Power-packed program to close Lexington Grand Circuit meet

LEXINGTON, KY— World-class harness racing will be on display at The Red Mile on Sunday (Oct. 7) as the Grand Circuit concludes its annual residency with several stakes events culminating to the meet’s finale: the Kentucky Futurity.

This year’s Kentucky Futurity, going as Race 12 on the afternoon, lures an overflow field of 12 for a purse of $430,000. Conditioner Marcus Melander dispatches a powerful pair in Hambletonian runner-up Temporal Hanover (Walner) and Periculum (Muscle Hill), the latter of whom scored a 1:50.3 victory in hand at The Red Mile last week. Mattias Melander now steers Temporal Hanover when he leaves from post 5 while Brian Sears sticks with Periculum out of post 3.

A strong contingent challenge the Melander charge, including Hambletonian winner Cool Papa Bell (Chapter Seven), who enters off a 1:53.1 stroll in the $90,000 Phil Langley at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The first-, second- and third-place finishers from the Canadian Trotting Classic will also lay siege to the red clay with Slay (by Chapter Seven, starting from post 2), Pretender (Muscle Hill, post 8) and Fast As The Wind (Cantab Hall, post 10), respectively, hitting the track.

Meanwhile, Branded By Lindy (Chapter Seven, post 6) will try to regain his groove from winning the Kentucky Championship final after breaking stride in the Canadian Trotting Classic, and Ake Svanstedt will attempt to spring another surprise following a slight upset in the Bluegrass with Justice (post 11).

Race 10 pins the sport’s top sophomore trotting fillies against other sophomore trotting fillies for the first time in this second half of stakes season. Joviality S (Chapter Seven, post 12) and Jiggy Jog S (Walner, post 8) both took stabs against the boys in the Hambletonian, finishing second and fourth respectively, but have returned to competition against their peers with dominance.

Jiggy Jog S enters off a 1:50.1 performance in the Bluegrass while Joviality S will have to overcome the second tier off a 1:50.4 win in the Bluegrass. Dexter Dunn drives Jiggy Jog S for trainer Ake Svanstedt and Brian Sears pilots Joviality S for Marcus Melander.

Underneath the dynamic filly duo races Raised By Lindy (Walner, post 11), who enters off a 1:52.1 victory in the Elegantimage at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Kentucky Championship winner Date Night (Bar Hopping, post 2) and runner-up Selfie Queen (Muscle Hill, post 9) also compete along with Marcus Melander trainee Peyton Hanover (post 3), who won a Bluegrass split in 1:51.2.

And though Hambletonian Oaks winner Fashion Schooner is absent, her stablemate Misswalner Fashion (Walner, post 10) will carry the torch from the outermost post in the overflow contest off a second-place finish in the $115,000 Moni Maker at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

Once he sparked the public’s imagination with his sizzling July into the record book at The Meadowlands, Bulldog Hanover’s (Shadow Play) appearance at The Red Mile has become one of the more anticipated dates on the calendar. He will step onto the track in Race 11, scoring from post 5, in the $153,000 Allerage Farms Open Pace – a race that cemented the speed of Always B Miki in 2016 when he clicked the timer in 1:46.

Dexter Dunn drives the John Darling trainee in the race against history. The field also includes defending Allerage champ Allywag Hanover (Captaintreacherous, post 1), who enters off back-to-back second-place finishes to Bulldog Hanover.

Earlier in the card, world champion trotting mare Atlanta (Chapter Seven) has a race against time in the $57,000 Allerage Farms Fillies and Mares Trot, carded as Race 3. With only a handful of starts remaining in her racing career, the Ron Burke-trained triple millionaire starts from post 1 in rein to Yannick Gingras against her regular chief rivals When Dovescry (Muscle Hill, post 5) and Next Level Stuff (Sebastian K, post 2). Sorella (Muscle Hill, post 4), the 2020 Hambletonian Oaks winner, and near half-million-dollar earner Weslynn Quest (Manofmanymissions, post 3) complete the field.

Only four mares dare to challenge reigning U.S. Horse of the Year Test Of Faith (Art Major) in the $73,000 Allerage Fillies and Mares Pace, slated as Race 6. David Miller drives the double millionaire for trainer Brett Pelling from post 3.

Jujubee (Creatine) returns to the site of his greatest achievement in the $149,000 Allerage Farms Trot, going as Race 7. Andrew McCarthy stays with the Greg Wright Jr. trainee as he makes his fourth start of the year following a late beginning to the season. He starts from post 4 off a third-place finish to Maple Leaf Trot champ Back Of The Neck (Ready Cash) in the $250,000 Dayton Trotting Derby. The field also includes Red Mile speed freak Cuatro De Julio (Trixton, post 2) and millionaire It’s Academic (Uncle Peter, post 6).

Race 4 gathers the pacing glamour boys for the $363,500 Tattersalls Pace. I Did It Myway (Captaintreacherous) puts a five-race win streak on the line from post 3 with Andrew McCarthy retaining driving duties for trainer Tony Alagna. Those threatening his streak include Brian Brown’s tough-luck Night Hawk (Betting Line, post 1), Little Brown Jug runner-up Fourever Boy (Sweet Lou, post 2), North America Cup champ Pebble Beach (Downbytheseaside, post 7) and Bluegrass division winner All About The Hunt (Hunstville, post 8).

The pacing filly counterpart, the Glen Garnsey Memorial, goes as Race 8. Niki Hill (Always B Miki) will attempt to continue demonstrating her rank over the division after landing her first stakes win of the year with a 1:49 mile in the Bluegrass. Dexter Dunn drives the Chris Ryder trainee from post 4 as she faces her stiffest contest yet against a field including Shady Daisy winner Max Contract (Huntsville, post 1), Ohio Sires Stakes champ Sea Silk (Downbytheseaside, post 5) and Kentucky Championship winner Boudoir Hanover (Captaintreacherous, post 11).

First-race post time for the season finale is 1 p.m. (EDT).

For complete race entries, click here.

by Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile