Saturday’s 11-race Grand Circuit card at the Red Mile is laden with talented pacers vying for over $1.1 million in purses. The $510,300 Tattersalls Pace drew a flat dozen entries and many of the titans in the division are counted among them.
Thinking Out Loud returns fresh off his searing :25 final quarter in last week’s Bluegrass win for the CSX Stable, Al McIntosh and trainer/co-owner Bob McIntosh. John Campbell will need to work some navigational magic to have him in the right spot from Post 11 in the second tier.
Mel Mara was supplemented into the race at a cost of $60,000 by owners Brittany Farms, Riverview Farms and John Carver after his exciting 1:49.4 win in the Bluegrass.
Meadowlands Pace winner A Rocknroll Dance starts from Post 12; Adios winner Bolt The Duer looks to rebound from a rare disappointing effort last week, and Hillybilly Hanover makes his first start for and joins Sweet Lou in representing the Ron Burke stable.
The sophomore pacing fillies compete in two $111,000 divisions of the Glen Garnsey Memorial, the Tattersalls stake for the fairer sex. Carded back to back as Races 4 and 5, The Garnsey also boasts the stars of the division led by Brittany’s Romantic Moment in the first split. She had her winning spree ended by Shelliscape last week in 1:49.1, but was brave until the bitter end in defeat. Yannick Gingras retains the mount for the Takter barn.
Shelliscape returns in the second division for the searing John Campbell / Bob McIntosh combo. She has really found her best form during the mid-west swing of the Grand Circuit, pacing to a world record in her Jugette heat, followed by her record Bluegrass win for her trainer and his partners CSX and DM Stables. American Jewel relishes the Red Mile clay and returned to her best form last week in 1:50.3 / :26.3 for her usual entourage, Brittany, Takter and Tetrick. Jugette winner Darena Hanover and PA Sires Stakes champ Economy Terror also face the starter in this division.
The International Stallion Stakes (ISS) for freshman pacing colts came up huge with four full divisions racing for a total purse of nearly $350,000.
A triumvirate of returning Bluegrass winners Rockin Amadeus, Fool Me Once and Twilight Bomber will line up shoulder to shoulder in Race 7 to kick things off.
Odds On Equuleus returns to avenge last week’s DQ for Odds On Racing, trainer Robin Schadt and Campbell in the eighth race, where he’ll meet up with the Ken Jacobs-owned New York Sire Stakes final winner Doctor Butch.
Captaintreacherous, just awarded back-to-back 'Horse of the Month' honours by the USTA for his recent exploits, will make another Red Mile start in the ISS. Trainer Tony Alagna has had him beautifully turned out for every appearance representing owners Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Joe Sbrocco and White Birch Farm.
Trainer Ben Wallace will be a happy man when he learns that his top pacing colt Apprentice Hanover has drawn into a division that does not include the freshman star mentioned above. Things were rolling along beautifully for Ben and his colt until the past few starts where he has had to contend with 'The Captain.' Johhny Rock and Sir Richard Z Tam provide the stiffest competition on paper in the Saturday finale.
First-race post time is 1:00 p.m. Check the Red Mile website for more pertinent info.
(Red Mile)