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Friday, September 11, 2015

Kindergarten at The Red Mile

Lexington KY - The Kindergarten Classic series came to Kentucky on Thursday night with a mixed bag results-wise. 

Fillies began the stakes with Jimmy Takter steering the unbeaten Donato Hanover lass Haughty to an as easy as can be 1:54.1 win. 

Takter moved Haughty to the front on the backstretch and widened at will in a very impressive outing. Southwind Adele was second and Sweet Ashley T third.

The winner is owned by Al Libfeld, Marvin Katz and Sam Goldband who paid $80,000 at the Lexington Select sale last fall.

Jan Johnson steered I'm Volo to a 1:58 win for owner and breeder Jorgen Jahre at 17-1 in the second division. Johnson put the Yankee Glide filly in play early, accepted cover then angled out late to rally past Earn Your Wings and Coco Truffles late.

The tote board exploded in the first of two colt divisions when Dave Palone and Hollywood Highway closed from well back to win in 1:56.1 at odds of 43-1. 

With 1-9 favorite Jack Vernon eliminated by a break in the final turn, Palone found clear sailing wide from last and guided the Muscle Massive colt to his first victory for trainer Staffan Lind and owners Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld, who have $50,000 for this fella at the Lexington yearling sale and had a pretty good night.

Sigmund came second and Mavens Way third.

Palone completed a driving triple on the night with a front end score aboard Southwind Flash in 1:55.2 for trainer Ronnie Burke. The striking Muscle Hill colt took to the clay beautifully for his first win in six outings. 

Honor Above All went beautifully in his very first career start tracking the winner and actually gaining late for driver Nicolas Roussel with Brownie Hanover third.

The winner is another Lexington Select sale grad costing Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Phil Collura and Jack Piatt lll $85,000 last fall.


Racing returns to The Red Mile on Saturday and the Kindergarten returns for leg four next Thursday.