Lexington, KY — Norm Parker trainee Mr Big Spender persisted off a speedy push early and stayed strong until the end for a narrow win in the fastest of four divisions of the $330,000 Bluegrass 2-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot – in a division sponsored by Al Libfeld Equine – on Thursday (Sept. 25) at the Red Mile.
Driver Mike Wilder vaulted Mr Big Spender over rivals out of post 8 through the first turn and slid by 6-5 favorite Mr Penner (driven by Åke Svanstedt) after a :26.3 first quarter. Nordic Dancer S (Dexter Dunn) soon pulled wide out of sixth and rushed forward up the backstretch to grab control past a :54.4 half. Nordic Dancer S slowed to take a breather in the turn and endured a first-over challenge from Oversear (Charlie Norris) moving for three-quarters in 1:23.3, but they both tired off the bottom corner. Wilder tipped outside with Mr Big Spender while Svanstedt had open road at the pylons to rush forward with Mr Penner, and Nix Nacken (Scott Zeron) charged from last with the most momentum late. Mr Big Spender edged to the lead and staved off Mr Penner while thwarting the late surge of Nix Nacken to clinch a nose victory in a lifetime-best 1:51.2 mile. Nix Nacken took second from Mr Penner and Lethal Legacy (Todd McCarthy) rallied from second over for fourth.
“He’s a pretty special horse,” Wilder said after the race. “He’s had a couple of bumps in the road – that’s maybe a 2-year-old trotter for you; could be my fault, could be his fault. But it’s been a tremendous ride. I didn’t expect them hot of numbers. I really had to work for it and it worked out great. I didn’t know how he would hold up to those numbers, but I got him off the [pylons] at the top of the stretch and it was a good race to the wire. He fired for me.”
A colt by Captain Corey-Reilly K, Mr Big Spender won his sixth race from 10 starts and has now earned $191,633 for owners Bart and Todd Brice. Sent the second choice in the betting, he paid $4.94 to win.
Minoan pounced from the pocket past off-stride leader Neighver Punt and strode clear to a 1:52.4 win in the first division, sponsored by Sig Sauer Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms.
Neighver Punt (Dunn) pushed out of post 5 for the front with Minoan (Todd McCarthy) settling into second approaching a :27.4 first quarter. The field marched in line up the backside behind a steady tempo to a :55.4 half while Dunn kept a tight grip on his charge’s reins moving for the turn. McCarthy crept out of the pocket past three-quarters in 1:24.1 and briefly drew alongside Neighver Punt at the top of the stretch until that rival rolled into a gallop. Minoan skipped away reaching for the finish and posted a four-length win over Be Green (Andy Miller), who rallied as the longest shot on the board at 64-1 for second. Create Escape (Svanstedt) also closed to take third and Onassis (Yannick Gingras) gave chase from a stalking trip for fourth.
Noel Daley trains and co-owns Minoan, a Bar Hopping-Regal Woman colt, with partners Patricia Stable, L A Express Stable and Sjoblom Racing. The colt won his third race from eight starts – missing the board just once – earning $142,747. Sent the 6-5 favorite, he paid $4.50 to win.
I’m Kronos S (Svanstedt) barreled through an opening at the inside and prevailed in a stretch sprint for a 1:52.3 victory in his Bluegrass division, sponsored by Kentuckiana Farms.
Svanstedt settled I’m Kronos S into fourth as Captain Naughty (Tim Tetrick) sailed on the lead to a :28.4 first quarter and continued unchallenged up the backstretch to a :56.4 half. It Could Be Worse (Zeron), the 3-2 second choice, tracked from the pocket and began pulling outside through the last turn with Highball Hanover (Andy McCarthy) and I’m Kronos S following his move on the approach to three-quarters in 1:25.2. Captain Naughty tired and broke stride turning for home as It Could Be Worse hit the front but plateaued. Highball Hanover motored down the center of the track to take over the lead while Svanstedt dipped inside and zipped forward to snag the lead late and score the win by a nose. It Could Be Worse settled for third and Never Say Die (Dunn) closed for fourth.
“I didn’t know he won,” Sarah Svanstedt said with a laugh after the race. “That was a good surprise. He started the year very good and then he came in from the paddock with some bad habits, so we put him on hold. It wasn’t a big thing, but it wasn’t a perfect thing either. So he had a bit of a break and now he’s back again.”
Breaking his maiden in the fourth start of his career, I’m Kronos S has now earned $61,500 for owners Part Of Dream Inc. and Bruni Racing Team Inc. The Walner-I’m Really Special colt, sent the 3-5 favorite, paid $3.58 to win.
Requiem (David Miller) landed as the 7-5 favorite in the final Bluegrass freshman male trot division, sponsored by the Volume Eight Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms, with a 1:52.3 effort.
Miller sent Requiem to the fore out of post 5 and cleared command through a :29.1 first quarter and cruised up the backstretch under no pressure to a :57.2 half. Zephyr Kemp (Dunn), sitting in the pocket, loomed outside through the last turn with Practical Man (Todd McCarthy) in tow rolling to three-quarters in 1:25.3 but Requiem spun for home with resolve and turned away all challengers in the stretch. He crossed the beam a half length in front of Practical Man with Zephyr Kemp finishing third and Impossible Bi (Zeron) giving chase in fourth.
“He’s a really nice horse,” trainer Matt Burkholder said. “He was very nice training down, but I’m happy he got home. We’ll take [his season] start by start, but we’ll probably go to Corbin [for the Cumberland Run meet]. I think David Miller did a phenomenal job developing both [of my] colts, this horse and Silverstein.”
Winning his third race from eight starts, Requiem has accrued $102,500 in earnings for owner Dark Horse Farm LLC. The Muscle Hill-Ostrich Blue Chip colt paid $4.96 to win.
Live racing at the Red Mile resumes on Friday (Sept. 26) with a 13-race card headlined by four divisions for the $298,500 Bluegrass 2-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace and four divisions for the $378,000 Bluegrass 2-Year-Old Filly Trot. Friday’s card also features a $7,500 guarantee on the Early Pick-4, which covers races 6-9. Every Pick-4 and the 50-cent Pick-5, which begins in race 3, at the Red Mile features a low takeout of 12%.
First-race post time at the Red Mile is 1 p.m. (EDT).