Irish Luke & Braxtons Boy are favoured to win the Futurity Final at the Loop

The Loop has a nine-dash card set for this Saturday (Sep. 30), and the feature race is this year’s running of the Manitoba Futurity Final. There is also the Kindergarten Stake, which will kick off the card at 2:00 p.m. CDT.

RACE 4: FUTURITY #31 STAKE FINAL – $16,606

1. BAYLOR BOBBY (6-1)
2. PIXIE CHICK (5-1)
3. BRAXTONS BOY (3-1)
4. LOOEYMAGOOEY (7-1)
5. IRISH LUKE (2-1)
6. AK BLACK BADGER (8-1)
7. AK NITE LADY (4-1)
8. LITTLEBITTYBAYLOR (9-1)

I am going to keep rolling with Braxton’s Boy (Whosurboy). He has three wins in eight starts this year. Braxton’s Boy has a lifetime mark of 2:03.4. He has only finished outside the top three once, which was in the first leg of the Golden Boy. Braxton’s Boy finished second in the Manitoba Great Western after being interfered with early in the race. I firmly believe he is one of the top three-year-olds in Manitoba, and he will show it off on Saturday.

Irish Luke (Youshouldseemenow) has won four of his five career starts. His lifetime mark is currently at 2:02.4. He teams up again with Blake Piwniuk, and he already is over $124,000 in 2023 driving earnings. Irish Luke isn’t the way to go if you are looking for a decent price at the betting windows. He has a good chance of winning this one, but if Braxton’s Boy upsets, the payout will be better.

AK Nite Lady (Andreoli Hanover) is one of four fillies entered in the Futurity this year. She has two wins this year and has finished in the top three seven times in eight 2023 starts. AK Nite Lady’s lifetime is 2:02.3, but her best time of 2023 is 2:05.1. If she can return to her 2022 form, she can give the rest of the field a run for their money.

My Picks: 3-5-7

RACE 1: KINDERGARTEN STAKE -$10,700

1. TRUST ME AlOT (2-1)
2. CARTOON KID (3-1)
3. TOUGH CROWD (4-1)
4. WHOS YOUR DADDY (5-1)
5. SAMS JIZZY JET (8-1)
6. LOOKINLIKEAMILLION (6-1)
7. CHOOZETOCRUISE (7-1)

Trust Me Alot (Trust The Artist) has been improving weekly, and she earned her first win her last time out. She paced the mile in 2:05.3 and had a 30-second closing quarter. These times are typical for the half-mile oval at the Loop. She draws the rail, which should help the young pacer out.

Cartoon Kid’s (Cartoon Daddy) first career win came on Sep. 2, and she posted the mile in 2:05.4. He will line up just to the right of Trust Me Alot, and the two will likely fight over the front end at the beginning. However, Cartoon Kid better be careful because he had breaking issues the last time he raced, but that was 21 days before Saturday’s race. The time off might do him good as he lineups in the Kindergartden.

The only other two-year-old in the field who has a win is Lookinlikeamillion (Armbro Baylor). The mile time of 2:10.2 is less than impressive, but he did come from the back of the pack to cruise to victory. When the two favourites are battling it out, Lookinlikeamillion could sneak by coming down the stretch.

My Picks: 1-2-6

The Loop kicks off at 2:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday (Sep. 30).

For complete race entries, click here.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink