Lexington, KY – The Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) for
2-year-old trotters return for leg three, the last of the preliminary races
with 24 fillies and 19 colts set to go on Thursday evening at The Red Mile.
Ladies first, they split
evenly into three eight filly divisions and are carded as races 2, 3 and 4.
Lily Stride skipped leg
one, dominated her rivals in the second leg and returns to start from the rail
as the 6-6 morning line choice in the middle division on Thursday. The gifted
daughter of Muscle Hill from Sterling Volo cost her Australian owners Emilio
and Maria Rosati the hefty sum of $220,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling
Sale last fall and has already shown a considerable return on investment.
A winner thrice in five
tries to go along with a second in her elimination race then third in the final
of the prestigious Jim Doherty Memorial, Lily Stride has earned back nearly
$90,000 thus far. She set a personal speed record of 1:55.2 in her effortless
KYSS leg two score. Mark Harder trains and Jeff Gregory is back in town for the
drive on Thursday.
The colts split into a
pair of divisions and the seventh race came up loaded. No fewer than four
previous KYSS leg winners along with impressive Indiana invader All On Black
all drew into that split.
Hat Trick Habit and
Wolfgang (Jimmy Takter) are among the very best of this lot and have drawn into
the same division every time with the upcoming third leg serving as their
personal rubber match.
Hat Trick Habit sat a
tight pocket to Wolfgang for Dave Palone and edged past that stubborn rival on
the wire after a stretch-long fight for the 1:55.2 win on behalf of owner Fred
Monteleone and trainer Frank Antonacci.
Wolfgang has the fastest
time of the series thus far via his 1:54.2 opening leg victory for
driver/trainer Jimmy Takter. He’s fast and consistent and will be in play again
on Thursday owners Brixton Medical, Goran Falk, Hatfield Stable and Fair Island
Farm.
Both Cordoba Hall and
Haveitalltogether also have a KYSS win on their resume and will contest the
issue in that seventh race as well.
The rookie pacers race
the last leg of their KYSS prelims on Saturday as they jockey for a spot on the
gate in the $250,000 finals for each on September 17.
Post time on Thursday is
7:00 p.m.
