By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile
LEXINGTON, KY—The Ready Cash colt
Ready For Moni stalked the speed for the first half of the mile and then
pounced on the final turn, surging to a four-length victory to trot the fastest
mile of the three $30,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) divisions for two-year-old
trotting colts on Sunday, Aug. 18 at The Red Mile.
The Per Engblom trainee sat in the
pocket to a :27.4 first quarter while Father Figure protected position from the
pylons to lead briefly. Hit Show parked when trying to take the lead around the
first turn but promptly ducked to fourth as Father Figure maintained his speed
towards a :56.2 half.
Ready For Moni pulled from the
pocket rounding the final turn and edged past the pacesetter after
three-quarters in 1:26.2. From there Ready For Moni scooted clear of Mcmatters
rallying off cover to take second from Legion Of Honor holding third.
Winning her second race from three
starts, Ready For Moni has earned $21,500 for owners John Fielding, Lindy Farms
Of Connecticut, Herb Liverman and Bud Hartfield. Jimmy Takter drove the $2.80
winner.
Ontopofthehill vaulted off cover to
take the first division of KYSS for two-year-old trotting colts, stopping the
clock in 1:57.
Uncle Ed launched for the top from
the outside while Father Dunn moved into second and Bold Moves into third.
Ontopofthehill sat sixth past a :29.3 before catching cover from St Martins,
who marched uncovered towards the leader through a :58.4 half and drew to equal
terms by three-quarters in 1:28.1.
Driver Chris Page pulled
Ontopofthehill off cover for the stretch drive while St Martins lost momentum
and went on a gallop. Uncle Ed battled back at the pylons but managed only to
hold second, three-quarter lengths behind the winner, while Hemisphere rallied
from last to take third.
Owned by Elite Trotting,
Ontopofthehill won his first race from six starts, earning $34,021. Ron Burke
conditions the Brittany Farms-bred son of Muscle Hill who paid $4.20 to win.
Expectations protected the front and
turned away a first-over challenge to take the final KYSS colt split in 1:55.4.
Driver Mattias Melander pushed the
Marcus Melander trainee from the pylons but yielded the lead to Sheena Soldier
heading to a :28.3 opening quarter. Melander then swung the Muscle Hill colt
around Sheena Soldier to take command moving up the backstretch. Sermon,
sitting third, tracked his move but got caught first over while matching
strides with the leader past a :56.3 half.
Sermon stuck to Expectation’s side
passing three-quarters in 1:25.3 but soon faltered through the stretch. Rays
The Limits, stalking the speed duel from fourth, angled towards the center of
the course and rallied for second while Jax Reddy came from last for third.
Bred by Dunroven Stud LLC,
Expectations won his first race from five starts, earning $61,899. Vicky
Trotting Inc. owns the $3.60 winner.
Odds-on favorite Ms Savannah Belle
travelled overland to win the fastest of the three $30,000 KYSS filly splits by
a one-and-a-quarter lengths when trotting a 1:55 mile in the opening division.
Driver Jimmy Takter positioned the
Muscle Hill filly fifth while 117-1 shot Oblivion landed on the lead past a :29
opening quarter. Takter then tipped the Per Engblom trainee first over and
gained on the leader past a :57 half while flushing cover from Fortune Telln
Lady heading towards three-quarters in 1:26.2.
Ms Savannah Belle fanned towards the
center of the course moving to the top of the stretch and slid to control as
Guinevere Hall hustled through a seam at the inside to take second,
one-and-a-quarter lengths behind. Caviart Guilia closed for third.
A homebred filly for Al Libfeld, Ms
Savannah Belle won her first race from four starts, earning $39,658. She paid
$3.20 to win.
With early leader Caviart Eva going
on a break past the quarter, Crucial inherited the top and held command for the
remainder of the mile to take the second filly split of the KYSS.
Caviart Eva cleared the front from
post 7 circling the first turn while Crucial slid into the pocket ahead of
Molto Bene racing third. Following a :29.2 opening quarter Caviart Eva began to
gallop and retreated towards the rear of the field while Miss Kendra D angled
first over to challenge the leader after a :59.2 half.
Miss Kendra D drew closer to the Ron
Burke-trained daughter of Father Patrick and raced only a neck off the lead
past three-quarters in 1:28.4 but began to stall when turning for the finish.
Molto Bene went on a break from the pocket, which also knocked Sentebale,
Hecate and Billie Claire off stride in the backfield all while Crucial clung to
a slimming lead. She hit the finish a neck better than Shishito, who closed
from second over to take second. Miss Kendra D settled for third.
Winning her third race from four
starts, Crucial has accrued $67,623 in earnings for owners Burke Racing Stable
LLC, William Donovan, Jerry & Theresa Silva Stables, Purnel & Libby and
Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Chris Page piloted the $3.20 winner.
Violet Stride took the final KYSS
filly division going coast to coast, trotting the mile in 1:56.
Driver Chris Page pushed the
daughter of Trixton towards the front from the center of the gate, leading
Julia C to a :28.1 opening quarter. The Mark Harder trainee faced little
pressure heading to a :57.3 half while Do You Wanna Dance, positioned fourth,
edged first over but stalled rounding the final turn.
Violet Stride continued to lead
Julia C passing three-quarters in 1:27.2 as the pocket-sitter mounted her bid
for the stretch drive. However Julia C broke midway through the stretch while
Page dug into Violet Stride to hit the finish ahead of Cover Girl closing from
last for second. Heaven, stalking the top two, took third.
Winning her first race from five
starts, Violet Stride—bred by Kentuckiana Farms LLC and Jorgen Jahre Jr. of
Norway—has earned $19,250 for owners Emilio and Maria Rosati. She paid $11.40
to win.
Kentucky Sires Stakes action
continues at The Red Mile on Thursday, Aug. 22 with two-year-old pacing colts
and fillies competing in $30,000 divisions for the second preliminary. The card
will start at 7:00 p.m. (EDT).
