Red Mile: Selfie Queen looks like a 'million' in Kentucky Championship Series final

Selfie Queen readied for Saturday's Mohawk Million with a 1:53 victory in her Kentucky Championship Series final for 2-year-old filly trotters on Sunday afternoon at The Red Mile. The other freshmen to take home top honors were Double Deceiver, Dont Fence Me In, and Pebble Beach.
Driven by Dexter Dunn, Selfie Queen tipped out of the pocket to take over the lead from Pink Gypsy (Yannick Gingras) after the 28 3/5 opening quarter. Once she had command, Selfie Queen would reach the half in 56 3/5 and three-quarters in 1:24 4/5, and then she was on cruise control in the lane. She hit the wire 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Eternal Lee (Brian Sears) in a 1:53 mile, with More Than Ever (Tim Tetrick) back in third.
A Muscle Hill-Lady Lakewood (Kadabra) filly bred by James Wilhite Jr., Selfie Queen is trained by Nancy Takter for owners Robert Leblanc, David Anderson, and John Fielding. Selfie Queen, a $170,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, scored her fifth victory from eight trips behind the gate, and she has now banked $201,250. She returned $2.60 to win as the 1-5 favorite.
Double Deceiver (David Miller) was positioned fourth at the 28 second opening quarter in the final for colt and gelding trotters, but he came to the outside and wrestled the front away from S I P (Gingras) at the 56 second half-mile marker. Double Deceiver was able to rate the pace around the last turn and hit three-quarters in 1:24 4/5, then turned it on in a 27 4/5 last panel to win by a length over a closing Rebuff (Sears) in 1:52 3/5. Looks Like Moni (Tetrick) checked in third.
The victorious Cantab Hall-Sarcy (Donato Hanover) gelding was bred by Steve Stewart and Oakwood Farms and is trained by Carter Pinske for owners Pinske Stables and Makenna Pinske. A $17,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale acquisition, Double Deceiver made his fourth stop in the winner's circle from seven appearances, and he has now pocketed $200,290. The 6-5 favorite, he paid $4.40 to win.
Dont Fence Me In defeated two rivals in the final for pacing fillies. She led through panels of 27 2/5, 55 4/5, and 1:23 4/5 for Dunn and used a 26 3/5 final quarter to beat Sloopy (Gingras) by a length and three-quarters in 1:50 2/5. Captains Princess (Andrew McCarthy) was third.
Tony Alagna trains Dont Fence Me In, a daughter of Captaintreacherous-Mystery Game (Artistic Fella) bred by Riverview Breeding LLC., for owners Riverview Racing LLC., Alagna Racing LLC., Steven Head, and Jerry Glantz. Dont Fence Me In has four wins and three second-place finishes from seven starts and has now earned $199,375. She was the 1-9 favorite and paid $2.20 to win.
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In the final for colt and gelding pacers, Western Era (Atlee Bender) set a hot pace of 27, 53 2/5, and 1:21 2/5. Silverstone (A. McCarthy) tipped out of the pocket before three-quarters, giving cover to 1-9 favorite Pebble Beach (Todd McCarthy), who would then vault into the lead in the lane. Pebble Beach had work to do in the last eighth, though, as River Ness (D. Miller) powered home while widest after trailing in fifth. At the wire Pebble Beach still had his nose in front, and he got the victory over River Ness, who also drifted out late, in 1:48 4/5. Wolftrax (Scott Zeron) took third.
Pebble Beach, a colt by Downbytheseaside and out of Santa Rosa (Western Ideal), is trained by Noel Daley for owners Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Country Club Acres Inc., and La Express & Jaf Racing. Pebble Beach, who was bred by Brittany Farms and was an $85,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale buy a year ago, has a record of 5-1-1 from seven efforts and has now put away $209,800. He returned $2.20 to win.
A pair of $50,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series finals for 2-year-old colts and geldings were also held. Branded By Lindy, a Lindy Farms homebred Chapter Seven-The Lindy Label (Cantab Hall) colt, overcame post ten to win the trot in 1:53 for Gingras and trainer Domenico Cecere, and Six Feet Apart, a Sweet Lou-Ideal Love (American Ideal colt) captured the pace in 1:50 4/5 for D. Miller and trainer Brian Brown. Michael Robinson, Robert Mondillo, David Meola, and Rich Lombardo Racing LLC. own Six Feet Apart, who was bred by S R F Stable and fetched $21,000 at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

