by Nick Salvi for the Red Mile

Digital Z Tam rallied from off the pace to win the $200,000 final of the Kentucky Sires Stake for two-year-old colt pacers in a career best 1:52.2 Saturday night at The Red Mile.

Digital Z Tam was reserved in seventh through the early stages as first Proven Lover and then All Due Respect set a fair pace on the lead. Driver Mike Lachance worked out a third over trip behind race favorite Cue The Paige, who looked like a winner after wrestling the lead from All Due Respect in early stretch. Under a rousing stretch drive by Lachance, Digital Z Tam was relentless in his pursuit and wore down Cue The Paige in the last hundred yards to win by a length. Spin Rate got up for third.

Photo by Nigel Soult

Digital Z Tam, driven by Mike Lachance, won the $200,000 final of the Kentucky Sires Stake for two-year-old colt pacers in a career best 1:52.2.

Driver Lachance described his strategy post race. “We had raced him of the front the last few times to get him into the final, but I know he is a better horse racing from behind. I wasn’t sure how easily he’d come back to me off the gate, but he relaxed and wound up getting the perfect trip behind the right horse. Chris has done a wonderful job with him here for Patrick (Lachance, the colt’s regular conditioner) and he will keep the horse here for the Grand Circuit races.”

Trained locally by Chris Freck for the MJGB Racing Stable, the winner is a son of Cambest, completing a sweep in the KYSS pacing events for that sire, and was sold at the Walnut Hall, LTD auction at Tattersalls last year for $70,000.

Sunday night at The Red Mile promises to be the best of the 2006 season thus far, featuring the $234,500 Moni Maker 3-year-old filly trot, the $61,000 John Simpson Memorial for 3-year-old filly pacers and three $13,500 divisions of the Simpson 2YO colt trot. Post time is 7:30 PM.