Leading Lady pursues third straight at The Red Mile

As we usher in the fall season on Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 1), 2-year-old filly trotters will take center stage on the 12-race card at The Red Mile. An intriguing field of nine will go to post in the $80,000 fourth round leg of the Kentucky Championship Series.

The main event will be supported by two $30,000 divisions of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series, three $15,000 splits of the Kentucky Golden Rod Stakes and two $10,000 divisions of the Kentucky Wildcat Series. All these young ladies are competing to cement their slots in the finals conducted Sunday (Sept. 14) through Tuesday (Sept. 16) worth more than $4 million.

Can Carve defeat Leading Lady in the Championship Series?

At 9-2 on the morning line, Carve (62) is third in the points standings in this division behind Setyoursightshigh (100), who is not in the box this week, and Leading Lady (100) who is. The daughter of Captain Corey-Alpine has danced every dance and has never failed to hit the board in six starts with a record of 6-0-4-2 and bankroll of $67,166.

But first she will have to contend with Leading Lady and seven other fillies.

Leading Lady will have Yannick Gingras in the bike when she commences her mile from post position three and is 9-5 on the morning line.

The daughter of Walner-Muscle Dolly is conditioned by Nancy Takter and is on a two-race win streak since traveling to Lexington from the Garden State. Her only miscue in four starts was as the favorite in the $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final on Hambletonian Day.

In her last triumph, however, she had to dig deep as she defeated Jailbird Jog by a neck with Carve another neck back to complete the trifecta.

Bred by Marvin and Lynn Katz in addition to Al Libfeld, Leading Lady is owned by Black Horse Racing, Marvin Katz and Herb Liverman. She went through the ring for $110,000 at the 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Her third dam, Domestic Diva, is a half-sister to champion Maven.