Pebble Beach heads Kentucky Championship prelims

LEXINGTON, KY — First-round winner Pebble Beach returned to The Red Mile with ease to post a 1:51.4 victory in taking the $40,000 Kentucky Championship second preliminary for 2-year-old harness racing pacing colts and geldings on Monday (Aug. 16).

Driver Todd McCarthy wasted little time with the 1-5 choice and hustled Pebble Beach to the point heading to a :28.2 first quarter. He continued uncontested through a :56.2 half and through three-quarters in 1:24.4 to then sail through the stretch in a :27 sprint to the finish. River Ness pulled first over from fourth into the final turn and gave pursuit to take second, beaten 3-1/2 lengths. Western Era rode the pylons for third with Vicious rallying for fourth.

A colt by Downbytheseaside, Pebble Beach has won three races from four starts, earning $54,800. Noel Daley trains the $2.60 winner for owners Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Country Club Acres Inc. and LA Express & JAF Racing.

PEBBLE BEACH REPLAY

Dont Fence Me In dove through a late opening at the pylons to snag the $40,000 second-round division of the

Kentucky Championship Series for 2-year-old pacing fillies, winning in a time of 1:52.4.

Grabbing the lead to the first turn, Dont Fence Me In yielded control past a :27.4 first quarter to Captains Princess, who rolled up the backside unchallenged to a :55.1 half.

The pacesetter then slowed the tempo to the far turn, prompting Jazzed to push uncovered for the lead.

Captains Princess took the field by three-quarters in 1:23.4 but folded quickly off the turn, leaving Jazzed with a two-length lead. Jazzed maintained control through the stretch until Dont Fence Me In found late room and slid past the late leader to win by a length at the beam. Boudoir Hanover came from second over to finish third while Captains Princess faded to fourth, another 12 lengths behind the top  three.

Co-owned by trainer Tony Alagna through Alagna Racing LLC along with Riverview Racing LLC, Steven Head and Jerry Glantz, Dont Fence Me In won her second race from four starts, earning $44,375. Scott Zeron piloted the daughter of Captaintreacherous who paid $4.80 to win.

DONT FENCE ME IN REPLAY

Sweet Lou colt Six Feet Apart ($3.60) topped the pair of winners in the $20,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings, ripping off cover to a 1:52.4 win in rein to David Miller for trainer Brian Brown, who swept the pair of colt and gelding splits. His pupil Caughtinalandslide ($26.40) took the other division with a similar closing move to post a 1:53.3 mile with Todd McCarthy in the bike.

Queen Of Success ($2.20), a daughter of Captaintreacherous, led the winners of the $20,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series for 2-year-old pacing fillies with a 1:53.1 win going away for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Tony Alagna. Acrimony ($15.00) seized command midway through the mile in the other division and held firm to the finish of a 1:53.4 mile with Scott Zeron in the sulky for trainer Todd Luther.

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

Tuesday’s (Aug. 17) Kentucky Championship action draws the trotting sophomores to The Red Mile for their second round of the series, with several horses shipping west after competing in the Hambletonian and the Hambletonian Oaks.

Colts and geldings open the card with a duo of Hambletonian finalists – winter-book favorite Venerate and Really Fast, who went unraced as a 2-year-old and qualified for the August classic. Andy Miller guides Venerate, one of three colts in the race sired by Love You, from post 3 for trainer Julie Miller while Dexter Dunn scores Really Fast from post 5 for trainer Nancy Takter.

The lone dash for the trotting colts and geldings also includes Dancinginthedark M, who supplied ample speed in the $50,000 Muscle Hill and fought strongly in the sprint to the finish before breaking stride to Jujubee in a 1:49.4 mile at The Meadowlands. Tim Tetrick is listed to drive the Marcus Melander-trained son of Readly Express from post 4. First-round winner Kildare King and the Anette Lorentzon pair of Tangled Love and Rattle My Cage complete the field.

A field of seven aligns to close the Early Daily Double with the single Kentucky Championship dash for the sophomore trotting fillies. This field attracts three exiting the Hambletonian Oaks: elimination winners Awesome Trix and Lady Chaos as well as Piper Hanover, who won a $49,550 division of the Reynolds Memorial in July. Aaron Merriman drives Awesome Trix from post 1 for his trainer and co-owner Chris Beaver, with David Miller piloting Lady Chaos for Linda Toscano from post 4 and Todd McCarthy steering Piper Hanover for Tony Alagna from post 6.

That trio of fillies will contest with the pair that finished one-two in the opening round of the Kentucky Championship – Beltassima and Adirondack. Andrew McCarthy sticks with Beltassima off a 1:52 speed show to hold off Nancy Takter trainee Adirondack by three-quarter lengths and will again start from post 2. Adirondack will start from post 5 with Dexter Dunn in the bike.

Tuesday’s stakes action includes four $20,000 divisions of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series on the 14-race card, with two for the colts and geldings and two for the fillies. First-race post time is 1 p.m. (EDT).

For full race results, click here.