Long shots rule in Bluegrass colt trots

LEXINGTON, KY —Big mutuels came through the windows following each division of the $208,000 Greenshoe Bluegrass 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot on Sunday (Oct. 3) at The Red Mile all thanks to harness racing trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt, who landed in the winner’s circle of both splits with long-odd horses.

Mon Amour floated off the cones into the final turn and applied steady first-over pressure before overtaking the lead and striding home to a 53-1 score in the first division of the Greenshoe.

Over a track freshly downgraded to “sloppy”, trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt landed Mon Amour in third from post 8 as the field rolled through a downpour to a :28 first quarter set by Plumville Prince. Take All Comers soon vacated pocket to the backside to grab the lead before a :57.4 half, where Svanstedt committed to lead a developing outer tier to the final turn.

Take All Comers cruised to three-quarters in 1:27.3 as Mon Amour ranged to match strides with the leader coming into the stretch. Mon Amour assumed the lead coming to the eighth pole with Take All Comers suddenly folding to the inside and held control to the finish of a 1:55.2 mile by two lengths over Balenciaga, who rallied once splitting horses late. Locatelli took third with Plumville Prince riding the pylons for fourth.

Paying $108 to win, Mon Amour scored his third victory from 13 starts this season and his fifth from 19 starts overall. Al Libfeld, Marvin & Lynn Katz and Sam Goldband own the Muscle Hill colt who has now earned $164,300.

MON AMOUR REPLAY

Svanstedt came over the top to nab the second split of the Greenshoe with another longshot, zipping by the field with 22-1 Fly Light in a 1:53.1 mile.

Rattle My Cage emerged in front of a first-turn skirmish for the top to a :28 first quarter with Sevenshadesofgrey securing the pocket and Zenith Stride settling into third. In Range raced wide to the backside and marched towards the top but failed to clear to a :55.2 half. He started to tire into the final turn, forcing 1-5 favorite Ahundreddollarbill three wide around the final turn.

Ahundreddollarbill progressed to press Rattle My Cage to three-quarters in 1:24 and ground to a narrow lead trotting through the stretch. Meanwhile, from near last, Fly Light lunged down the center of the track and slid by his competition to win going clear by 4-3/4 lengths over late-closing Really Fast. Ahundreddollarbill settled for third over Rattle My Cage.

Fly Light paid $47.60 to win in collecting his second victory from eight starts this season and his third from 16 starts overall. The Father Patrick gelding has banked $313,021 for owners Ake Svanstedt Inc. and Stable Why Not.

FLY LIGHT REPLAY

Each division of the Greenshoe Bluegrass 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot was sponsored by the Greenshoe Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms.

For full race results, click here.

by Ray Cotolo, for the Red Mile