from the Kentucky Sire Stakes

Lexington, KY — The Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) for 2-year-old trotters took place on a perfect, cloudless Saturday night (Aug. 25) at The Red Mile with temperatures in the mid 70s at the 7 p.m. post time. There were five stakes, three filly divisions and two colt races, all for a purse of $30,000. Hall of Fame horseman Jimmy Takter swept both colt divisions with a talented pair of freshmen from his barn of trotting all stars while Dave Palone won two of the filly divisions for Lindy Farms and trainer Domenico Cecere.

Don’t Let’em recovers from a break last week to take his KYSS split in 1:55.2.

The colts opened the card and Peter Haughton Memorial winner Don’t Let’em made amends for last week’s miscue with a workman-like 1:55.2 win with Takter in the sulky. Handicapped with post 10, Takter patiently moved his charge away from the gate, stayed wide as he navigated around several breakers in tune one then ground to the front just after High Into The Sky (Matt Kruger) took the field by the quarter.

Once Don’t Let’em crossed over to the top the race was, for all intents and purposes, over. Takter set a moderate pace then widened his lead to 6-1/4 lengths at the wire while asking the colt for nothing. High Into The Sky held nicely for second while Buckeyeonbroadway (Randy Jerrel) trotted well to be third.

The winner is a Brittney Farms-bred son of Muscle Hill, racing for the interests of the breeder with partners Christina Takter, John Fielding and Herb Liverman. He was an $80,000 purchase at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale (LSYS).

Super Schissel repeated his leg one win as the Uncle Peter colt took over near the half and held sway in 1:56.4. With heavily favored Greenshoe again undone by a break well before the start, first Reign Of Honor (Dexter Dunn) then Lindy’s Crazy Hall (Palone) took turns on the lead before Takter and Super Schissel arrived on the scene. Once again the Takter tactics paid off a $15.60 return to his mutual backers and $15,000 prize to owners Al Libfeld and the red hot Perry Soderberg as their $115,000 LSYS buy from Coyote Wind Farms came home a 2-1/4 length winner. Reign Of Honor and Lindy’s Crazy Hall followed him across the wire.

Taylor Swiftly reprised her love story with The Red Mile, becoming a KYSS repeat winner with her remarkably easy 1:55.3 score for Dave Palone. Leaving from the seven hole, Palone eased the Trixton filly around turn one, wore past early leader and eventual place finisher Asiago (Takter) near the :57.3 half, got a :29.3 third quarter breather then won as she pleased with a controlled :28.2 end to the mile. Longshot Highway To The Sky (Mike Wilder) rallied for third.

Taylor Swiftly is a Lindy Farms homebred out of True Diva and is trained by Domenico Cecere.

Nigel Soult photos

Lindy Pearl takes her KYSS division in 1:55.1.

The Palone, Cecere, Lindy Farms juggernaut came right back in the third race to score a $50 upset win with yet another homebred filly, this time it was the Muscle Hill lass Lindy Pearl taking a nice 1:55.1 mark for the group. Starting from the rail after a series of unfortunate post draws, Lindy Pearl was settled in the pocket by Palone as the speedy yet erratic Run Lindy Run (Wilder) reeled off fair fractions before jumping off stride as the field neared turn two.

This development left Lindy Pearl fresh on the lead with heavy favorite French Press (Andy Miller) launching an unsuccessful uncovered bid. Lindy Pearl was well up to the task here, closing out the mile with a :28.2 final quarter an handy 2-1/4 length winner over So Romantic (Ken Holliday) and Graceful (Pat Lachance) with something left.

Ma Was Right got up over favored Whispering Oaks (Takter) in the shadow of the wire to put visiting Down Under reinsman Dexter Dunn in The Red Mile winner’s circle for the first time in the New Zealander’s stateside tour. Dexter settled his charge in third as Whispering Oaks cut the mile, shifted out around the last turn to engage then eyeball the leader mid-stretch and edged by late in 1:57. Atonement (Wilder) took third.

The Muscle Hill filly, a $100,000 LSYS purchase by the All Laid Out stable, was winning for the fourth time in seven starts for trainer Noel Daley. She was bred by the Moni Market Breeders.

The freshman pacers take to the clay oval tomorrow evening in their second KYSS leg. Post time is 7 p.m.