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, Kentucky, and seven divisions of 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 out of the accomplished race mare Tadys Comer and cost Richard Gutnick $65,000 at Harrisburg last fall. He’s now won two of three and 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 has 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. Following 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.
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, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and Sam Goldband.
Anonyme Hanover won right back for the Burke Stable equalling the 1:56.3 mark she took last week in the process. The Explosive Matter filly held off the late rally of race favourite 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 Toronto patrons John and Jim Fielding. She was rated behind fast fractions and sailed by under her own power in 1:55 for Takter in the night cap.
The Red Mile will host the Grand Circuit in a week, beginning Thursday, September 26 with a 7 p.m. post time. Over $6 million in purses will be offered over the two weeks of top caliber stakes.
The Kindergarten Series will resume on Friday, October 18 with the finals a week later at Vernon Downs.
(With files from The Red Mile)