Lexington, KY — On Monday (Sept. 15) The Red Mile will host eight $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series Finals for freshman and sophomore male and female trotters and pacers on a 17-race card. Although it may not be the Championship Series, horses such as champion Miki And Minnie, have often competed in this series on their career journey.
Pelling holds strong hand in 3-year-old pacing contests
Found (Todd McCarthy) is seeking a series sweep and has won four consecutive races in Lexington. The only blemish on the record of the 3-year-old daughter of Always B Miki-Geothermal was a third-place finish at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in June. She is 8-7-0-1 in 2025.
The filly will begin from post position six in the field of seven and is 6-5 on the morning line for trainer Brett Pelling.
Competing as a homebred for Diamond Creek Farm, Found is a half sibling to world champion and 2023 Horse of the Year Confederate (Sweet Lou, $2.07 million). The filly was lightly raced as a 2-year-old with a 5-2-2-0 record. All of her appearances were at The Red Mile in the Kentucky Wildcat Series.
Found has banked $96,200 and has nine wins from 13 trips to the gate.
Pelling, T. McCarthy and Diamond Creek Farm also combine forces in the 3-year-old male pace with Fusion. The son of Always B Miki and the Dan Patch Award winner Pure Country captured the Commonwealth Series last year enroute to a seasonal record of 6-4-1-0. He is currently on a three-race win streak with two victories in the Kentucky Golden Rod Series prior to moving up to the Commonwealth.
The colt was assigned post position three and is 5-2 on the morning line in the field of seven.
Fusion is a homebred for the same connections and operation as Found. The colt has earned $151,447 with a resume of 13-8-2-0.
Melander possesses plenty of power in 3-year-old trotting events
The facility’s leading conditioner, Marcus Melander, has several strong contenders in the sophomore trotting races for each sex. In the male division, he sends Global Sensation (Dexter Dunn) and Blank (Andrew McCarthy) to the post from his shed row.
Global Sensation is 3-1 on the morning line from post position 10 in a field of 10. The son of Chapter Seven-Fly Angel Fly has won three out of his last four races, which were all Commonwealth Series legs.
Bred by Al Libfeld, Marvin Katz and Sam Goldband, the gelding was a $160,000 purchase by Holly Lane Stud East, Daniel Plouffe and Jean Christophe Plouffe at the 2023 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
Global Sensation is 13-5-2-4 and has earned $121,500.
Blank (Andrew McCarthy) will leave from post position eight and is 7-2 on the morning line. The son of Gimpanzee-Cover Girl has yet to visit the winner’s enclosure from nine starts this season.
The colt was competitive in last year’s Championship Series and was fourth in the $700,000 Breeders Crown Final behind stablemate Maryland. This year, however, he has been placed with some of the best in his division, including a third in a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial and in his Hambletonian elimination, but has yet to break through.
Blank has been second and third in the last two legs of this series.
Bred by Diamond Creek Farm, the colt was a $150,000 selection for S R F Stable and Holly Lane Stud East at the 2023 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
Blank is 19-2-2-5 and has collected $258,827 in purse money. His second dam is Dan Patch Award winner To Dream On (Credit Winner, $975,395).
Kadena (A. McCarthy) is Melander’s entry in the Commonwealth Final for sophomore filly trotters. The daughter of Gimpanzee-Mission Brief is 5-2 on the morning line and will commence trotting from post position two in the field of seven.
The filly was second in this event last year and won the first two legs of this series after finishing fourth in her Hambletonian Oaks elimination. She has been second in the other two legs by a nose and a head.
Bred by Mission Brief Stable, Kadena was the sales topper at the 2023 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale for a $800,000 price tag. That check was signed by Jeffrey Snyder and S R F Stable.
The filly has a record of 16-5-5-1 and has amassed $173,017 in purses.
Zaheera, Zephyr Kemp aim for victory in Commonwealth 2-year-old trotting contests
Trainer Noel Daley hopes to celebrate in the winner’s circle with Zaheera and driver A. McCarthy. The daughter of Gimpanzee-Tiffany Dany It will begin her mile from post position four and is 5-2 on the morning line in the race for freshman filly pacers.
The filly is 5-1-4-0 with her maiden breaking score coming in the last leg of this series after three second place finishes in the same competition.
Bred by Lina Alm, Zaheera was purchased privately by Allister Racing Stables, Harbor Racing Stable, her trainer and Sjoblom Racing.
She has banked $40,125.
Zephyr Kemp provides Dunn and Melander with another opportunity to notch a victory. The son of Calgary Games-Southwind Adele drew post position five in the field of 10 and is 2-1 on the morning line.
With $65,200 in his bank account, the colt is 7-3-0-0 and is on a two-race win streak after collecting wins in the last two legs of this series.
Bred by Kemppi Stables Oy and Suojalampi Stables, Zephyr Kemp is owned by his breeders, PCW Racing and Sjoblom Racing.
Ryder doubles up with Need You Now, Captain Apple
In the Commonwealth Final for freshman pacing fillies Ryder will harness Need You Now, who will be steered by Patrick Ryder. The daughter of Captaintreacherous-Dream Outloud was assigned post position one and is 9-2 on the morning line in the field of 10.
The filly kicked off her career with two wins, including the first leg of this series before coming home third, then second twice in the following races.
Need You Now is 5-2-2-1 with a bankroll of $43,600.
She is a homebred for Fred Kruszelnicki.
Captain Apple will represent Ryder in the 2-year-old male pace with Dunn holding the lines. The son of Captaintreacherous-Apple Hanover will start from post position four in the field of 10 and is 9-2 on the morning line.
The colt broke his maiden with a triumph in the third leg of this series last month and has been third in two legs. He dead-heated for fifth in the remaining race.
Captain Apple is 4-1-0-2 and has earned $22,950.
The colt was bred by Let It Ride Stables and J L Benson Stables. He was brought home from the 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale for $40,000 by his trainer, Lisa Ezzo, Alan Johnston and his breeder.
Captain Apple’s second dam, Allamerican Cognac (Real Desire, $36,463) produced six horses from her first seven foals to eclipse the $100,000 mark in purse money earned. His dam is included in that category.
Racing will continue through this week, following a Sunday through Tuesday schedule as Kentucky Sire Stakes Finals continue on Monday (Sept. 15) and Tuesday (Sept. 16) for the Commonwealth and Golden Rod Series. Fans and horsemen can look forward to 5:05 p.m. post time on Sunday, and 1:00 p.m. post times on Monday and Tuesday throughout the meet before the Grand Circuit comes to town for its two-week stint. The meet officially concludes on Sunday (Oct. 5).
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.