Strong Poison won for the third time in four starts in the Kentucky Championship Series on Sunday afternoon at The Red Mile, winning the $80,000 dash for rookie pacing fillies in 1:51. Bourbon Courage, a half-brother to last year's Hambletonian champion Captain Corey, won the companion event for 2-year-old male trotters. Driven by Brian Sears, Strong Poison moved to the front after the 29 second opening quarter and maintained the top spot through a 56 second half and a 1:23 4/5 three-quarters. In the lane, pocket-sitter Zanatta (Andy Miller) came to the outside and rallied, but Strong Poison was just able to fend her off, winning by a nose. Caviart Marcella (Andy McCarthy) was third. A daughter of Always B Miki-Fiyonce bred by Steve Stewart, Cotton Nash, and Julie Nash, Strong Poison is trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., J&T Silva Stables, LLC., Knox Services Inc., and Beasty LLC. A $50,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale buy, she has four wins from seven starts, earnings of $144,000, and paid $2.34 to win as the 1-9 favorite. Sears was going for the Kentucky Championship Series sweep with undefeated trotting colt Kilmister, but the Peter Haughton Memorial champion broke before the start, throwing the race wide-open. With Kilmister out of contention, Point Of Perfect (Todd McCarthy) was in the lead at the 29 second opening quarter but was overtaken by Excalibur Bi (Andy McCarthy) racing to the 56 4/5 half. Excalibur Bi would then hit three-quarters in 1:25 1/5 and turn into the stretch still in command. Excalibur Bi accelerated in the lane and looked like for most of the drive that he might be on his way to victory, but Bourbon Courage (Trace Tetrick) came with a wide rally from third-over that carried him by Excalibur Bi late in the mile to tally by a neck in 1:53 1/5. French Wine (Miller) was poised second-over but was out-kicked and had to settle for third. Erv Miller trains Bourbon Courage, a You Know You Do-Luv U All colt, for owners Bowie Racing LLC., D & M Trading Ii LLC., and Anthony Lombardi. Bred by Carter Duer, Bourbon Courage was purchased for $255,000 at the 2021 Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale and has a record of 3-0-1 from five trips behind the gate. He pushed his bankroll to $119,290 and returned $31.18 to win as a 14-1 offering. Both the 2-year-old pacing fillies and rookie trotting males raced in one $30,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series division each. Hungry For Love, by Stay Hungry and bred by Brittany Farms, would win the filly pace in 1:51 4/5 for Sears, Burke, and owners Thomas and Scott Dillon, and Espresso, by Chapter Seven and bred by Brittany Farms, took the colt and gelding trot in 1:55 for driver Andy Miller, trainer Julie Miller, and owners Andy Miller Stable Inc., Louis Willinger, Mortgage Boys Stable, L Berg Inc. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Capturing the $15,000 Kentucky Golden Rod Series tests for freshman pacing fillies were: --Prideful (by Always B Miki and bred by David Miller) in 1:53 2/5 for Andy and Julie Miller and owners Andy Miller Stable Inc. and Andray Farm; --Late For Dinner (by Stay Hungry and bred by owner W.J. Donovan) in 1:53 for Todd McCarthy and Ron Burke; --Caris (by A Rocknroll Dance and bred by Diamond Creek Farm) in 1:54 4/5 for Andy McCarthy, Nancy Takter, and owner Diamond Creek Racing. The $15,000 Kentucky Golden Rod Series races for 2-year-old male trotters went to: --Mohatu AS (by Lionhunter and bred by owner ACL Stuteri AB) in 1:56 3/5 for Tony Hall and Anette Lorentzon; --Prince Of Honor (by Walner and bred by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld) in 1:56 for Todd McCarthy, Carter Pinske, and owners Pinske Stables and David Hoese; --Country Dagger (by Crazy Wow and bred by owner/trainer Melvin Schmucker) in 1:55 4/5 for Brian Sears.