Lexington, KY – On Wednesday (Aug. 13) O’Brien Award winner Highland Kismet set the tone for another terrific day of competition at The Red Mile. The 4-year-old gelding set a track record for his age, gait and sex in 1:50.1 in an Open Handicap which went off as the first race on a 16-race card. The day’s events also included two $80,000 second round legs of the Kentucky Championship Series for sophomore filly pacers and male trotters, two $30,000 second round Kentucky Commonwealth Series divisions for 3-year-old male trotters, five second round $15,000 Kentucky Golden Rod Series for 3-year-olds of both gaits and sexes, and two $10,000 second round legs of Kentucky Wildcat Series for sophomore male and female trotters and pacers.
Highland Kismet sails over The Red Mile surface
Sent off as the second choice in the field of seven, Highland Kismet and Tim Tetrick wired the field in 1:50.1 to etch their names in The Red Mile record books for trainer Nancy Takter.
Leaving from post position five, the son of Father Patrick-Highland Top Hill took control from the outset and established fractions of :27, :54.4 and 1:22.2. Spy Coast (Yannick Gingras) chased admirably and also trotted a :27.4 final panel but simply his efforts were in vain. Longshot Tom’s Muscle (Ernie Hendry, 44-1) closed for third.
Bred by Highland Thoroughbred Farm, Highland Kismet is no stranger to The Red Mile’s winner circle as he won a $85,300 division of the Bluegrass Stake in Lexington last fall. The gelding, who was second in last year’s $1.05 million Hambletonian to Karl, collected his first win from five starts this season and first for new conditioner, Takter, who took over the reins several months ago.
Highland Kismet has a record of 22-9-2-0 and has earned $540,056. The gelding paid $7.26 to his supporters, and the time is a new lifetime mark.
Looksgoodinloulou, Mr Mouton have their pictures taken in Championship Series
Yannick Gingras and Looksgoodinloulou handed favored Unreasonable (Marcus Miller) her first loss in her last five starts in the division for 3-year-old filly pacers in 1:48.4. Caviart Delight (Scott Zeron) was third.
Trained by Ron Burke, world champion Looksgoodinloulou was one of the top fillies in her division last year and was second by a nose to champion Miki And Minnie in the $400,000 Championship Series Final last fall.
This year the filly was not quite exhibiting the same form she had last year and entered a fifth behind Unreasonable last week.
This week, the daughter of Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper was assigned the rail. Unreasonable went straight to the lead from post position four in the field of five. That filly set fractions of :27, :54.1 and 1:22.3 with Looksgoodinloulou merely following her lead in second.
As the fillies entered the final drive to the wire, Looksgoodinloulou simply outfinished Unreasonable with a final quarter in :26. Unreasonable held her own with her panel in :26.1 but turned up on the short end of the wire.
Bred by Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, Looksgoodinloulou is owned by her breeders in addition to Lawrence Karr and Phillip Collura.
The filly paid $9.92 to win. Her record stands at 14-7-3-0 and she has banked $384,087.
Fresh off his world-record equaling effort, favored Mr Mouton (Dexter Dunn) wired the field of eight to take the Championship division for sophomore male trotters in 1:51.4 for trainer Ake Svanstedt.
Gimpanzee Dancer (Andrew McCarthy) was second and longshot Mountcastle (Zeron, 67-1) was third.
There’s not really much to tell about this contest, as Mr Mouton began trotting from post position six and went straight to the top. He set splits of :28, :56.3 and 1:25.1 en route to victory. He was provided with a brief tussle at the top of lane as Gimpanzee Dancer pulled within a head but it was to no avail.
Bred by R. Kevin Greenfield, Mr Mouton is an altered son of Chapter Seven and the Father Patrick mare Burberry. He now has two consecutive wins at The Red Mile since finishing fifth in his Hambletonian elimination on July 26.
Mr Mouton only started once as a 2-year-old in a New York Sire Stake event at Saratoga Harness, but he did break his maiden and defeated Kentucky champion and $1 million Hambletonian second-place finisher Super Chapter.
The gelding was purchased for $140,000 by Knutson Trotting, Little E LLC, Stolz Geiger and Jorgen Sparredal Inc. under the name Count Seven. Mr Mouton paid $2.38 to win. He possesses a resume of 7-4-2 and has earned $143,713.
Chat Room gives Butenschoen win 2,000, Global Sensation prevails in Commonwealth Series
Chat Room and Tetrick the first Commonwealth Series event by a neck in 1:52.1 as the favorite. It was the always amenable and graceful John Butenschoen’s 2,000th winner as a trainer. Herecomesdajudge (Andy Miller) was second and Big Shoes (Gingras) was third.
The son of Chapter Seven-Fatima Blush was bred by Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband and Al Libfeld. He was purchased at the 2023 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale for $47,000 by James Crawford IV, Charles Rowe, David Miller and Lawrence Means.
Chat Room paid $4.50 to win. He has amassed $250,547 in purse money with a record of 18-6-2-3.
Global Sensation and Dunn took the second division of this series in 1:52.3 as the favorite for trainer Marcus Melander. Precise Landing (David Miller) was second and Onemore Volo (Todd McCarthy) was third.
The son of Chapter Seven-Fly Angel Fly wired the field of seven.
Global Sensation was bred by Al Libfeld, Marvin Katz and Sam Goldband. He was purchased for $160,000 at the 2023 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale by Holly Lane Stud East, Daniel Plouffe and Jean Plouffe.
The gelding’s record is now 19-4-4-3 and he has earned $131,325.
Global Sensation paid $4.60 to win.
Flossy Hill wins first Golden Rod Series division
Joining Flossy Hill (T. McCarthy, $19.16) as Golden Rod Series winners on the day were Whiskey Wow (David Miller, $11.98), JK Fancy Nancy (Dunn, $6.62), Ake Palema (Zeron, $2.82) and Manforce (Dunn, $9.16).
Sky Legacy (A. McCarthy, $6.86) and Aintnothingucando (Terry Skinner, $51.24) won the two divisions of the Wildcat Series.
Racing will continue through Sunday (Oct. 5), following a Sunday through Wednesday schedule. Fans and horsemen can look forward to 5:05 p.m.post times on Sundays, and 1:00 p.m. post times on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays throughout the meet. Please be advised post times on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are subject to change due to the fluctuations in extreme heat and various other weather conditions across the nation.
The Red Mile will once again feature industry low takeout on the pari-mutuel side of things while offering fans a full buffet of wagering options including bookend daily double wagering exacta and trifecta wagering, 20 cent superfectas, Pick-3, Pick-4, Pick-5 and Pick-6 offerings and the Super Hi-5.
For more information on the upcoming draw schedule, promotional events, the live racing calendar, or free racing program pages, please visit www.redmileracing.