Todd McCarthy continues winning ways in Kentucky

LEXINGTON, KY — Despite a short harness racing field in the non-betting affair before Sunday’s (Aug. 22) pari-mutuel card at The Red Mile, Komodo Beach fired a 1:48.4 mile in the $40,000 second preliminary of the Kentucky Championship Series for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

Driver Todd McCarthy positioned the Somebeachsomewhere gelding in second as first-round winner Goldie’s Legacy carved fractions of :26.4, :55.1 and 1:23.1. McCarthy made his move at the bottom of the final turn, angling Komodo Beach wide for the drive and besting Goldie’s Legacy in the sprint to the finish with a :25.2 final quarter to win by a head. Toronto gave chase to the pair in third, another seven lengths behind.

Owned by David Mc Duffee, John Fodera, Steven Wienick and Trevor Ritchie, Komodo Beach won his fourth race from 12 starts this season and his seventh from 20 overall, earning $101,825. Brett Pelling trains the winner.

McCarthy, who won four stakes races at Pocono Downs on Saturday,  came back at the start of the betting program to register an 11-1 upset in the $40,000 second round of the Kentucky Championship Series for 3-year-old pacing fillies, winning with Linda Toscano trainee High Minded in 1:50.

Classicist cleared command from post 6 while Tava pushed from the pylon post to race second to a :28.2 first quarter with High Minded positioned third. Odds-on favorite So Irresistible advanced wide from fourth and grabbed control as the tempo quickened to a :55 half.

Slowing the pace to the final turn, McCarthy motored High Minded out of fourth to challenge So Irresistible for the lead to three-quarters in 1:23 and seized the lead in the straightaway. The daughter of Captaintreacherous cruised to the line 1-1/2 lengths better than So Irresistible, with Dream Chaser finishing third.

Returning $24.20 to win, High Minded won her third race from 10 starts this season and her fifth from 22 overall, earning $148,037. She competes for owners Camelot Stable Inc., Fred Wallace, The Bay’s Stable LLC and Steve Stewart.

HIGH MINDED REPLAY

Caviart Lotus ($3.40) and Mikimoto ($18.40) snagged the pair of $20,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series divisions for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings in a time of 1:49.4. Caviart Lotus had Andrew McCarthy in the bike for trainer Noel Daley while Christian Lind piloted Mikimoto for trainer Domenico Cecere.

The lone $20,000 Kentucky Commonwealth division for 3-year-old pacing fillies went to Notorious Pink ($2.20), who romped by 6-1/4 lengths to win in 1:49.1 in rein to Todd McCarthy for trainer Tony Alagna.

Point totals for both the Kentucky Championship and Kentucky Commonwealth Series are available at the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission website.

Racing resumes at The Red Mile on Monday (Aug. 23) with a pair of $40,000 third-round Kentucky Championship divisions for trotting freshmen. The card also features six $20,000 divisions of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series, three for the colts and geldings and three for the fillies. First-race post time is 1 p.m. (EDT).

For full race results, click here.

by Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile