Strong Poison heads $80,000 KY Champion Series

Lexington, KY — On Monday (Aug. 22) the Red Mile will host one $80,000 third round leg of the Kentucky Championship series, one $30,000 third round leg of the Kentucky Commonwealth series and two $15,000 third round legs of the Kentucky Golden Rod Series for freshman harness racing filly pacers on a 12-race card. Strong Poison will attempt to return to the winner’s circle for the second time in the Championship series.

Yannick Gingras will be holding the lines when Strong Poison (Always B Miki-Fiyonce) begins pacing from post position three in the seventh race. The filly is trained by Ron Burke and is 7-2 on the morning line in the field of five.

Strong Poison brings a record of 5-2-1-0 and a bankroll of $64,000 to this event. She broke her maiden at first asking on June 21 at The Meadows prior to finishing seventh and eighth in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes events at The Meadows and The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Strong Poison then qualified at Harrah’s Philadelphia before traveling to the Bluegrass.

The filly collected the second win of her young career on Aug. 2 in the first round of this series when she stopped the clock in 1:50.2.

In the second round on Aug. 14, Strong Poison was second to Twin B Joe Fresh (Roll With Joe-Fresh Breeze), who paced the mile in a swift 1:48.4. The time was just a fifth of a second slower than Warrawee Ubeaut’s world record of 1:48.3 established in 2018.

With Twin B Joe Fresh on the sidelines for this event, Strong Poison possesses the fastest lifetime mark in the field, and she has earned the most purse money.

Owned by Burke Racing Stable, J&T Silva Stables, Knox Services and Beasty LLC, Strong Poison was bred by Steve Stewart, Charles Nash and Julie Nash.

The filly was a $50,000 purchase at last year’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

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

First post at Red Mile is 1 p.m. Sire stakes action continues Tuesday (Aug. 23) with eight races on a 13-race card.

To view all entries for Monday’s card, please click here.

by Kimberly French, for the Red Mile