Mr Big Spender came up only a fifth of a second shy of the world record for a 2-year-old colt trotter after he won his Bluegrass Series split on Thursday afternoon at The Red Mile in 1:51 2/5. The pace was hot and contested throughout the $83,000 contest as Midwind Chimp (Mattias Melander), Mr Penner (Ake Svanstedt) and Mr Big Spender (Mike Wilder) all had a turn on the top through opening-half fractions of 26 3/5 and 54 4/5. Nordic Dancer S (Dexter Dunn) then went by Mr Big Spender past the half and went on to cut three-quarters in 1:23 3/5 as Oversear (Charlie Norris), Lethal Legacy (Todd McCarthy) and Nix Nacken (Scott Zeron) advanced in the outer flow. In the lane Mr Big Spender, Mr Penner, Lethal Legacy and Nix Nacken all had a shot at the victory, but it would be Mr Big Spender who surged between foes and held off the rallying Nix Nacken by a nose. Mr Penner came up the inside path for third over Lethal Legacy. "He's a pretty special horse," Wilder said after the race. "He's had a couple of bumps in the road - that's maybe a 2-year-old trotter for you; could be my fault, could be his fault. But it's been a tremendous ride. I didn't expect them hot of numbers. I really had to work for it and it worked out great. I didn't know how he would hold up to those numbers, but I got him off the [pylons] at the top of the stretch and it was a good race to the wire. He fired for me." A Captain Corey colt bred by Kentuckiana Farms, Mr Big Spender is trained by Norm Parker for owners Bart and Todd Brice. He has a summary of 6-0-2 from ten outings, has earned $191,633 and paid $4.94 to win. Back in the first $83,000 grouping, Minoan (T. McCarthy) sat in the pocket through panels of 27 4/5, 55 4/5 and 1:24 1/5, took the lead in the lane and went on to tally by four lengths in 1:52 4/5. Be Green (Andy Miller) and Create Escape (Svanstedt) were second and third, respectively. Trainer Noel Daley also co-owns Minoan, a colt by Bar Hopping, with partners Patricia Stable, L. A. Express Stable LLC. and Sjoblom Racing Inc. Bred by Dr. William Solomon, Minoan has three wins, two seconds and two thirds from eight trips behind the gate, has put away $142,747 and returned $4.50 to win. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter I'm Kronos S (Svanstedt) took the third $82,000 division in 1:52 3/5. After he rode the rail in fourth through the 28 4/5 quarter, 56 4/5 half and 1:25 2/5 three-quarters, Svanstedt wheeled him out in the lane, and his 26 2/5 final kicker propelled him by Highball Hanover (Andy McCarthy), who had hit the front from second-over, to score by a nostril in 1:52 3/5. It Could Be Worse (Zeron) was third after a pocket trip. Bred by Winged Lion Breeding Ab, I'm Kronos S is also trained by Svanstedt for owners Part Of Dream Inc. and Bruni Racing Team Inc. He broke his maiden in his fourth opportunity, has pocketed $61,500 and paid $3.58 to win. "I didn't know he won," Sarah Svanstedt said with a laugh after the race. "That was a good surprise. He started the year very good and then he came in from the paddock with some bad habits, so we put him on hold. It wasn't a big thing, but it wasn't a perfect thing either. So he had a bit of a break and now he's back again." Requiem (David Miller) cleared Zephyr Kemp (Dexter Dunn) past the 29 1/5 quarter in the last $82,000 section, and after he put middle-half panels of 57 2/5 and 1:25 3/5 on the board, Requieum sprinted home in 27 seconds to hold off Practical Man (T. McCarthy) by half a length in 1:52 3/5. Zephyr Kemp wound up third. By Muscle Hill, Requiem was sent out by Matt Burkholder for owner Dark Horse Farm. The John Schmucker, Sunset Stables and Whiskeyontherocks Racing-bred Requieum made his third trip to the winner's circle, has banked $102,500 and returned $4.96 to win. "He's a really nice horse," Burkholder said. "He was very nice training down, but I'm happy he got home. We'll take [his season] start by start, but we'll probably go to Corbin [for the Cumberland Run meet]. I think David Miller did a phenomenal job developing both [of my] colts, this horse and Silverstein. I mean...that's why he's Purple Jesus, right?"  --quotes by Ray Cotolo--