Red Mile: Miss Jum Jabber headlines Pelling trio in KYSS finals

While a number of trainers will send out multiple horses in Sunday's $3.2 million Kentucky Championship Series finals at The Red Mile, few have the chance of coming away victorious more than once. Brett Pelling is one of the few, as he sends out contenders in three of the eight $400,000 events for 2- and 3-year-olds on the 5:00 P.M. (EDT) twilight card.

Pelling's star attraction, and certain to be a prohibitive favorite in the sixth race come post time, is Miss Jum Jabber. The 3-year-old filly by Bettor's Wish has amassed a stellar 12 wins in 14 starts this year and won just over $400,000, a chunk of that coming in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final on September 6 at Harrah's Philadelphia.

"She was in Kentucky for her leg [August 31]. That was on a Monday, then she shipped to New Jersey to race on Sunday [September 6], then she shipped back to Kentucky to race on the Sunday [September 13]. Believe me, if anyone ever says to you 'what affects horses more than anything?' It's travel. It's very, very hard on them, and it takes quite a bit for them to recover," said Pelling. "Considering how I shipped her to Kentucky, I raced her, shipped her from Kentucky, raced her Sunday, and then shipped her back, I thought it was a real testament to how good she is."

As amazing as Miss Jum Jabber has been in 2026 for Pelling, who owns the horse as well, her most recent Kentucky Championship Series start on September 13 really spoke volumes about her natural ability. The filly was trapped third on the pylons in a difficult spot behind soft fractions for the class and seemingly had no chance of victory. That was until she uncorked a 24 4/5 final quarter, capped by what had to be a final eighth around 12 seconds.

"I was just thinking, 'I got a chance to be third here, maybe,'" said Pelling about what he thought his chances of victory were on the final turn. "I just thought for her to get out and win from where she did, I thought it was pretty amazing."

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Pelling said Miss Jum Jabber is a different brand of top pacing filly. He described her as feminine and gentle, as opposed to some of his past stars.

"Some good mare pacers that I've had, like Test Of Faith and Caviart Ally, they could just push you out of the way. They were alpha girls. This one's not like that at all," said Pelling. "She doesn't sort of turn around to you and say, 'geez, I'm having a good day,' or 'I'm having a bad day.' She really gives nothing away."

Miss Jum Jabber drew post five with regular driver Andrew McCarthy in a seven-horse field, and as good as she was last time, Pelling said he expects her to be even better after a nice easy week with no shipping. After Sunday she'll stay in Lexington for the Bluegrass and Glen Garnsey Memorial. Then her next stop is unknown since she isn't eligible to the Breeders Crown, and Pelling hasn't decided whether he'll pay the supplement fee.

Pelling's evening starts in race five with Rumble And Sway in the 2-year-old colt and gelding pace. That son of Sweet Lou has two wins and seconds in four starts, including one each at the top Kentucky Sire Stakes level.

"He was always a young, kind of a gangly 2-year-old, but since he's been there at The Red Mile, I don't know, if it's just the time of the year or getting into race mode, whatever, but he's really physically changed a lot," said Pelling. "Of all my 2-year-olds, he's the one I've been most happy with how he's shaped up and handled it.

"I don't think he's anywhere near the lengths of his ability yet."

Starting from post one, Rumble And Sway has Tim Tetrick in the bike versus a strong field of nine other competitors. Gobstopper (post six, Dexter Dunn) has won two Sire Stakes legs already for trainer Tony Dinges, who also has another contender in Blazin Lou (post two, Todd McCarthy). Hard Four had to scratch out of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship but was a 1:50 1/5 winner in his last Kentucky start. Just Perfect Stuff won five straight to start his career versus softer Kentucky-sired foes and was a decent fourth last time while moving up to this class. He'll have to overcome post nine with Joey Putnam in the sulky.

"If he got away third and he sat in, I'd be pretty happy," said Pelling, hoping for the right trip.

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The final $400,000 Sire Stakes (race 10) is for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers, and divisional leader Brandon Blvd will be the heavy favorite to extend his winning streak to three. The Meadowlands Pace and Hempt winner is electing to skip the Little Brown Jug for this spot, according to trainer Andrew Harris, and will compete next in the Bluegrass at The Red Mile if he comes out of Sunday's race in good order.

Brandon Blvd starts from post three with Dexter Dunn driving this week.

Pelling's upset chance comes with the sharp Sea Bistro Hanover (Todd McCarthy). The gelding has five wins and finished in the top three in all but one of his 13 starts this year. While he will have his work cut out for him from the outside post nine, the son of Captaintreacherous does own the fastest winning mile of the field at 1:47 1/5.

"He's very quick off the gate, but I do think leaving hard compromises him a little," said Pelling, who was hoping his charge wouldn't have to work hard early while finding a good spot close to the front.

Sea Bistro Hanover finished just a half-length behind Brandon Blvd on September 8 over the Red Mile surface and even had to check ever so slightly late in the mile while trying to come up the pylons.

"He just had to check him up a little bit, and as soon as he did that, it turned it into a fight. Sea Bistro Hanover is not going to win a fight against Brandon Blvd," said Pelling.

The Sire Stakes events on the 12-race Red Mile program start in race three with the undefeated 2-year-old trotting filly Wall Of Fame putting her eight-race winning streak on the line. She'll start from post one for the team of driver Andy Miller and trainer Julie Miller, who was unsure if they would take a shot in the Mohawk Million at Woodbine Mohawk Park on September 26.

The 3-year-old trotting filly division also has a star performer with Hambletonian Oaks winner Nezuko Kamado S in the field for trainer Marcus Melander. Scott Zeron will drive from post three in the eighth race.

The star-studded Red Mile program also includes a pair of $10,000 guaranteed pools, with a Pick 5 that contains a $1,844 carryover beginning in race three and a Pick 4 commencing in race six.