Confederate becomes fastest 3YO of all time

Confederate (Sweet Lou) became the fastest three-year-old harness racing pacer of all time, setting a world record in winning an $80,000 leg of the Kentucky Sire Stakes Labor Day Monday, September 4 at The Red Mile.

The 10^th race co-feature saw For Once Inmy Life (Andy McCarthy) first on the lead with Command (Todd McCarthy) sitting the pocket seat with the overwhelming 1/9 favorite Confederate and driver Tim Tetrick sitting in third place at the first quarter in :27.

Then Todd McCarthy sent Command to the front, and they took off like a rabbit to the half mile in :53.1, stringing out the field. Then by the three-quarters in a blistering 1:19.2, Tetrick swung Confederate to the outside and started chewing up ground as they blew by Command and went on to win by five open lengths in 1:46.1. A Cool Moment (Joey Putnam) was second with Command third.

It was the fifth straight win for Confederate and his seventh win in eight starts this year for trainer Brett Pelling and owner Diamond Creek Racing. He was bred by Diamond Creek Farm and paid just $2.10 to win. It was also the first time this season that Confederate raced without the legal medication Lasix, that is not allowed in Kentucky.

CONFEDERATE REPLAY

The former world record was co-held by four horses at 1:46.4. They were Somebeachsomewhere (2008), He’s Watching (2014), Cattlewash (2020) and It’s My Show (2023).

His time was just two-fifths of a second from tying the fastest mile ever in harness racing history, 1:45.4, set by Bulldog Hanover in 2022.

Earlier on the card in the 6^th race was the co-featured $80,000 fourth leg of the Kentucky Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies.

Walner Payton (Dexter Dunn) was first on the lead with race favorite Special Way (Walner) and driver-trainer Ake Svanstedt sitting second past the first quarter in :28.2. Svanstedt then came after the lead, but Walner Payton kept them parked out to the half mile in :56 and the three-quarters in 1:25.1.

As they came down the stretch, Mommamia Volo (Todd McCarthy) joined the battle as all three fought it out to the wire with Special Way winning by a neck in 1:51.2. Mommamia Volo second and Walner Payton third by a neck.

SPECIAL WAY REPLAY

For undefeated Special Way it was her fourth win of the year and her eleventh straight win. She paid $2.64 to win for owner/breeders Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld.

Cannibal Crushes in Commonwealth Series

Favored Cannibal (Sweet Lou-No More Losses, Yannick Gingras, $2.10) destroyed his rivals in one of two $30,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series contests for sophomore male pacers in 1:48.4. The Adios victor returned to the winner’s circle after finishing second to It’s My Show in a world record equaling mile (1:46.4) in the Championship Series on Aug. 14.

He is trained by Nancy Takter and captured the final for the Commonwealth Series as a freshman.

Cannibal races as a homebred for Diamond Creek Farm. He has a career record of 17-10-3-1 and has earned $429,978.

He paid $2.10 to win.

El Rey (Captaintreacherous-Mystery Game, Scott Zeron, $5.28) collected his second win of 2023 in the other division of this series for 3-year-old male pacers in 1:48.3. He is trained by Alagna.

He was bred by Riverview Racing and is owned by Brittany Farms and El Rey Racing.

Believe U Me (Muscle Mass-I Believe, Yannick Gingras, $9.68) collected her second straight victory in the sole $30,000 fourth leg of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series for sophomore filly trotters in 1:53.4.

Trained by Ron Burke, the filly is owned by William Donovan and was bred by Wiesman Farms LLC.

Kentucky Proud winner Cessna Pride leads the way in Goldenrod Series

Cessna Pride (Muscle Mass, Dunn, $23.62) won one of two $15,000 fourth round divisions of the Kentucky Goldenrod Series for 3-year-old filly trotters in 1:54.3. The filly won the $50,000 Kentucky Proud Series final over this same oval on July 23 for owner/trainer Bill Cottongim.

Picaboo Lady (Stay Hungry, Gingras, $7.48) won the other division in by a nose in 1:53. She is trained by Chris Beaver, and is co-owned by her trainer with Donald Robinson, William Rufenacht and Gilbert Short.

Hungry To Succeed (Andrew McCarthy, $39.72) won the only division for sophomore male pacers by a head in 1:50.2 for trainer Alagna. He was bred and is owned by Brad Grant.

Red Mile offers a rich buffet of wagering items including a 20-cent Pick-6 with 15 percent takeout, a 50-cent Pick-5 with an industry low 12 percent takeout, a Super Hi-5 15 percent takeout, and Pick-4 events, with a $10,000 guaranteed pool in conjunction with the U.S. Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program.

Red Mile races on a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday schedule with a 1 p.m. EDT post time through Oct. 8. Free program pages are available at redmileracing.com in addition to race replays and a daily livestream of each card.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink