Lexington, KY — On Wednesday (Aug. 6), the Red Mile hosted two cards due to inclement weather on the previous day. The first card originally consisted of 12 races, but only stakes events were contested. Brandon Blvd remained undefeated in the sole $80,000 second-round leg of the Kentucky Championship Series for freshman male pacers.
Brandon Blvd rolls down the road in Championship Series
The son of Downbytheseaside-Alexis Faith hit the line in a lifetime best 1:49.3. Funky Buddha (Todd McCarthy) was unable to hold on after setting all the fractions, while Ubrute (Yannick Gingras) closed strongly for third.
Brandon Blvd and Tim Tetrick left from position six in the nine-horse field, which was conducted as a non-wagering event. Todd McCarthy and Funky Buddha assumed command right from the outset. The pair set splits of :27, :54.4 and 1:22.2. Entering the final bend, Brandon Blvd, who patiently sat in fifth for the majority of the mile, was looming in second. The colt paced his final panel in :26.2 to overtake Funky Buddha and hold Ubrute at bay.
Trained by Andrew Harris, Brandon Blvd was bred by Crawford Farms. He was purchased under the name of Wayne Harvey for $425,000 at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale by his trainer, William Pollock and Bruce Areman.
Brandon Blvd, a full sibling to Karma (Tall Dark Stranger, $134,565), is the second foal out of Alexis Faith (American Ideal-Cannae Cammie). She earned $586,546 during her racing career. The mare is a half sister to 2021 Horse of the Year Test Of Faith (Art Major, $2.41). Their dam, by Cam’s Card Shark out of the Jenna’s Beach Boy mare Cannae Peach, earned $538,140.
The colt is now three-for-three with $85,500 in his bank account.
Up In Place, Winnercircleseeker win Commonwealth Series contests
The colt Up In Place (Andy McCarthy) broke his maiden by a nose in 1:51.2 in a $30,000 division of this series for freshman male pacers for trainer Tony Alagna from post position nine in the field of 10. Downbythelakeside (Todd McCarthy) gained by place spot while Drink To That (Scott Zeron) rounded out the trifecta.
The son of Lather Up-Helen’s Place Girl sat in the pocket from the outset of the mile as Im A Real American (David Miller) set all the pace with fractions of :27.1, :55 and 1:23.1.
Up In Place’s pilot simply popped the pocket heading home as the leader retreated and the closers came to call. The colt had enough in the tank to outlast his rivals to have his picture taken for the first time in his career.
Up In Place is co-owned by his breeder and trainer, John Barnard. He was a $22,000 purchase at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. The colt is a half brother to Helen’s Girl (Straight Shooting, $119,578).
Winnercircleseeker broke his maiden in this third attempt with Gingras in the bike in 1:51.2. Fletchers Field (Geremy Bobbitt) was second and Watchfire (Andy McCarthy) was third.
Bred by Randy, Tyler and Zane Wilt, Winnercircleseeker is trained by Ron Burke and was second and third in his previous trips to the post.
The son of Sweet Lou-Don’t Forget was purchased by Burke Racing Stable, Larry Karr, Phillip Collura and Brad Grant for $190,000 at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
He is a half sibling to Hopeyaliketheshow (JK Endofanara, $140,087) and is the third foal out of his dam.
Racing at the Red Mile will continue through Sunday (Oct. 5), following a Sunday-through-Wednesday schedule. Fans and hosrepeople can look forward to 5:05 p.m. post times on Sundays and 1 p.m. post times on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the meet.
Sunday Night Lights on Aug. 10 will feature a T-Rex event. Four races will take place between live harness racing. Here are the requirements:
- 8 years old and under
- 9 to 13 years old
- Any Blow-Up Costume Race (14 years old and above)
- T-Rex Race (14 years old and above)
This race is “BYOTR” (bring your own T-Rex)! T-Rex tails will be provided for children 8 years old and under.
Not ready for the thrill of the run? Don’t worry! There will be plenty of other activities to enjoy, including food trucks, stick horses, cornhole, a petting zoo, and more.
The Red Mile will once again feature industry-low takeout on the pari-mutuel side of things while offering fans a full buffet of wagering options, including bookend daily double wagering exacta and trifecta wagering, 20 cent superfectas, Pick-3, Pick-4, Pick-5 and Pick-6 offerings, and the Super Hi-5.
For more information on the upcoming draw schedule, promotional events, the live racing calendar, or free racing program pages, please visit www.redmileracing.com.