by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Lexington, KY — On a blustery, frigid Saturday (Oct. 3) evening at The Red Mile, Mission Brief was simply dazzling in her $72,000 division of the Bluegrass Stake for 3-year-old filly trotters.

Mission Brief was a 1:54.4 winner in her Bluegrass division.

Sent off the deserving 1-9 favorite in the first race on the card, the superstar easily dispatched of her rivals by 4-3/4 lengths with regular pilot Yannick Gingras barely moving a muscle in the bike.

The daughter of Muscle Hill and Southwind Serena, who is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Our Horse Cents Stables, J&T Silva Stables and Weaver Bruscemi, commenced her mile from the seventh post position, but that and the track, which was rated good but definitely possessed some moisture, did not hamper her trip in the slightest.

Content to allow 57-1 shot Classical Annie to show the way through an opening quarter in :29.2, the world champion was on the lead in what seemed like seconds after coming first over from fourth place shortly after the time flashed on the board.

As is her custom, Mission Brief led her colleagues through a half-mile in :57.2 and three-quarters in 1:26.3. As she hit the top of the stretch, she began to place distance between herself and the other fillies. From there the outcome was never in doubt and the filly would be feted for her triumph in the winner’s circle. She paid $2.10 for the win and completed her mile in 1:54.4. Classical Annie trotted her heart out to come home second and Speak To Me came from far back to finish third.

Mission Brief’s conditioner, Ron Burke, explained prior to walking over to the winner’s circle presentation the track not being in premier form had no impact on her.

“Nothing like that bothers her,” he said.

While warming up, Mission Brief appeared to be in the best condition of her life and relished the return to where she established her world record mile (1:50.3) in 2014. The second place finisher and elimination winner in the Hambletonian saw her seasonal record climb to 10-8-2-0, with earnings of $764,992.. Throughout her career the filly is 23-17-2-0 and has banked $1.35 million. She is expected to make her next start in the Kentucky Filly Futurity on Oct. 10.

“I was thinking the same thing (that she seems to improve with every race) when she first went out on the track,” Burke said. “She just looks better and better all the time. She is definitely going in the right direction. Last year it was all mental issues with her. This year it was all physical problems and never had anything to do with her head, but those are behind her now.”

Nigel Soult photos

Wild Honey scored in 1:55.4 for driver John Campbell.

Hambletonian Oaks victress Wild Honey did not trot as swiftly as Mission Brief but she collected the purse money for her $72,000 Bluegrass division with the same sort of ease. Sent off the 1-5 choice in the evening’s second race, the daughter of Cantab Hall and U Wanna Lindy began her journey from post position seven with the sport’s all-time winningest driver John Campbell at the lines.

Wild Honey, who is owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Herb Liverman and Jim Fielding, and is trained by Christina’s husband Jimmy, was trotting in fourth position as second choice I’m So Fancy set fractions of :29 and :57.4.

Wild Honey began to make her move shortly before the three-quarter pole and moved up to second as she came first over. I’m So Fancy relinquished command after a split of 1:27.1. That’s when Wild Honey illustrated why she is a class act. She breezed by the fading leader and began to trot away from the rest of the field.

With Campbell not even asking for her best, the filly continued to roll down the homestretch and stopped the clock in 1:55.4 without any extensive exertion. Lilu Hanover at 71-1 closed from far back to get up for second and Lady Winona at 18-1 trotted very well to nab the show spot.

Wild Honey, a world champion herself, has been overshadowed by the ever popular and explosive Mission Brief but this filly should be lauded for what she has accomplished throughout her career. Her seasonal record now improves to 12-5-5-0 with $685,432 in the bank and a lifetime mark of 1:52.2 set when she took the Hambletonian Oaks. For her career her resume stands at 24-15-6-0 and she has amassed $1.12 million in purse money.

“She went a great trip up in Canada (in the Elegantimage) to finish second to Mission Brief,” John Fielding said. “She was awesome tonight, and she has just been a terrific filly all along for us at two and now at three. She’s small, but she’s very gutsy, and it’s just a privilege to be associated with her.”

“I don’t know yet,” Fielding said in regards to Wild Honey entering the Kentucky Filly Futurity next week, Oct. 10. “I’ll have to talk to Jimmy Takter.”

— Ray Cotolo also contributed to this report