by Gabe Prewitt, publicity director, The Red Mile

Lexington, KY — It was another fabulous day for racing at The Red Mile as 2-year-old filly pacers took to the track in four divisions of the $386,400 Bluegrass Stakes.

It proved advantageous to have a local connection, as all four winners were either Kentucky bred or owned, and all four winners had also previously had starts locally at The Red Mile.

Warrawee Kay was a 1:51.3 winner in her Bluegrass division for Ron Pierce.

The first stakes winner of the day was Warrawee Kay, a daughter of Real Desire-Armbro Wisdom, as she took the first of four $96,600 divisions. Driver Ron Pierce had the filly surging up to the lead as the field straightened out up the backstretch and they stopped the half-mile timer in a sizzling :54.4. The hot pace would not prove too much for the filly, as she fended off the competition down the lane to score a 1-1/2 length win in 1:51.3, a new lifetime mark. West Of L A (Steve Condren) used a late rally all the way from last to score the place position, while Campus Cutie (Brian Sears) closed from next to last to finish third.

The win was the fourth in only seven starts for the filly that finished second in last month’s $300,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes Final at The Red Mile. She pushed her seasonal earnings to over $155,000 and returned $2.40 as the heavy favorite. Steve Elliott trains the filly for Alan Keith.

Another Kentucky-sired daughter of Real Desire-Because I Said So, Thou Shalt Not, scored the upset in one of the other $96,600 divisions at odds of 17-1.

Nigel Soult photos

Thou Shalt Not stopped Hawaiian Drink by two lengths in a time of 1:52.1.

Driver Ron Pierce tucked the filly away sixth in the early going and followed up second over cover before tipping three-wide at the head of the stretch and using a :27.2 final quarter to draw clear by two lengths on the wire in 1:52.1, also a lifetime mark. She returned $36.00 in picking up her second win of the season, and also earned a fifth place check in last month’s $300,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes Final. Erv Miller trains the filly for John Carver, Louis Willinger and the Mystical Marker Farms. Hawaiian Drink (Mike Saftic) salvaged second after holding the early lead, while Shanghai Lil (Dan Shetler) closed from last to pick up the show spot.

The other two $96,600 divisions were taken by daughters of Western Ideal that are owned by the Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky. Precious Stone (Western Ideal-Bewitching Jewell) and driver Mike Lachance scored by three-quarters of a length in 1:52.3, while Perfectionist (Western Ideal-Sounds Perfect) and driver Ron Pierce picked up a half-length victory in 1:53.2.

Grand Circuit racing continues on Thursday afternoon, September 25, with five divisions of the $489,000 Bluegrass Series for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters. First post is at 12:30 p.m.