by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager

Lexington, KY — A pair of divisions in the $243,000 Bluegrass Series for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters were among tha all-stakes card on Saturday (Oct. 23) at The Red Mile.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Break The Bank K (#5) was a narrow winner over Il Villaggio.

In the $121,500 first division, Breeders Crown champion Break The Bank K wore down a game Il Villaggio at the wire to score in a time of 1:51.3. Brian Sears was in the bike as the Revenue S-American Misty mare, owned by Robert Key and trained by Trond Smedshammer, won for the fifth time in 18 trips to the post. He has banked $770,919 this year.

Jody Jamieson sent Il Villaggio to the top from post six and they set fractions of :28, :55.1 and 1:23.1. Break The Bank K sat fourth for most of the mile, then Sears turned him loose in the lane. They engaged Il Villaggio in deep stretch and just got up at the wire for the half-length win. Winning Fireworks finished third for Jim Morrill, Jr.

“I was surprised at how good Il Villaggio was,” said winning driver Brian Sears. “But my horse was good too.”

The $121,500 second division went to Lucky Chucky in a time of 1:50.4, a new lifetime mark and a national season’s record for a sophomore trotting colt on a mile track. John Campbell was in the bike for trainer Chuck Sylvester as the Windsong’s Legacy-Aerobics colt won for the fifth time in 11 season’s starts. The colt has earned $1,432,325 this year for owners SGS Partners, Perretti Racing Stable and Lindy Racing Stable.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Lucky Chucky was a 1:50.4 winner, a national season’s mark, with John Campbell in the bike.

Wishing Stone and George Brennan fired out to the lead from the eight hole and took the field to the opening quarter in :27.1. But Campbell was not about to wait with Lucky Chucky. After getting away fourth, he powered past the leaders on the backstretch and was first on the rim at the :54.3 half-mile marker.

Lucky Chucky cleared to the lead by the final turn and tripped the three-quarter timer in 1:23.1. From there it was all Lucky Chucky and all Wishing Stone could do was chase the eventual winner. Lucky Chucky trotted a final quarter in :27.3 on his way to the 1:50.4 score. Wishing Stone was a game second, 1-3/4 lengths behind the winner, and He’s A Demon (Jody Jamieson) was third.

“He tries his heart out every start,” said Campbell. “He’s just got the attitude that I’m going to trot as hard as I can every race. He scored down good and was still trotting right to the wire.”

“It’s just been incredible,” added trainer Chuck Sylvester. “He’s a great horse; a lot better horse than we had last year. He hurt himself in Canada. He cut his quarter and we’ve been dealing with that. If he hadn’t done that, I don’t think he would have been beat the rest of the year. That foot hurts him, but he doesn’t care; he goes on.

“It’s over with for him. The last two or three races have been torture because he’s been sore, but he’s game. He keeps trying, and today he proved it. John drove him to win and he won.”