The Red Mile played host
to the fourth and penultimate leg of the Kindergarten Trotting Classic series
on Thursday evening. Conditions were ideal, as they often are in Lexington, KY,
and seven divisions of the freshmen trotters were performing before a crowd of
their human counterparts for a purse of $10,000 per split on “College Night” at
the track.
Noel Daley has made a tidy living by being patient with
his young stock and that program is again paying dividends. The Explosive
Matter two year old gelding Outburst won for the third time in six outings,
finishing a comfortable 1:59- mile with a 27.4 final quarter for driver Charlie
Norris. A $33,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase by Daley, Adam
Victor & Son and Mirva Bogucki, Outburst has the look of a contender for
the late season stakes, which are many and lucrative this year.
Speak The Truth is another making his first few career
starts and he also looks like a player in the division. He is from Muscle
Hill’s first crop from the accomplished race mare Tady’s Comer and cost Richard
Gutnick $65,000 at Harrisburg last fall. He’s now won two of three and now has
a record of 1:55.3. Brett Miller was in for the card and drove for trainer
Linda Toscano. Great Society, another Muscle Hill, flashed willing late foot to
be second.
The first of four filly divisions came next and Goddess
made amends for disappointing her legion backers last week by trotting a strong
1:57.2 mile for driver Randy Jerrell. The Donato Hanover lass cost trainer Paul
Kelley and his partners Joe Sbrocco and new Hall of Famer Bill Weaver $110,000
but looks like a bargain at the price. She now won half of her six outings and
sports a 1:56.1 record from earlier this summer in a Kindergarten division at
The Meadowlands.
Trixton was the highest priced trotting yearling sold at
auction last fall when the Muscle Hill colt from a family of champions required
a commitment of $360,000 from Brixton Medical and Christina Takter to bring him
home. After a string of successes, he bounced back nicely after feeling the
sting of defeat for the first time in last week’s Kindergarten and took his
division in 1:56-. More impressive than the time on a perfect Lexington evening
was the visual presence the colt displayed, moving beautifully under no
encouragement from trainer/driver Jimmy Takter. He is a magnificent looking
specimen….Trixton that is.
Takter came right back in the next event with one for the
hunch players, as the moon was full on Thursday night and his eighth race
charge is named Moonlight In Miami. The public knows and sent the Muscles
Yankee filly away as the 6/5 choice. She rewarded their confidence with a
maiden breaking 1:55- win, held just off the fast fractions until the time was
right. Takter trains the $100,000 Harrisburg purchase for the Ontario power
brokers, Katz, Libfeld & Goldband.
Anonyme Hanover won right back for the Burke Stable
equaling the 1:56.3 mark she took last week in the process. The Explosive
Matter filly held off the late rally of race favorite Cee Bee Yes for Brett
Miller and owners Burke Racing, Weaver / Bruscemi and Matt Kakaley who gave
$47,000 for her at Harrisburg.
Takter tripled up with the 1/5 fave Yoga in the last
race. The Muscles Yankee filly was a
bargain at $31,000 for Christina Takter and long-time patrons John & Jim
Fielding. She was rated behind fast fractions and sailed by under her own power
in 1:55- for Jimmy in the night cap.
The Red Mile will host the Grand Circuit in a week,
beginning Thursday, September 26 with a 7pm post time. Over $6 million in
purses will be offered over the two weeks of top caliber stakes. Visit The Red
Mile’s website for more information.
The
Kindergarten series will resume on Friday, October 18 with the finals a week
later at Vernon Downs. Check the point standings here.
