Rebuff seeks to rebound at Red Mile

Lexington, KY — On Sunday (Aug. 28) The Red Mile will host two $80,000 third round Kentucky Championship series harness racing events, two $30,000 third round Kentucky Commonwealth series events and four $15,000 third round legs of the Kentucky Golden Rod series for male freshman and sophomore trotters and pacers.

Despite the Lexington oval offering plenty of Kentucky Sire Stakes action, all eyes will be on champion Rebuff (Muscle Hill-Meucci Madness), who failed to fire in the Hambletonian as the favorite and came home sixth behind Cool Papa Bell.

Leaving from post position two with regular pilot Tim Tetrick holding the lines, Rebuff is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the field of five sophomore male trotters for trainer Lucas Wallin in the 11th race. The Hambletonian was the Dan Patch Award-winner’s first loss of the season and first since a third-place finish in a $71,000 division of the Bluegrass Stake on Oct. 1, 2020.

Two of Rebuff’s triumphs during his six-race winning streak were the $600,000 Breeders Crown final for his age, sex and gait last fall and the $125,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 16. Both events were conducted at The Meadowlands.

“He shipped to Red Mile on Wednesday, and everything is good,” Wallin said. “It was always our plan to go to Lexington after the Hambletonian if everything was going well. We are looking forward to racing him on Sunday and then he will be the next leg of the series in September. We hope he makes the final and then from there if all goes well, we continue on to the stakes for the rest of the season which we are also looking forward to.

“We went over him after the Hambletonian, and everything was fine. It just wasn’t his day. But he is such a nice horse, and we are lucky to have him. We enjoy racing him.”

Owned by his trainer, Kjell Magne Anderson and Pieter Dellis, Rebuff was bred by Steve Stewart and Michael Andrew.

Rebuff has collected $583,670 and has a record of 15-7-2-1.

Although the field may lack in quantity, it does not in quality.

Double Deceiver (Cantab Hall), who defeated Rebuff last year in the $250,000 Kentucky Championship final, was also second in the $280,984 MGM Yonkers Trot to Joviality S. The gelding is on a three-race winning streak and drew the rail. Double Deceiver is 5-2 on the morning line and will be steered by David Miller for Carter Pinske.

He is owned by Pinske Stables and Makenna Pinske. Double Deceiver has a resume of 18-8-7-0 and has earned $463,479. The gelding was bred by Steve Stewart and Oakwood Farms.

The talented Fast As The Wind (Cantab Hall) seeks his third win of the season. He was ninth in the Hambletonian after finishing second to Rebuff in their elimination. Fast As The Wind will begin trotting from post position five and is 3-1 on the morning line. He enters this event off a strong second to Double Deceiver in the second leg of this series on Aug. 16.

Trained by Tony Alagna, the colt will be driven by Dexter Dunn. His record stands at 25-7-6-4 and he has banked $751,649.

Fast As The Wind is owned by LeBlanc and Kribbs, Joe Sbrocco, John Schmucker and Fodera Barbara Frank. He was bred by Tony Holmes and Walter Zent.

The second Championship division is for male freshman pacers and is the seventh race on the card. After capturing the first three starts of his career Blue Lou (Sweet Lou-Dance Blue) suffered his first defeat in the second leg of this series on Aug. 16 to Confederate when the gelding checked in fourth.

The colt will not have to face that rival in the field of five and is 5-2 on the morning line. Trained by Nancy Takter, Blue Lou will leave from post position five and will be in rein to Andrew McCarthy.

Blue Lou was a $160,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase last year and is the first foal out of his dam. Dance Blue, a Kentucky champion, earned $313,450 in her career. She is a half-sibling to Talent Soup (American Ideal, $236,754) and American Mercury (American Ideal, $915,565).

Owned by Morrison Racing Stables, Marvin Katz and Brian Gordon, Blue Lou was bred by Katz, Sam Goldband and Goran Anderberg.

He has earned $65,150 and sports a record of 4-3-0-0.

The two divisions of the Commonwealth series are for 3-year-old male trotters and 2-year-old male pacers.

The four Golden Rod series events consist of two divisions for male sophomore trotters and two divisions for male freshman pacers.

The Red Mile will offer a $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 (races six through nine) in conjunction with the U.S. Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering program.

Sire stakes action continues Monday (Aug. 29) and Tuesday (Aug. 30).

For complete race entries, click here.

by Kimberly French, for The Red Mile