain (McNair). It is the third win in four outings for owner/breeder Adam Bowden’s Diamond Creek Racing. Jimmy Takter trains the winner.

Hall of Fame driver David Miller broke through in the last colt division to win the fastest of the night’s stakes with Can’t Beach That in 1:50 4/5. Miller moved the Somebeachsomewhere colt to the front just past the 55 2/5 half, survived last turn pressure from Major Deception (Zeron), then just lasted over the late-flying Hurrikane Emperor (Stratton), who simply ran out of racetrack. The winner is trained in the Nifty Norman barn for Pinske Stables, Mel Segal and Kentuckiana Racing Stable. Bred by Mr. Segal, the colt is an $80,000 Lexington Selected Sale graduate.

--press release (The Red Mile)--