Red Mile: Trotters meet up in Kentucky Championship Series finals

Two- and 3-year-old trotters of both sexes and gaits stepped onto the red clay at The Red Mile on Sunday afternoon for four $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series finals.

Mommamia Volo (Todd McCarthy) worked out a third-over trip off hot fractions and rallied in the lane to win the 3-year-old filly final in 1:50, just missing the world record by a fifth of a second.

Walner Payton (Dexter Dunn) got to the quarter in 27 1/5 and made heavy favorite Special Way (Ake Svanstedt) work before releasing her coming to the 54 second half. When Special Way got to the engine, that left a parked Mambacita (Scott Zeron) first-over, and she would be tracked by Railee Something (Yannick Gingras) and Mommamia Volo.

Special Way cut three-quarters in 1:22 1/5 and turned for home first, but McCarthy fanned Mommamia Volo out widest before they entered the lane, and she had all the momentum and fresh legs in the drive to the finish, getting up defeat a game Special Way by a length and a half. Caviart Gwen (Andy McCarthy) got third after showing early speed and then following on the inside.

"Not 1:50 flat, but we hoped we'd have a real chance here. She was really big last week, and Carter (trainer Carter Pinske) has done an incredible job with her," said Ken Jackson of Kentuckiana Farms, who bred and co-own Mommamia Volo with Jorgen Jahre Jr. "We had a little setback earlier in the year when we were trying to shoot for the Hambletonian Oaks and had big plans for her, but he was patience. He's just really fun to train horses with."

The victorious daughter of Tactical Landing made her fourth appearance in the winner's circle and increased her bankroll to $337,882. Sent off at 11-1, she returned $24.80 to win.

Ari Ferrari J (Dunn) knocked off a talented field in the 3-year-old colt and gelding final in 1:50 3/5 at odds of 7-1. After getting away near the back of the pack, Dunn drove on two-wide and was able to get to the lead from Point Of Perfect after a 27 second opener. Ari Ferrari J then put up middle-half fractions of 55 1/5 and 1:23 1/5 while a parked-from-the-start French Wine (Andy Miller) advanced first-over.

In the stretch Ari Ferrari J responded when called upon by Dunn and was able to repel French Wine for good, then did the same to an angling-off-the-cones Kilmister (Brian Sears), too, to get the win by a head. French Wine held off Hambletonian champion Tactical Approach (Scott Zeron) for third after the latter was third-over behind a gapping Country Dagger (Peter Wrenn) on the last turn.

Tony Alagna trains Ari Ferrari J, a Walner colt bred by M Biasuzzi Stable Inc., for owner Ken Jacobs. Ari Ferrari J won for the sixth time in 27 starts, pushed his earnings to $754,711 and paid $16.90 to win.

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Karl (Gingras) delivered as the 1-9 favorite in the 2-year-old colt and gelding final. He moved from the pocket to the point just after the 28 4/5 quarter and maintained his hold on the proceedings to the half in 57 1/5 and the three-quarters in 1:26 1/5 on his way to a 1:53 3/5 victory. Dame Good Time (Zeron) closed well in the stretch to get runner-up honors and Duke Of Walner (Tim Tetrick) checked in third from the pocket.

Trainer Nancy Takter also co-owns Karl, a Tactical Landing colt, with her mother Christina and their partners Black Horse Racing, breeder Crawford Farms and Bender Sweden Inc. He has earned $290,000 from four victories in four starts and paid $2.22 to win as the 1-9 favorite.

"I think he has an exceptional set of lungs. We haven't seen the bottom of him yet," said Hall of Famer Jimmy Takter, Nancy's dad and Christina's husband. "He's very, very good mentally and he's a very positive horse. I think he can a long way, this guy."

Two-year-old fillies kicked off the finals, and heavy favorite Allegiant (Zeron) had the lead through splits of 27 3/5, 57 2/5 and 1:26 3/5. Despite the sensible tempo, she came up empty in the lane, though, and gave way to a first-over Volcanic Blue Chip (Svanstedt). However, Volcanic Blue Chip couldn't hold on either, as 7-1 shot Date Night Hanover (Sears), who tracked from second-over, out-footed Volcanic Blue Chip in the closing strides and won by half a length in 1:54 1/5. Dolce Amara (Tetrick) got up for third.

Date Night Hanover was the top seller at last year's Standardbred Horse Sale, fetching $600,000 from owners Jeff Snyder and Onda Racing Stable. The Hanover Shoe Farms-bred has four wins from seven attempts, has pocketed $288,025 and paid $17.94 to win.

French Champagne (Svanstedt) improved to five-for-five in her career by taking the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series final for 2-year-old fillies in 1:54 1/5. She took charge prior to the 57 4/5 half, and after three-quarters in just 1:27, she sprinted home in 27 1/5 to defeat a closing Bonn (Wrenn) by a length and a half. One World (Dunn) was third after battling with the eventual winner from first-up.

A homebred for Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld, French Champagne is by Muscle Hill and has banked $110,000 to go with her unblemished status. She returned $3.38 to win as the 3-5 favorite.