More than $2 million up for grabs in Kentucky Championships

The month-long state-bred test contested at The Red Mile will come to a close on Sunday (Sept. 19) with the finals of the Kentucky Championship Series for freshmen and sophomores of each gait and sex fighting for more than $2 million in purses.

Finals action gets underway with the final for 2-year-old pacing fillies, which features a three-horse matchup between Sloopy, Captains Princess and Dont Fence Me In. Sloopy, a speedy Ron Burke trainee who took a mark of 1:50.3 in a championship prelim on Aug. 2, starts at the pylons with Yannick Gingras in the bike. She finished runner-up in the last prelim to Dont Fence Me In, who will have Dexter Dunn in the bike for trainer Tony Alagna from post three. Between them on the car starts Captains Princess, who gave chase to the two last out to finish third. Andrew McCarthy has the call on that Tony Alagna trainee.

Pebble Beach lost his chance at a series sweep when Caviart Camden bested him by a neck in a world-record 1:48.3 mile on Aug. 24. But coming to the final for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings, the Noel Daley trainee faces a group which he has continuously conquered through the series. Todd McCarthy pilots the headline pacing freshman from post three as the 4-5 morning-line choice.

Sunday’s card also features the $50,000 Kentucky Commonwealth finals for the rookie colts and geldings.

First-race post time for Sunday’s championship card is 1 p.m.