Red Mile: Yo Tillie wins Kentucky Championship Series final to remain perfect in 2025

Yo Tillie, Super Chapter, Endurance and Country Glide took home this year's $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series finals for trotters on Sunday evening at The Red Mile.

After getting away in the fourth position in the event for 3-year-old fillies, driver Todd McCarthy brought Yo Tillie to the outside past the 28 second opening quarter, and she landed on top from Winnpanzee (Yannick Gingras) just after the 55 3/5 half. Yo Tillie would not face a challenge around the last turn and to three-quarters in 1:23 3/5, and her 27 2/5 final quarter carried her to a 1 1/2 length victory in 1:51. Early leader Stash Some Cash (Dexter Dunn) advanced from third to second in the stretch and Torrisi (Tim Tetrick) turned an inside trip into a third-place result.

"She's just a freak of a horse and she just does everything so perfect. I don't want to sit here and toot my horn because it's all her," winning trainer Andrew Harris said of the now nine-for-nine in 2025 Yo Tillie. "She's just an amazing animal and I'm just blessed to be able to work with her. Todd said she was awesome, just a little keyed-up in the hole, so he said 'I just moved her in the front and just let her flow at her own fractions so that she'd be more comfortable.'"

By Tactical Landing and bred by Gbw Breeding Farms Inc. and Black Creek Farm, Yo Tillie is co-owned by Harris with partners William Pollock and Bruce Areman. She has an overall record of 17-1-1 from 21 appearances, has banked $923,633 and returned $2.12 to win.

Mountcastle (Scott Zeron) and then Go Dog Go (T. McCarthy) cut panels of 28, 56 2/5 and 1:24 1/5 in the 3-year-old colt and gelding final with Super Chapter (Dunn) waiting in fourth before he came first-over. Go Dog Go turned for home first but made a break in mid-stretch, which allowed Super Chapter to go by and on to the victory by three-quarters of a length in 1:51 1/5. Mountcastle was elevated to second and Monserrate (Gingras) to third as Go Dog Go was moved back to fifth.

A Chapter Seven colt, Super Chapter was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, who shares ownership of the Marcus Melander trainee with Jeff Snyder and Art Pronti. He has 13 wins, four seconds and a third from 21 starts, has pocketed $1,459,765 and paid $2.54 to win.

"He takes good care of himself and goes on every-size track. He's just a great horse," stated Melander. "He can be a little bit of a handful before the race, but in the race he's super-professional."

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Endurance, steered by Andy McCarthy, took the rookie colt and gelding final for his sixth consecutive victory. After getting away well from post four, Endurance drove on two-wide to grab control away from It Could Be Worse (Zeron) after a 28 2/5 quarter went on the board. Once he secured the top spot, Endurance kept it to the 56 3/5 half and 1:25 4/5 three-quarters, then pulled away in the stretch to defeat It Could Be Worse by 2 3/4 lengths. Silverstein (David Miller) ended up third following a first-over try on the last turn.

"I've always said he might be one of the nicest horses I've ever driven for manners, and he's got plenty of go. He's got plenty of horsepower," McCarthy offered. "Whatever I tell him to do he does - I say go fast, he's goes fast, go slow, he goes slow. He's a very versatile horse and just a dream to drive."

Chris Beaver trains Endurance, a Captain Corey colt bred by Steve Stewart and Martti Ala-Seppla, for owners Super Endurance Stable, Bill Manes, Leo Fleming and Mark Moger. He has earned $393,200 and returned $2.82 to win.

In the race for 2-year-old fillies, 25-1 shot Country Glide (D. Miller) put up fractions of 27 3/5, 56 and 1:24 3/5, then held off a phalanx of challengers in the stretch to defeat a first-over Setyoursightshigh (Dunn) by a head in 1:52 3/5. Naked And Famous (T. McCarthy) angled out after a ground-saving trip and was up for third.

"At the head of the lane I still hadn't pulled her plugs yet and she felt like she had some trot," Miller relayed following the victory. "She really fought pretty game down by the wire; they were swarming in on her there."

Trained by Melvin Schmucker, Country Glide was bred by Buckstone Land Livestock and is owned by Yacht Club 140 LLC. The Tactical Landing filly broke her maiden in her seventh chance, has put away $246,000 and paid $52.62 to win.