Lexington, KY — Top Reacher split rivals from a ground-saving trip and collared his rough-gaited stablemate Command Center in the closing strides of a 1:54 mile to land a 24-1 upset in the $80,000 Kentucky Championship Series opening preliminary for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings on Monday afternoon (Aug. 3) at The Red Mile.
Starting from the pylon draw, Top Reacher (driven by Mattias Melander) pushed forward and inherited the pocket spot when Captain Kenny J (Tim Tetrick) broke stride past a :28.2 first quarter, leaving Special Day (Andy McCarthy) on the lead. Melander followed the leader steadily to a :57.2 half as Command Center, the 1-2 favorite, floated off the pylons from third to push uncovered towards the top into the last turn.
Command Center loomed within a length of the leader by three-quarters in 1:26.1 and snatched a narrow lead coming into the stretch. Top Reacher looped by a tiring Special Day to enter the fold with Oliver Blu (Scott Zeron) tracking his move and Nights In Miami (Marvin Luna) closing ground from the middle of the pack late. Command Center clung to a diminishing lead and rolled off stride in the final yards while Top Reacher kept surging and put a neck in front at the beam. Oliver Blu took second via disqualification with Command Center, finishing second, placed third for a lapped-on break at the finish. Nights In Miami took fourth.
Marcus Melander trains Top Reacher, a colt by Muscle Hill-Top Expectations, for owner-breeder Daniel Plouffe. The colt won his second race from three starts and has now earned $58,750. He paid $51.14 to win.
A trio of $30,000 Kentucky Commonwealth divisions were also contested on Monday with Whateverittakes As (Tony Hall; $3.14 to win) and Kountry Win (Yannick Gingras; $6.92) sharing top honors with 1:54.3 victories in their respective divisions. Hall brushed to the lead with 1-2 favorite Whateverittakes As through the last turn to win comfortably by 1-3/4 lengths over Capt Osborne (Tim Tetrick), who followed the winner’s cover for second. Gingras similarly brushed for the lead in the middle of the race and strode under wraps to a half-length win over pocket-popping Gustav Vasa (Marcus Melander). Gaining Muscle (David Miller, 1:56.1 winning mile; $64.32) lifted from a stalking trip to win as the longest shot on the board in the other Kentucky Commonwealth division.
Anette Lorentzon trains Whateverittakes As, a colt by Walner-Fortunes Dream, for owner-breeder ACL Stuteri Ab while Ron Burke trains Kountry Win, a King Of The North-Winndevie colt, for owners Bradley Grant, Robert LeBlanc and Robbie Pryde.
Trainer Marcus Melander swept the three $15,000 Kentucky Golden Rod divisions on the day, part of a six-win day for the conditioner with driver Dexter Dunn piloting five of the Melander winners. Melander pupils Erupption Zone (Dexter Dunn, 1:57.2; $27.82), Kaws (Scott Zeron, 1:56.3; $3.02) and Octavius (Dexter Dunn, 1:55.4; $5.26) all won in Golden Rod action while Gagosian (Dexter Dunn, 1:57.1; $4) and Opposition (Dexter Dunn, 1:58; $8.40) registered wins within the three Kentucky Wildcat divisions contested on the 15-race card.
Live harness racing at The Red Mile continues on Tuesday (Aug. 4) with a 15-race card headlined by an $80,000 Kentucky Championship Series division for 2-year-old pacing fillies, carded as Race 6. First-race post time at The Red Mile is 1 p.m.