by Gabe Prewitt, publicity director, The Red Mile

Lexington, KY — Rain showers soaked the downtown Lexington oval throughout the afternoon and evening on Monday (Sept. 21) and the track was sloppy to say the least, as eight divisions of the John Simpson Memorial Stakes were contested for 2-year old filly pacers, and 2- and 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters.

The 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters were split into two $36,908 divisions, with both being taken by the favorites.

Nigel Soult photo

Big Bikkies won for the fifth time in nine season’s starts in capturing his Simpson Stakes division.

Big Bikkies (Ron Pierce) shipped into Lexington fresh off a dominant 1:53.1 victory in his $130,781 division of the Simcoe Stakes at Mohawk. The 1-5 favorite did not disappoint his backers in Lexington either, as he made every pole a winning one in scoring the 1-3/4 length victory in 1:56.3 on a track conservatively rated just two seconds off.

The son of Windsong’s Legacy-Sheza Hot Cookie picked up his fourth consecutive victory for the Adam Victor & Son Stable LLC and trainer Noel Daley, increasing his seasonal earnings to over $125,000 and quickly becoming one of the top 3-year olds in the country. My Back Pages (Brian Sears) was placed second after Windshear (John Campbell) beat him by a head but was offstride at the finish and placed third.

The other $36,908 John Simpson Memorial division for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters was taken by Cruisealong (Michel Lachance) after he left from the nine hole and yielded for a pocket ride, parlaying that into the half-length win in 1:58.3. The son of Cantab Hall-Glide Path is trained by Ron Gurfein and owned by the Brittany Farms, Jerry Silva, Jay Novak, and Mathias Meinzinger.

Other John Simpson Memorial divisional winners are listed below:

2-year-old Filly Pacers (three $11,522 divisions)
Flip Flop Summer-Travis Seekman (Jenna’s Beach Boy-Gails A Crombie)-1:58.3
You See L A-Michel Lachance (The Panderosa-Los Angeles)-1:56
Say So-Brian Sears (Four Starzzz Shark-Yankee Scandal)-1:59

2-year-old Colt and Gelding Trotters (three $10,975 divisions)
Olla Podriga-Dewayne Minor (Andover Hall-Chili Con Carne)-2:00.2
Muscle Massive-John Campbell (Muscles Yankee-Graceful Touch)-1:59.2
Victor’s Future-Brad Hanners (Valley Victor-Baby Bella)-2:01.3

Muscle Massive’s victory came at the expense of Peter Haughton Memorial champion Holiday Road, who finished sixth, 12 lengths behind the winner, after getting a second-over trip to the three-quarter pole.

Racing action continues at The Red Mile on Thursday evening with four divisions of the John Simpson Memorial Stakes and a first post at 6:30 p.m. for the 12-race program.