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Usually it is the opposite, especially in harness racing, but on Sunday (Aug. 7) at the Red Mile the two-year-old pacing colt Blue Lou (Sweet Lou) went faster than the North America Cup three-year-old winner, Pebble Beach (Downbytheseaside), in capturing their respective opening legs of the Kentucky Championship Series.
Each division raced for a purse of $80,000 and the freshman pacing colts were up first in the 3rd race.
Bamboozler and driver Corey Callahan were first on the lead with Kopi Luwak (Devon Tharps) sitting the pocket trip to the opening quarter mile in :28.2.
Going to the half mile, Bamboozler was comfortable on the lead in :57.2 with some action first-over by race favorite Blue Lou (Sweet Lou) and driver Andy McCarthy. Following second-over was Mamba (Dexter Dunn).
By the three-quarters in 1:25, Blue Lou was in second place on the outside and gaining on pacesetter Bamboozler.
At the top of the stretch, Blue Lou had cleared to the lead for McCarthy but then faced a stiff challenge by Kopi Luwak and Tharps and those two battled to the wire with Blue Lou holding them off to win by a neck in 1:52, the last quarter in :26.4. Bamboozler was third.
BLUE LOU REPLAY
It was the third straight win for the undefeated Blue Lou. He is trained by Nancy Takter for co-owners Morrison Racing Stables, Marvin Katz and Brian Gordon. He paid $3.42 to win.
The 7th race was the three-year-old colt division, and it was River Ness and driver Yannick Gingras who shot out to the early lead with race favorite Pebble Beach and driver Todd McCarthy grabbing the two-hole spot as they passed the first quarter in a mediocre :29.2.
McCarthy then sent Pebble Beach to the front where they picked up the pace slightly going to the half mile in :58.2. As Pebble Beach cruised by the three-quarters in 1:26.4, Dancin Sancho (Trevor Smith) was on the outside but could not gain any ground.
Pebble Beach then kicked in a :26.2 last quarter mile to go on and win by one length in 1:53.1 with River Ness second and Caviart Camden (Dexter Dunn) getting third place.
PEBBLE BEACH REPLAY
For Pebble Beach, it was his fifth win in just seven starts for trainer Noel Daley. The colt now has earnings this year of $536,400 for co-owners Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Country Club Acres, Inc. and Laexpressfoderadeovolente. He paid just $2.16 to win.
For complete race results, click here.
By Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink
