Red Mile: Perfect Sting continues family tradition of Lexington success

Perfect Sting, whose sire Always B Miki and dam Shebestingin both set world records at The Red Mile during their respective racing careers, is also now a winner over the red clay oval in Lexington, Kentucky, as he took his $40,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes division for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Monday afternoon in 1:50 4/5.

Driven by David Miller, Perfect Sting raced on the inside in second and third, then tipped to the outside and picked up cover before the 1:23 2/5 three-quarters when Fulsome (Dan Noble) came out of the pocket. Miller pointed Perfect Sting three-wide coming off the last turn, and he was full of pace finishing, rolling home with a 27 2/5 last quarter to win by a length and a half over Four More Years (Dexter Dunn). Ilderton AM (Mark MacDonald) was third.

Trained by Joe Holloway, Perfect Sting is a homebred for Brittany Farms LLC. and Val D'Or Farms. Perfect Sting has won all three of his starts thus far, has earned $29,400, and paid $3.00 to win as the 1-2 favorite.

Miller also won the first of two Kentucky Sires Stakes splits for rookie pacing fillies with Blue Diamond Eyes. She rallied three-wide off cover through the lane and beat pocket-sitter Lindy At The Beach (Scott Zeron) by a nose in 1:51 2/5, with A Special Moment (Trace Tetrick) third.

Blue Diamond Eyes, a daughter of Captaintreacherous, is trained by Ron Burke for owners Thomas and Scott Dillon. Also bred by Brittany Farms LLC., Blue Diamond Eyes was a $180,000 buy at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and is the second foal out of the Well Said mare Aria Hanover (1:53 1/5, $130,136), making her a full sister to Captain Kirk (1:48 3/5, $152,302). Blue Diamond Eyes has two victories from four efforts, has banked $55,542, and returned $8.00 to win as the 3-1 second choice.

Making Waves (Zeron) gave Brittany Farms LLC. another win on the day when she scored in the other section for pacing fillies in 1:51 3/5. Making Waves got a second-over journey behind Wicked Ways (Miller) on the last turn and kicked out a 26 4/5 final panel to tally by 2 1/4 lengths over Margin Of Error (Tetrick). High Minded (Dunn) checked in third.

The victorious Captaintreacherous filly is trained by Linda Toscano and was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms Inc. Out of the Camluck mare Trim Hanover (1:52 4/5, $123,133), Making Waves is a half-sister to American Jewel (American Ideal, 1:48 2/5, $1,836,855) and Luck Be Withyou (Western Ideal, 1:47 4/5, $1,454,166). Making Waves was the 1-9 favorite and paid $2.20 to win.

The other flight for male pacers went to 181-1 shot Native's Filou (Noble) in a pari-mutuel stunner. Native's Filou stalked the pace from third and rallied two-wide past Exploit (Dunn) in the lane to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:51. Caviart Lotus (Miller) came on for second, while Exploit dropped back to third.

Christi Noble trains Native's Filou, a gelding by Allamerican Native. This was his first win in his fifth try, and he has now stashed away $23,575. Bred by Thomas Cave, Native's Filou is out of the Astreos mare Windsong Filou (1:51 3/5, $345,787), which means he's a full brother to Native's Sweetlou (1:49 2/5, $154,966). He returned $365.00 to win.