by Ray Cotolo, for Red Mile

Lexington, KY — The Trond Smedshammer-trained Explosive Matter filly Phaetosive won her fourth consecutive race and her seventh from nine starts this season when she cruised to a 1:51.3 victory in the third of three divisions of the $206,000 Cantab Hall Bluegrass 3-year-old filly trot, sponsored by Hanover Shoe Farms and Brittany Farms, on Sunday (Sept. 30) at Red Mile.

Nigel Soult photo

Phaetosive wins her fourth consecutive race at Red Mile on Sunday afternoon.

What A Knockout led early as Lily Stride, from post one, inherited the pocket and Phaetosive floated into third. Past the first quarter in :28.4, What A Knockout trotted unchallenged to a :56.1 half while Seviyorum, racing second to last, tipped off the rail and began an uncovered bid.

Smedshammer flushed first-over with Phaetosive heading into the final turn and swiftly overtook What A Knockout past three-quarters in 1:24.1. Phaetosive kept to task through the stretch as Lily Stride finagled out of the pocket to snag second from Seviyorum in third. Piranha Fury, off a rail trip, closed for fourth.

Surpassing $800,000 in career earnings, Phaetosive, competing for the Purple Haze Stables LLC, collected her 11th victory in her 16th start career. Sent the 1-9 favorite, she paid $2.10 to win.

Odds-on favorite Supergirl Riley circled to the top past the half and kicked to a 3-3/4 length victory in the first split of the Bluegrass filly trot, winning in 1:52.2.

The Erv Miller-trained daughter of Muscle Mass pushed for the lead early before yielding to Urban Legend toward the center of the track. By the first quarter in :28, Marcus Miller pulled Supergirl Riley from the pocket to cleared control before a :56 half.

Live Laugh Love, positioned fifth, tipped first over and rushed towards the pacesetter around the final turn. Supergirl Riley maintained a half-length lead past three-quarters in 1:24.3 and sped into the stretch, expanding her margin to two-and-a-half lengths with Live Laugh Love chasing in second. Fury Road, who edged off the rail and into the second-over spot around the final turn, trotted another two-lengths back in third with Passionate Miss closing from the back for fourth.

Owned by Paymaq Racing, George Golemes and Harvey Eisman, Supergirl Riley won her fifth race in 14 starts this season and her ninth from 23 overall, collecting $375,763 in earnings. She returned $3.80 to win.

Andrew McCarthy launched Chuck Sylvester-trainee Hey Blondie from off cover to take the second Bluegrass split in 1:51.1.

S M S Princess cleared control from post seven with Top Expectations, from post one, sitting the pocket. Hey Blondie sat fifth past the quarter in :28 and stayed in position as S M S Princess quickened to the half in :55.2.

Nixie Volo, from third, angled first over rounding the final turn with Bella Glos second over and Hey Blondie in behind. S M S Princess held onto a half-length lead by three-quarters in 1:23.4 and braced for the backfield blitz into the stretch.

Bella Glos fanned off cover and surged to the front under pursuit of Hey Blondie and Pat Matters kicking wide from fourth over. Hey Blondie overpowered Bella Glos late in the stretch and surged to a three-quarter length victory with Pat Matters finishing two-lengths behind in third and Top Expectations holding fourth.

Winning her third race from 11 starts this season and her eighth from 24 overall, Hey Blondie, by Cantab Hall, has accrued $473,935 in earnings for owners Steve Jones, Mary Kinsey Arnold, Paul Borgogna and David Mc Duffee. She paid $8.20 to win.

Grand Circuit action continues at The Red Mile on Thursday (Oct. 4) with divisions of the $350,000 est. International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters. First race post Thursday will be at 1 p.m.