Lexington, KY — A negative show plunge proved a positive return on Twin B Joe Fresh, who strolled into the stretch without a doubt the winner in the first of two divisions of the $283,000 McWicked Bluegrass Stakes, for freshman pacing fillies, on Thursday afternoon (Sept. 29) at the Red Mile.

Hungry For Love set the tempo past a :28.3 first quarter after pocketing early leader Zanatta onto the backstretch. Twin B Joe Fresh patiently plied over the ground in fourth to a :57.2 half until driver Dexter Dunn gave the Roll With Joe filly her cue. Angled off the pegs around the final turn, Twin B Joe Fresh rushed to the front to three-quarters in 1:25.3 and uncorked a :25.2 final quarter in hand to open 6-1/4 lengths at the end of a 1:51.1 mile. Zanatta edged Hungry For Love for second with Absolute Power checking in fourth.

Twin B Joe Fresh, a champion in both Kentucky and New York, sprinted to a decisive win in her Bluegrass division.

“She’s been beaten twice – it’s kind of a funny thing – but she just does almost anything we’ve ever asked of her, and today was nothing different,” winning trainer Chris Ryder said after the race. “She’s just got a big engine and is a beautiful filly.”

Twin B Joe Fresh has now won seven races from nine starts and amassed $534,912 in earnings for owners Ryder, Dunn, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak. She paid $2.10 to win.

Kentucky Championship runner-up Strong Poison powered home strongly enough to down late leader Vivians Dream in the final strides of the other McWicked Bluegrass division.

Strong Poison (leftmost) engulfed Vivians Dream to win the other Bluegrass Division for rookie pacing fillies. Amanda Stephens photos.

Driver Yannick Gingras took back with Strong Poison to race sixth while Diamondsnpearls raced freely on the lead to a :28 first quarter. Vivians Dream drafted from the pocket to a :56.3 half and made her attack on the pacesetter pulling pocket towards three-quarters in 1:24. Diamondsnpearls retreated off the turn as Vivians Dream forged to a narrow lead with Light And Tight giving chase and Strong Poison sent widest on the track. The Ron Burke trainee gathered her momentum in the final eighth and lunged late at Vivians Dream to seize a neck victory in 1:51.3. Light And Tight settled for third with Bankers Luck another four lengths back in fourth.

A daughter of Always B Miki, Strong Poison now has five wins from nine starts and $315,000 earned for owners Burke Racing Stable, J&T Silva Stables, Knox Services Inc. and Beasty LLC. She paid $3.38 to win.

The McWicked Syndicate and Winbak Farm presented each division of the Bluegrass for freshman pacing fillies.

Racing returns to The Red Mile on Friday (Sept. 30) with a 10-race card that includes a total of six Bluegrass Stakes. Freshman pacing colts and geldings compete in three divisions of the $327,000 Stay Hungry Bluegrass Stakes while freshman trotting fillies spar in three divisions of the $354,000 Norman Woolworth Memorial Bluegrass Stakes. First post time is 1 p.m. (EDT).