On Tuesday (Sept. 6), The Red Mile will host two $80,000 fourth round legs of the Kentucky Championship Series, two $30,000 fourth round legs of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series and four $15,000 legs of the Kentucky Golden Rod Series for freshman female and male trotters and pacers.
Confederate and Kopi Luwak meet for the first time in the Championship division for two-year-old male pacers and the occasion possesses the potential to produce a budding new rivalry in the sport.
In the Championship event for two-year-old filly trotters, Special Way continues her pursuit of a Kentucky title.
Confederate (Sweet Lou-Geothermal) seeks his third consecutive victory and second in this series. Trained by Brian Brown, the colt and Tim Tetrick will leave post position seven in the seventh race. Confederate competes as a homebred for Diamond Creek Farm and is 5-2 on the morning line.
After two qualifying wins at the Delaware County Fairgrounds and Eldorado Scioto Downs, Confederate was scratched from his career bow at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on July 20. He returned to finish third in his debut on July 28 at the same facility. He broke his maiden in the first leg of the Commonwealth Series for his age, sex and gait at The Red Mile on Aug. 7 in 1:51.2. His final time was a full second faster than El Rey (Dexter Dunn), his closest pursuer and his last quarter panel was :26.3.
Confederate collected the second win of his young career in the second leg of the Championship Series on Aug. 16 with another sizzling last quarter mile. The colt and Tetrick were content to allow post time favourite Blue Lou (Andrew McCarthy) to lead the field through fractions of :27.3, :57 and 1:23.3 in third. As the field entered the stretch Confederate simply passed Its My Show (Yannick Gingras) and sailed by Blue Lou to stop the clock in 1:49.3. Its My Show was second and Command (Todd McCarthy) came home third.
The colt paced his last split in :25.3 to establish a new lifetime best.
Confederate is the first foal out of the unraced Geothermal, a half-sibling to three-time Dan Patch Award winner Pure Country ($2.6 million) and Territory (Sweet Lou, $160,769). She is a full sibling to Grand Teton ($566,295).
Confederate has earned $56,200 in purse money from a record of 3-2-0-1.
Kopi Luwak (Stay Hungry-Auniqueaquistion) is also vying for his second triumph in this series and a win would be his second consecutive victory. The colt will leave from post position five with David Miller in the bike and is 5-2 on the morning line.
Trained by Tony Alagna, Kopi Luwak broke his maiden in his last start in this series on Aug. 28 in 1:49.2 by a nose. He was scratched from the second leg on Aug. 16 and was second by a neck to Blue Lou in the first round.
Like Confederate, Kopi Luwak hails from a quality female line. His dam won $375,007 while competing exclusively in Illinois and is a full sibling to 2012 Illinois Horse of the Year Iam Bonasera ($864,058) and 2008 Orange and Blue champion Enzo The Baker ($198,090). Auniqueaquistion carried on the family tradition of excellence on and off the track. From four live offspring, three have amassed more than $100,000 in purse money.
Kopi Luwak was bred by Steve Stewart and John Carver. The colt was a $160,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase last year by Brad Grant and Steve Heimbecker. He has earned $65,000 and has a record of 3-1-2-0.
Special Way (Walner-Special Hill) and her driver/trainer Ake Svanstedt will endeavour to extend the filly’s winning streak to three and remain undefeated in the Bluegrass in the Championship division for freshman filly trotters. She broke her maiden in her third pari-mutuel appearance on Aug. 15 in the second leg of this series in 1:52.2. prior to her second score in 1:54.3 in the third round on Aug. 30.
The filly competes as a homebred for Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and Al Libfield. Her dam is a full sibling to Beautiful Game ($302,496) and a half sibling to Special Honor ($301,147).
Special Way has banked $85,975 from a record of 4-2-1-0.
The two Commonwealth divisions consist of one event for male freshman pacers and another for two-year-old filly trotters.
The four Golden Rod divisions are comprised of two contests for female freshman trotters and two races for two-year-old male pacers.
The Red Mile will provide a $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 (races six through nine) in conjunction with the U.S. Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering program.
Sire stakes action continues Sunday (Sept. 11) at the Lexington oval with a first post of 1 p.m. EDT.
(With files from The Red Mile)