The streak is now nine.

In his first race at Colonial Downs, carrying top weight of 126 pounds, and facing a well-traveled group of competitors, Kerness K went off the 4-5 favorite in the field of six in a $50,000 handicap on Claiming Crown Showcase Day on Aug. 22.

Great Notion's 4-year-old son, who races for Morris Kernan and trainer Jamie Ness' Jagger Inc., has regularly turned in heart-stopping performances this year. But this one was his best yet.
Trailing lengths behind pacesetter Celtic Pride through opening fractions of :22.28, :44.51 and :56.23, Kerness K was wheeled four-wide by Martin Chuan as the field entered the stretch of the six-furlong race. But there was lots to do and time was running out as he took aim on the leader.

Lengths back in midstretch, Kerness K kicked into gear. With less than 100 yards to go, he was gaining, but it wasn't until the wire that he got his nose in front. His final time was 1:08.68.

During the streak that began on March 13 at Laurel, Kerness K has won seven times at six furlongs, once at five and a half and once going seven. He recorded four wins at Laurel -- all by large margins -- before moving to Delaware. His three wins at Delaware Park were by slim margins -- a nose, neck and head. Off to Parx in July, he scored easily by seven and a quarter lengths. That was his lead-in to Colonial.

Other than the March race, in which he was claimed back by Ness for $7,500, all his other starts have been starter allowances leading up to the handicap. The win boosted the gray gelding's earnings to $189,885 for the year, and $301,335 for his career in which he's won 12 of 20 races, with four thirds.

Kerness K's latest win is an automatic qualifier for the Claiming Crown Ready's Rocket Express, to be run at Churchill Downs on Nov. 16.

Other Maryland-breds to also earn automatic Claiming Crown spots by finishing second on the card were Bold Diversion (Claiming Crown Rapid Transit) and Bill of Rights (Claiming Crown Iron Horse). Both are trained by Joanne Shankle, who finished one-two in the fourth race for the Rapid Transit, sending out Zero Blitz to victory over Bold Diversion.

Bill of Rights and Bold Diversion competed on last year's Maryland Million Day card at Laurel: Bill of Rights finishing third in the Starter Handicap and Bold Diversion fourth in the Sprint.