Undefeated Karl takes on T C I in International Stallion Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky.— A pair of freshman elites will throw punches to kick off week two of the Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile on Friday (Oct. 6): Karl, unbeaten in five starts, will put his record on the line against millionaire colt T C I, who has only one blemish on his 10-race resume.

Karl and T C I will compete in Race 3 on Friday’s 13-race card – the second of five divisions for the $341,000 International Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

Karl (Tactical Landing) lands the pylon post in their matchup off a 1:51.2 victory under wraps in a Bluegrass division, which came just a fifth of a second off the world record set in 2020 by Southwind Tyrion. The speed badge gives the Nancy Takter-trained colt the nod on the morning line, on which he’s listed at 6-5, while Ron Burke pupil T C I (Cantab Hall) is the second choice at 9-5. T C I ships south off a wunderkind mile to take the Mohawk Million as the odds-on favorite. David Miller drives T C I, who has won nine of his 10 races and finished second once, from post 5.

Division one for the trotting colts and geldings opens the Friday program and features the Greenshoe-Cooler Schooner gelding Smart Schooner from post 1 as he tries for back-to-back wins over the clay. Tim Tetrick drives the Jim Campbell trainee after he posted a headstrong victory by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:53.2 and faces several also returning from week one of the Grand Circuit meet. Hankins Hanover – off a second-place finish to Karl – races from post 5, and Wild Ticket – third to Smart Schooner – starts from post 3 among others in the seven-horse contest.

Race 4 collects an even group of trotting boys for the third division, many of which are trying to build off longshot performances in week one. Ordained acquires Tim Tetrick for trainer Charlie Norris after he stormed home from last to finish second to Mars Hill at odds of 27-1 in Bluegrass action last out. His competitors include Bryant Bros S, who was second at 35-1 in a Bluegrass division, from post 3 and Flight Landing, a third-place finisher at 58-1, from post 2.

Tony Alagna trainee Winter Soldier (Face Time Bourbon) will try to build off a runner-up finish last week when he starts from post 2 in the fourth trotting colt and gelding division, carded as Race 6. The colt who broke stride in the William Wellwood final after winning his elimination, shipped to Lexington and scored a 1:53.1 win before finishing runner-up to Smart Schooner (Father Patrick) last week. Andy McCarthy stays in the sulky just to the outside of morning line favorite Security Protected, a Marcus Melander-trained colt who makes his first start since finishing seventh in the Mohawk Million.

Freshman trotting colts and geldings wrap their stakes action in Race 8 with three Bluegrass winners in the field of eight. Mars Hill, the 5-2 morning line favorite, starts from post 7 with Todd McCarthy in the bike off his 1:54.2 win in the Bluegrass. Dame Good Time has Scott Zeron in the sulky from post 1 off his 1:54.2 win in the Bluegrass. And Pick Pocket has Anthony MacDonald in the bike from post 3 off his 1:54.2 win in the Bluegrass, but at odds of 17-1.

Freshman pacing fillies will also be in action on Friday in three divisions for the $254,500 Perfect Sting International Stallion Stakes.

A humdinger aligns for the opening division of the Perfect Sting, in Race 2, where not only Lyons Legend and Blue Pacific will rematch, but another matchup brews with Caviart Belle and My Girl EJ. Caviart Belle (Captaintreacherous) earns the 5-2 nod as morning line favorite in spite of her fourth-place finish in the $399,600 She’s A Great Lady final.

The Nancy Takter-trained filly took a mark of 1:50.1 in a division of the Eternal Camnation earlier this year and starts from post 7. My Girl EJ, third in the She’s A Great Lady final, starts from post 3 and gets a new pilot in Dexter Dunn for trainer Ron Burke. All the while Lyons Legend will try for back-to-back wins from the outermost post when she starts from post 8 in rein to Tim Tetrick, and Blue Pacific will try for revenge from post 1 with David Miller in the sulky.

Undefeated pacing filly Geocentric (Sweet Lou) makes her Lexington return in Race 7, the second Perfect Sting division. Tim Tetrick drives the Brian Brown-trained filly from post 1 off her five-length victory in 1:50.2 in the $400,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes final on Sept. 17. Bluegrass division winners Canigetalouploup from post 7 and Sarasota Hanover from post 4 also draw into the field of eight.

The final division of the Perfect Sting is the final division of stakes action for the afternoon in Race 10. Peace Talks (American Ideal) will try for a victory off a last-to-second uncovered charge behind Canigetalouploup in her Bluegrass division last week but will have to try for the win from post 8. David Miller sticks with the Chris Ryder-trained daughter as she starts as the 3-1 second choice on the morning line. The favorite is Camerican, who finished third to Peace Talks in the $225,000 New York Sires Stakes final and enters off a fourth-place finish to Blue Pacific in the $210,000 Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes. Yannick Gingras steers the Ron Burke trainee from post 6.

A slew of syndicates sponsor the $341,000 International Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings. Race 1 and Race 8 go as “The Six Pack” and are sponsored by the Six Pack Syndicate and Deo Volente Farms; Race 3 goes as “The Muscle Hill” and is sponsored by Southwind Farms; Race 4 goes as “The Walner” and is sponsored by The Walner Syndicate; and Race 6 goes as “The Ready For Moni” and is sponsored by Midland Acres.

Each division for the $254,500 Perfect Sting International Stallion Stakes is presented by the Perfect Sting Syndicate and Brittany Farms along with Val D’Or Farms.

Racing at The Red Mile gets underway at 1 p.m. (EDT). The Red Mile features a $5,000 guarantee in the Pick 5, starting in Race 3, and a $10,000 guarantee in the Pick 4 starting in Race 6. The Pick 5 and Pick 4s at The Red Mile feature an industry-low takeout of 12 percent.

by Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile