Grand Circuit pacers aim for $160,000 Kentucky Championship legs

Lexington, KY — On Tuesday (Aug. 23) Kentucky champions Pebble Beach (Downbytheseaside-Santa Rosa) and Selfie Queen (Muscle Hill–Lady Lakewood) continue their bids to collect a second title as the best in the Bluegrass in two $80,000 third round divisions of the Kentucky Championship Series for male and female sophomore harness racing pacers and trotters at The Red Mile.

The 13-race card also includes two $30,000 third round legs of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series for 3-year-old male and female trotters and pacers and four $15,000 third round legs of the Kentucky Golden Rod Series for sophomore male trotters and pacers.

North America Cup victor Pebble Beach will attempt to atone for his defeat at the hooves of I Did Myway last week in the first Championship division. Trained by Noel Daley, Pebble Beach leaves from post position three with regular reinsman Todd McCarthy at the controls. The colt is the 7-5 on the morning line and captured the first leg of this series in 1:53.1.

Pebble Beach was bred by Brittany Farms and is owned by Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Country Club Acres and Laexpressfoderadeovolente. The colt has amassed $917,650 from a record of 19-12-4-3. He won his Championship final last year by a nose in a lifetime best 1:48.4.

I Did It Myway (Captaintreacherous-Flyme To The Moon) will present a stiff challenge to Pebble Beach’s quest to become a dual champion. He was soundly defeated by Pebble Beach in the first round of this series but flew home in :25.4 in that contest. Driver Andrew McCarthy returns in the bike for trainer Tony Alagna to seek a repeat of last week’s 1:48.2 triumph.

Bred by Joe Sbrocco, I Did It Myway will begin pacing from post position four in the field of five. He is 5-2 on the morning line. The colt is owned by Country Club Acres, Sbrocco, Don Latore and Alagna and Fodera Racing.

I Did It Myway has a record of 18-8-1-1 and has banked $298,658.

Selfie Queen seeks her second win of the season in the division for 3-year-old filly trotters. Dexter Dunn will be at the controls for trainer Nancy Takter when she begins her mile from post position six in the field of six.

The filly is 3-1 on the morning line in the fifth race and she set her lifetime mark of 1:51.1 on Aug. 14. Bred by James Wilhite, Selfie Queen is owned by Robert Leblanc, David Anderson and John Fielding. Her resume stands at 17-6-2-2 and she has earned $290,750.

Selfie Queen has kept top company throughout her career but appears to have an affinity for the red clay as she has done her best work there.

The two Commonwealth series divisions are for sophomore filly trotters and sophomore male pacers.

The Golden Rod series consists of three divisions for 3-year-old filly trotters and one division for 3-year-old male pacers.

Tuesday’s card also includes a $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 (races six through nine) in conjunction with the U.S. Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program.

First post at Red Mile is 1 p.m. EST.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Kimberly French, for The Red Mile