By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile
LEXINGTON, KY—
With the $500,000 Tattersalls Pace, a staple of The Red Mile’s Grand Circuit
showcases, slated for next week, two divisions of sophomore colt pacers
competed on the Saturday, September 27th card in the $185,200
Bluegrass.
Always B Miki
parked for the first half of the mile, cleared the front into the far turn and
sprinted home in :25.3 to win by 8 lengths in 1:47.4.
Melmerby Beach
claimed the front from Somestarsomewhere around the first turn. Public-choice
Always B Miki floated off the gate and was first over in fifth through a :26.3
first quarter.
Always B Miki
soon hit the motor in the backstretch and got his nose in front of Melmerby
Beach through a :54.4 (:28.1) half. Strolling past three-quarters in 1:22.1
(:27.2), Always B Miki was left unscathed by a late challenge from Melmerby
Beach. Within a blink of an eye, Always B Miki was 6 lengths clear of Melmerby
Beach, who would take second, and Capital Account, who would take third. Always
B Miki stopped the clock in 1:47.4 (:25.3), the fastest mile of the night and a
lifetime best.
Earning $567,716
in his career, the son of Always A Virgin-Artstopper-Artsplace is owned by Bluewood
Stable, Val D’or Farms, and Roll The Dice Stable, trained by Joe Holloway, and
driven by David Miller. He paid $2.40 to win.
“He gives me
chills, too,” David Miller said in response to Always B Miki’s impressive mile.
“He can motor along pretty good. He goes along pretty easily, and it’s pretty
hard to judge his speed because he does it so easily, but I knew he was pacing
pretty good down by the wire. He was going easy the whole way.”
“He’s a pretty
nice horse,” trainer Joe Holloway said. “He gets over the ground very easily.”
Limelight Beach,
fresh off his victory in the Little Brown Jug, traveled wire-to-wire in the
other division of the Bluegrass in 1:49.1.
Heading straight
to the pylons before the first turn, Limelight Beach secured the front. Big Boy
Dreams tucked into the pocket, and Caviart Luca got away third. Limelight Beach
paced by the opening panel in :27.4.
Unchallenged
through a half in :56.1 (:28.2) and three-quarters in 1:23.1 (:27), Limelight
Beach was ready to sprint home. He’s Watching applied pressure from first over
while Somesizesomestyle drafted behind. Limelight Beach did drift off the
pylons in his dash to the finish, but he held off He’s Watching and Big Boy
Dreams in 1:49.1 (:26).
The son of
Somebeachsomewhere-Benear-Badlands Hanover pushed his seasonal earnings to
$515,038, with $725,230 credited to his overall career. Owned by Burke Racing
Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, M1 Stable, and Wingfield Brothers, trained by Ron
Burke and driven by Yannick Gingras, he paid $4.80 to win. His 1:49.1 mile is a
lifetime mark.
“He was coming
into his own heading into the Jug, and obviously came up big that day,” driver
Yannick Gingras said. “It was a huge mile here tonight.”
“Into the first
turn, there was no speed, so I was able to rate him to the half,” Gingras also
said. “He’s Watching has a huge half in him, but I figured, in :56, my horse
could come home in a big half, too.”
Live racing
resumes on Sunday, September 28, with the $173,400 Bluegrass for three-year-old
filly trotters and the $187,200 Bluegrass for three-year-old colt trotters.
Post time is slated for 1:00pmEDT.
Race replays of
action from The Red Mile can be found on our YouTube channel:
Red Mile Harness.
