Lexington, KY — Miss Jum Jabber and Requiem both shipped to The Red Mile from defeats on the Grand Circuit to find the winner’s circle in their respective $80,000 opening-preliminary divisions of the Kentucky Championship Series on Monday afternoon (Aug. 10).
Odds-on favorite Miss Jum Jabber (driven by Andy McCarthy) bounced back from a loss in the Adioo Volo to rip a 1:48.2 victory in the Kentucky Championship Series division for 3-year-old pacing fillies. McCarthy planted Miss Jum Jabber towards the middle of the pack as Bahama Momma (Joe Bongiorno) moseyed to the lead in a :28 first quarter before coming under attack from Hope Hill (Dexter Dunn) and She’s A Bulldog (Yannick Gingras). Gingras rushed his charge forward to snatch command before a :54.4 half and continued to speed through the last turn to clock three-quarters in 1:21.4, at which point McCarthy angled off the pylons to race second-over behind Caviart Daisy (Atlee Bender). Upon straightening, Miss Jum Jabber hit full flight and uncorked a :25.3 final quarter to clinch victory by a half-length over rallying Bahama Momma while She’s A Bulldog held third and Hope Hill gave chase in fourth.
Brett Pelling trains Miss Jum Jabber, a filly by Bettor’s Wish-Treacherous Reign, for owner Pelling Racing LLC. The filly, unraced as a freshman, won her ninth race from 11 starts, pushing her bankroll to $176,139. She paid $3.96 to win.
Requiem (Andy McCarthy) went pillar-to-post in a 1:51.1 redemptive score – from his loss in the Hambletonian eliminations – in the Kentucky Championship Series split for trotting glamour boys, giving McCarthy a sweep of the top-tier races and leading a one-two finish for trainer Matthew Burkholder.
McCarthy motored Requiem out of post 8 to the lead in a :27.1 first quarter and cruised swiftly to a :54.3 half. Pocket-sitter Kaizen (Markus Niklasson) peaked off the pylons through the last turn as Requiem remained strong on the point to three-quarters in 1:22.4 before breaking stride into the stretch, leaving McCarthy to stroll over the beam a length winner chased by 7-5 favorite Silverstein (David Miller), who sat third throughout and took second. Fineline Hanover (Todd McCarthy) gave pursuit from third and Lucchese (Tim Tetrick), the longest shot on the board, kicked from last for fourth.
Requiem, a colt by Muscle Hill-Ostrich Blue Chip, races for owner Dark Horse Farm LLC. He won his first race from six starts this season and his fifth race from 16 starts in his career, banking $257,246. He paid $17.18 to win.
The 15-race card on Monday also featured $30,000 divisions of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series for 3-year-old pacing fillies and 3-year-old trotting males. Interstellar (Marvin Luna, 1:49.2 winning mile; $3.58 to win) swept to the lead and led through the remainder for a narrow win over Romantic Beauty (Doug McNair) in the fastest split for the pacing fillies while Zidane Kemp (Joe Bongiorno, 1:52; $6.42) utilized similar speed tactics to win the fastest dash for trotting males comfortably by 1-3/4 lengths over Inverness Ave (Tim Tetrick).
Live harness racing at The Red Mile resumes on Tuesday (Aug. 11) with a 16-race card headlined by the $80,000 second preliminary of the Kentucky Championship Series for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings. First-race post time is 1 p.m.