Lexington, KY – As we usher in the fall season on Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 1), 2-year-old filly trotters will take center stage on the 12-race card at The Red Mile. An intriguing field of nine will go to post in the $80,000 fourth round leg of the Kentucky Championship Series.
The main event will be supported by two $30,000 divisions of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series, three $15,000 splits of the Kentucky Golden Rod Stakes and two $10,000 divisions of the Kentucky Wildcat Series. All these young ladies are competing to cement their slots in the finals conducted Sunday (Sept. 14) through Tuesday (Sept. 16) worth more than $4 million.
Can Carve defeat Leading Lady in the Championship Series?
At 9-2 on the morning line, Carve (62) is third in the points standings in this division behind Setyoursightshigh (100), who is not in the box this week, and Leading Lady (100) who is. The daughter of Captain Corey-Alpine has danced every dance and has never failed to hit the board in six starts with a record of 6-0-4-2 and bankroll of $67,166.
But first she will have to contend with Leading Lady and seven other fillies.
Leading Lady will have Yannick Gingras in the bike when she commences her mile from post position three and is 9-5 on the morning line.
The daughter of Walner-Muscle Dolly is conditioned by Nancy Takter and is on a two-race win streak since traveling to Lexington from the Garden State. Her only miscue in four starts was as the favorite in the $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final on Hambletonian Day.
In her last triumph, however, she had to dig deep as she defeated Jailbird Jog by a neck with Carve another neck back to complete the trifecta.
Bred by Marvin and Lynn Katz in addition to Al Libfeld, Leading Lady is owned by Black Horse Racing, Marvin Katz and Herb Liverman. She went through the ring for $110,000 at the 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
Her third dam, Domestic Diva, is a half-sister to champion Maven.
Leading Lady has earned $92,500 in purse money and her speed badge of 1:53.1 was established over the red clay on Aug. 11.
Takter will also send out Madame Cheval (Dexter Dunn, post position six, 8-1). The daughter of champions Walner and Shake It Cerry has one win from four starts but is on the improve.
Like Takter, Noel Daley, the defending Trainer of the Year, will harness two fillies in this contest with Andrew McCarthy steering Carve and his brother Todd, guiding Naked And Famous (post position one, 12-1).
Carve was a strong second to the aforementioned Setyoursightshigh on each occasion in the first two legs of this series, then third behind Leading Lady and Jailbird Jog last week in another admirable effort.
Is Monday the day Carve will cease to be the bridesmaid?
Bred by Diamond Creek Farm, the filly brings her own quality family tree to the racetrack. Her third dam is Dan Patch Award winner Pizza Dolce and her granddam, Miss Paris, is an Ontario champion that amassed $865,160 during her first career.
Carve was selected by Kemppi Stables Oy Inc. for $170,000 at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. She is currently leased to Patricia Stable, L A Express Stable and Sjoblom Racing.
Naked And Famous has yet to demonstrate her best stride in the Bluegrass with a win and second from five starts but the rail draw in this field may prove advantageous.
Lainey W, Lindy In My Dreams seek to continue Commonwealth Series win streaks
Assigned post position two in the first division, Lainey W is 2-1 on the morning line with Scott Zeron holding the reins for trainer Marcus Melander in the field of eight. The daughter of Bar Hopping-The Black Beauty is trotting for a sweep of all four series legs and set her lifetime mark of 1:53.4 in the last round.
Owned by Brittany Farms and Marvin and Lynn Katz, the filly was bred by Kentuckiana Farms and Perry Soderberg. She was a $125,000 acquisition at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
This will be Lainey W’s sixth trip facing the starter and she has earned $52,000.
Lindy In My Dreams and Dunn will be vying for the filly’s third consecutive victory over this surface and of her career for trainer Domenico Cecere. The daughter of Ready For Moni-Lindy Of My Dreams will leave from post position seven in the field of nine and is 5-2 on the morning line.
Like Lainey W, Lindy In My Dreams set her lifetime mark of 1:56 in the third round of this series and this will be her fourth start.
The filly is a homebred for Lindy Farms and has banked $31,500
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 p.m. post times on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays throughout the meet.
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.