Red Mile: Vic Zelenskyy crushes foes in his Kentucky Golden Rod Series final

Three-year-old colt trotter Vic Zelenskyy became the fastest offspring of sire Greenshoe with a dazzling 1:50 1/5 performance in one of eight $50,000 Kentucky Golden Rod Series finals on Tuesday afternoon at The Red Mile.

Driven by Dexter Dunn, Vic Zelenskyy drove on to take the lead past the 27 4/5 quarter and then yielded to sit in the pocket behind a brushing Duke Of Walner after the 54 3/5 half. Dunn had Vic Zelenskyy back off the pylons before Duke Of Walner reached three-quarters in 1:23 and then swept back into the lead past that station. From there it was just Vic Zelenskyy against the clock as he opened up at will to win by 16 lengths over a spent Duke Of Walner, while Duke Of Universe (Andy McCarthy) got third.

Vic Zelenskyy, bred by Mission Brief Stable, was a $550,000 yearling buy in 2022. He was unraced as a sophomore but has won four times in 11 outings in 2024 for trainer Marcus Melander and owners S R F Stable and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd. He has pocketed $67,400 and paid $6.60 to win.

Melander also won the 2-year-old filly trot final with Monkey Wine (by Gimpanzee, bred by Peter Martinson, paid $16.02 to win) with brother Mattias driving for owners Amg Stable Inc., Kenneth Kjellgren, Mantorp Inc. and Heights Stable.

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After taking six Commonwealth Series finals, driver Yannick Gingras had a hat trick in the Golden Rod Series, prevailing with 3-year-old filly pacer Every Mans Dream (by Always B Miki and bred by Lindy Farms, paid $15.36 to win) in 1:50 2/5 for trainer Ron Burke and owners Thomas and Scott Dillon, 2-year-old colt pacer Delray Beach (by Tall Dark Stranger, bred by Christina Takter, Marvin Katz and Brixton Medical Inc., paid $6.88 to win) in 1:52 2/5 for trainer Nancy Takter and owners Black Horse Racing, John Fielding and Morrison Racing Stables and 2-year-old trotting colt Blue Cartier (by Chapter Seven, bred by co-owner Crawford Farms, paid $3.22 to win) in 1:55 4/5 for trainer Tony Alagna and co-owners Brad Grant and Pryde Stables Inc.

Driver Andy Miller also connected twice in the Golden Rod Series finals, as he tallied with 3-year-old gelding pacer Bet On Big Joe (by Betting Line, bred by Pinske Stables, paid $11.48 to win) in 1:49 4/5 for owner/trainer Rodney Debeck and with sophomore trotting filly Green Mercedes (by Greenshoe, bred by Robert and Dan Kuhns, paid $9.46 to win) in 1:55 4/5 for trainer Julie Miller and co-owners Andy Miller Stable Inc., Patrick Hoopes and VIP Internet Stable LLC.

Takter picked up another Golden Rod Series champion in the finale as her rookie pacing filly Faze (by Sweet Lou, bred by Diamond Creek Farm, Shmuel Farhi and Spreydon Lodge Ltd. and retained by their respective racing operations, paid $4.04 to win) was victorious in 1:53 4/5 with Tim Tetrick in the bike.