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>Driven by Mark MacDonald, Bolt The Duer completed a sweep of the Kentucky Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts with a dazzling 1:48.2 stakes record victory in the $250,000 Championship on Sunday night at The Red Mile.


Bolt The Duer established the early lead from post two as he sprinted a first quarter in :26.3, but gave way to his main rival, 4-5 co-favourite Thinking Out Loud (Randy Waples), down the backstretch. Parked the first quarter from post seven, the Bob McIntosh-trained North America Cup champion cleared to command and sprinted past middle splits of :53 and 1:21.2. However, MacDonald showed his charge open road down the stretch and Bolt The Duer surged past his fellow Ponder-sired colt to become the fastest KYSS winner of all time. Caviart Key, driven by Tyler Smith, completed a sweep of the top three spots for sire Ponder.


"My horse will follow speed all day long so I was in a good spot," MacDonald said afterward of yielding to Thinking Out Loud. "I think if the roles were reversed, Thinking Out Loud probably could have popped off my back, but it was me in the two-hole."


Peter Foley trains the defending KYSS champion, who was purchased for $70,000 as a yearling at the Harrisburg Sale by All Star Racing Inc. of Towaco, New Jersey. The bay colt is out the Artsplace mare Wonderbolt, who has also produced KYSS champions Blue Claw and Shanghai Lil for the winning connections.


Bolt The Duer has put together a record reading 6-3-0 in 11 seasonal starts, including a victory in the Adios and a pair of close second-place finishes in the Art Rooney and Hempt. His career bankroll now stands at $797,401.


Bolt The Duer paid $3.60 to win.


Ponder also sired the two-year-old pacing filly champion, Ohmybelle. Trained and driven by Randal Jerrell, the 6-5 second choice wore down pacesetter and eventual third-place finisher Kz Beach Girl (Brian Sears) as they entered the final turn and kicked home in :26.2 to seal the deal. Ohmybelle won by nearly two lengths in 1:56 over Diligent Prospect (Mike Lachance). She now boasts nine wins and two seconds in 11 starts for local owner Janet Banks.


A runner-up in the KYSS Championship at two, Shawnee Dancer avenged her loss by sweeping all three legs in the sophomore filly division. Driven by Brian Sears, the 1-5 favourite advanced from fifth to first at the midway point and was a wrapped up winner turning for home. She stopped the clock in 1:53 with Miss Lucy O (Dan Shelter) and Park Lane Crystal (Ron Pierce) chasing her home for second and third-place honours. The Jate Lobell filly was recently acquired by trainer Ron Burke's Burke Racing Stable LLC and partners Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Howard Taylor.


The two-year-old pacing colt Championship produced a thrilling stretch duel as even-money Duel In The Sun, driven by Peter Wrenn, battled on top in tight quarters with slight favourite Blatantly Best (Matt Kakaley) for the final quarter of a mile. Duel In The Sun managed to prevail in the photo finish for a career-best 1:52.2 triumph despite being interfered with down the lane by his rival. Blantantly Best settled for second and Nutmegs Maya (Brian Sears) rounded out the top three finishers. John Butenschoen trains the winning Cambest son for Vip Internet Stable LLC and William Wiswell.


Wrenn also won the two-year-old trotting filly final with Robert Harmon trainee Andie Sophia. The daughter of Like A Prayer, who was sitting third over in seventh place at the third quarter station, unleashed a :28.3 final frame to get up for the 1:55.4 win by a neck over Simone Hall (Mike Lachance). True Day Dream (Dan O'Mara) finished nearly three lengths behind in third. The favoured filly, who notched just her second career win, is owned by Harmon Racing Stable LLC, Comfortably Numb Stable, and Adam Friedland.


Sire Like A Prayer doubled up in the KYSS Championships as driven Dan Noble sent three-year-old trotting fillyNorthern Miss Hall first over from mid-pack to win her final by more than three lengths in 1:55. Feel The Pressure (Peter Wrenn) and Lindmeyourvictory (Dave Magee) finished second and third. The popular Johnson Hill trainee swept her divisional KYSS legs for the second consecutive year for owner-breeder Northern Lane Farm.


Driver Tyler Smith and trainer Jeff Smith teamed up to win the trotting colt divisions with two-year-old Mystical Dew and sophomore Fusion Man.


Mystical Dew, owned by Mystical Marker Farms LLC, remained undefeated in four career starts with a 1:55.2 triumph in his Championship, which was dominated by fellow Deweycheatumnhowe offspring. The even-money favourite was shuffled back to third as the lead changed hands down the backstretch, but he surged back to command and opened up two and three-quarter lengths down the lane to win over Caveat Emptor (Ray Schnittker) and Heres Johnny (Mike Lachance).


Fusion Man followed 6-5 co-favourite and defending KYSS champion Prayer Session's (Dave Magee) cover and put away that colt in the stretch to win by six and a half lengths in a 1:52.4 stakes record clocking. The Valley Victor son is owned by Tdtrot LLC. Enrico As (Mark MacDonald) fi