Test Of Faith to face toughest challenge yet

LEXINGTON, KY--Grand Circuit action on Friday (Oct. 9) at The Red Mile will start with a bang as New York Sires Stakes champ Test Of Faith puts a six-race harness racing win streak on the table in a matchup against two fillies returning stateside.

Test Of Faith starts from post 7 as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the first of two divisions of the Arlene Siegel Memorial International Stallion Stake Two-Year-Old Filly Pace–sponsored by Jules Siegel and Fashion Farms. The Brett Pelling-trained Art Major filly will contend against Cavairt Audrey–the Nancy Takter-trained Somebeachsomewhere filly exiting a 1:52.2 win in the $341,250 Shes A Great Lady Stakes–as well as Notorious Pink–the Shes A Great Lady runner-up conditioned by Tony Alagna. David Miller will have the reins on Test Of Faith while Yannick Gingras drives Caviart Audrey from post 5 and Tim Tetrick steers Notorious Pink from post 2.

Kentucky Sires Stakes champ Blue Diamond Eyes will try to rebound off a second-place finish in the Bluegrass last week when she starts from post 5 in the second division of the Arlene Siegel Memorial. David Miller again has the assignment behind the Ron Burke-trained Captaintreacherous filly who suffered defeat last week to Fire Start Hanover, who starts from post 2 for trainer Richard "Nifty" Norman and driver Dexter Dunn.

The Friday card also features three divisions for the $258,800 Six Pack International Stallion Stake Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot, sponsored by the Six Pack Syndicate and Deo Volente Farms.

Venerate leads the opening division from post 3 as he returns to the site of his Kentucky Sires Stakes crush after sliding to victory in the inaugural edition of the Mohawk Million. Andy Miller will drive the Love You colt–listed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite–for trainer Julie Miller against Ake Svanstedt trainee Southwind Tyrion, the William Wellwood Memorial runner-up who rallied with a :26.3 final quarter last week to finish third in the Bluegrass. Pennsylvania Sires Stakes runner-up In Range will also try to bounce back off a sixth-place effort as the odds-on choice in the Bluegrass.

Making just his fourth start, aptly-named Svanstedt trainee Delayed Hanover heads into the second division of the Six Pack off a 1:53.4 victory in the Bluegrass last week–trotting a final quarter in :26.3. Svanstedt will again have the reins from post 6 and neighbors hometown favorite Cuatro De Julio, the Trixton colt trained by Marie Ortolan Bar and driven by Al Eferstein.

The final split of the Six Pack pins Peter Haughton winner Zenith Stride against Moonstone S, runner-up in the Haughton and entering this race off a third-place rally in the Bluegrass. Brian Sears opts to drive the Mark Harder-trained Muscle Hill colt off a sixth-place finish over the Lexington oval last week and will start from post 2. David Miller nabs the drive on the Marcus Melander-trained Muscle Hill colt who starts from post 1.

A total of five Grand Circuit events will go on the 11-race card. First-race post time is slated for 1:00 p.m. (EDT).

By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile