Red Mile: Miss Jum Jabber, Zephyr Kemp rule in Kentucky Championship Series

Odds-on favorite Miss Jum Jabber uncorked a wicked final quarter to cross the line first in her $80,000 fourth preliminary division of the Kentucky Championship Series, while Zephyr Kemp landed a 53-1 shocker in the $80,000 fourth preliminary division of the Kentucky Championship Series for his cohort on Sunday night (Sept. 13) at The Red Mile.

Miss Jum Jabber (driven by Andy McCarthy) lifted from a ground-saving trip with a 24 4/5 final quarter to collar her rivals by a half-length in a 1:51 1/5 mile to win the Kentucky Championship Series division for sophomore pacing fillies.

McCarthy settled the Brett Pelling pupil into third as Hope Hill (Dexter Dunn) took command from pylon-starter Bahama Momma (Joe Bongiorno) moving to the first quarter in 28 3/5. Hope Hill faced no challengers to a 57 3/5 walk of a half and gradually accelerated through the far turn as She's A Bulldog (Yannick Gingras) mounted a first-over bid. She's A Bulldog loomed closer to Hope Hill past three-quarters in 1:25 3/5 while Miss Jum Jabber rattled in tight quarters to find a seam to split through in the lane. McCarthy found clearance in the stretch and chugged past the dueling leaders late to slide over the top for the win. She's A Bulldog grabbed second with Hope Hill finishing third and Bahama Momma taking fourth.

A 3-year-old Bettor's Wish-Treacherous Reign filly, Miss Jum Jabber has now won 12 races from 14 starts and banked $406,139 for owner Pelling Racing LLC. She paid $2.76 to win.

Zephyr Kemp (Todd McCarthy) foiled stablemate and odds-on favorite American Power (Dexter Dunn) in the Kentucky Championship Series division for trotting glamour boys and won as the third-longest shot on the board in a 1:51 1/5 mile.

Todd McCarthy planted Zephyr Kemp towards the middle of the pack as Captain Naughty (Yannick Gingras) fired for the lead and soon relinquished control to Silverstein (David Miller) in the early part of a 27 4/5 shuffle to the opening quarter. It Could Be Worse (Tim Tetrick) followed suit up the rim and looped around Silverstein before American Power brushed to the front through a 55 second half, at which point McCarthy tipped Zephyr Kemp off the pylons to race uncovered into the far turn.

Zephyr Kemp progressed up the rim and reached American Power's wheel at three-quarters in 1:23 4/5 before pushing past the tiring leader in the stretch. Zephyr Kemp ground past his stubborn stablemate and kept a neck in front at the beam while American Power dug in to hold second. Silverstein swung off the pylons and rallied wide down the track for third with Inexpressable (Scott Zeron) closing from third-over for fourth.

Marcus Melander trains Zephyr Kemp, a 3-year-old Calgary Games-Southwind Adele colt, for owners Kemppi Stables Oy Inc., Suojalampi Stable Inc., PCW Racing LLC. and Sjoeblom Racing Inc. The colt won his fourth race from 10 starts this season and his seventh race from 20 starts in his career, earning $248,550. He paid $108.58 to win.

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Sunday's card also featured a $30,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series division for 3-year-old pacing fillies and one for 3-year-old trotting males. Sunny Station (Todd McCarthy) kicked off a pocket trip to down pace-setter Interstellar (Marvin Luna) by a neck at the end of a 1:50 2/5 mile to win the dash for sophomore pacing fillies, and Maga Hill (Yannick Gingras) skimmed the pylons to collar tempo-setter Midwind Chimp (Scott Zeron) by a neck in a 1:54 2/5 mile to win the division for trotting colts and geldings.

Brett Pelling trains Sunny Station, a daughter of Perfect Sting-Sandy's Beach, for owner Deo Volente Farms LLC. She paid $6.38 to win.

Ron Burke conditions Maga Hill, a Muscle Hill-Goo Doo Doll gelding, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Zippett Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC. and Bill Elliott. He paid $54.78 to win.

Late in the card, Randy Jerrell pupil Deuce Pop (Todd McCarthy) recorded his seventh straight victory when taking the second of two $15,000 Kentucky Golden Rod Series divisions for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings with a 1:54 1/5 effort. Jerrell co-owns the Tactical Landing-Atlantic Crest colt, who has won 13 races from 26 starts in his career and banked $148,745, with partners Atlantic Trot Inc. and Steve Stewart. He paid $3.56 to win.

Big Boys Don't Cry (Tim Tetrick, 1:54 3/5 winning mile; $10.14 to win) went pillar-to-post to win the other Golden Rod Series dash for trotting males. In the pair of Golden Rod Series events for sophomore pacing fillies, Need You Now (Dexter Dunn, 1:51 2/5; $3.82) vaulted from a second-over trip to win, and She's A Rich Girl, a Captaintreacherous filly out of stakes winner My Little Dragon, led every step to take the other division.

Live harness racing at The Red Mile resumes on Monday (Sept. 14) with a 13-race card headlined by the $35,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes third preliminary for 4-year-old pacing mares and for 4-year-old pacing males. First-race post time is 1 p.m. (EDT).

For more information on the 2026 live harness racing season, visit The Red Mile website (https://www.redmileracing.com).

--press release (Red Mile)--