O'Brien Award winner T C I, last year’s Mohawk Million champion and himself a millionaire, returns to the site where he nailed eventual Hambletonian winner Karl when he starts from post eight in the first division of the $256,900 Bluegrass Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings on Saturday, Sept. 28 at The Red Mile. 

The Ron Burke hopeful for the 2024 Hambletonian, T C I entered harness racing’s marquee event off a lifetime-best 1:50.4 win, but faded from fast fractions through the August downpour and finished fifth. He then broke stride before the start of the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial and hit the bench to return with a 1:53 win in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes final, which was his most recent appearance on Sept. 9. David Miller will steer the Cantab Hall colt as he makes his first start at The Red Mile since nosing Karl to win a 1:51.4 mile in an International Stallion Stakes division last year.

Division two has attracted Dame Good Time, who also makes a Red Mile return – admittedly with a quicker turnaround – off a victory over Karl. Dame Good Time hugged the pylons and slipped by the Hambo winner to win the Kentucky Championship Series final in 1:50.2 by a neck. Scott Zeron steers the Chapter Seven gelding for trainer Travis Alexander as he will face six foes that includes Sig Sauer, who won the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial and looks to rebound off a break in stride as the 3-5 favourite in the New Jersey Classic final on Sept. 6 at The Meadowlands. Andy McCarthy sticks with Sig Sauer for trainer Noel Daley from post two.

Hambletonian runner-up Highland Kismet will also look for amends from a break in stride when he starts from post six in the third split. The Mark Etsell-trained gelding by Father Patrick bobbled stride and galloped out of contention as the 3-5 favourite in the Canadian Trotting Classic final after coming off a pair of wins including a stakes record 1:51.3 mile in a Simcoe division at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Bob McClure will come to town to drive Highland Kismet in the seven-horse contest.

Saturday’s card opens with a division of the $197,000 Bluegrass for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Division one collects Captain Luke, fourth-place finisher in the Meadowlands Pace and the slight 3-1 morning line choice, in a seven-horse field that includes regal siblings in Arson, a three-quarter brother to double millionaire Pure Country and to stakes-placed Charleston, from post six and Tall Dark Stranger’s full brother, Total Stranger, from post seven. Todd McCarthy acquires the drive on Arson for trainer Eric Patalan as Scott Zeron sticks with Tony Alagna-pupil Captain Luke from post four, while Dan Noble travels down to drive Total Stranger for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. Steely Knife, winner of the Kentucky Commonwealth final, also competes from post two with Dexter Dunn grabbing the drive for trainer Ron Burke.  

The second split for the Glamour Boys pins Better Is Nice against six others, half of whom he trounced in his 1:48 pocket pop to victory in the Kentucky Championship Series final. Andy McCarthy will drive the Bettors Wish colt from post six for trainer Tony Alagna. The field also includes Jug import Huntingforchrome from post seven with Matt Kakaley in the bike for trainer Travis Alexander, and Lillbliss, runner-up in the Kentucky Commonwealth final and also a rare white horse sired by another rare white horse in White Bliss. Peter Wrenn will drive the Ake Svanstedt trainee from post two.

Hambletonian Oaks runner-up Buy A Round, who found success both weeks of the Grand Circuit meet last year at The Red Mile, will return to Lexington in the first of three divisions for the $252,200 Bluegrass Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies. The Noel Daley-trained filly by Walner lands post eight off a 1:56.2 win in the Garden State at Freehold Raceway on Sept. 19 and keeps Andy McCarthy in the sulky. The field also includes Cool Ma Belle, a three-quarter brother to 2022 Hambletonian winner Cool Papa Bell, from post two and Soiree Hanover, last season’s Dan Patch Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly of the Year, from post seven.

Division two gathers seven including 5-2 morning line chalk Miss I La, who will make her first start since finishing second to Buy A Round in the New Jersey Classic final. Joe Bongiorno will drive the Noel Daley trainee, who finished fourth in the Hambletonian Oaks, from post six against a bunch that includes win-shy Chaparmbro, who two starts ago did find the winner’s circle with a 1:54.4 off-the-speed effort in a New Jersey Classic elimination, from post two and Kentucky Commonwealth runner-up Stella Volo from post three. Yannick Gingras will pilot Chaparmbro for Ron Burke and Todd McCarthy will steer Stella Volo for Carter Pinske.

Kentucky Championship Series victor Date Night Hanover lands the pylon post as the 8-5 morning line choice in the third and final division. The Marcus Melander-trained filly by Chapter Seven gutted a 1:50.1 lifetime-best win in the Championship Series final as the even-money favourite and now finds lighter waters. Kentucky Commonwealth champ Star Attraction, starting from post three with driver Yannick Gingras, makes a move up in class inside the third division, a race that also includes Pennsylvania Sires Stakes final runner-up Paulina Hanover from post seven with Tim Tetrick at the reins.

Sophomore pacing fillies also spar in two divisions of the $170,000 Bluegrass on the Saturday card.

In the first division, Dan Patch Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year Geocentric will make her first Grand Circuit start since finishing eighth in the Adioo Volo on July 27. Tim Tetrick will drive the Brian Brown trainee who, off a one-blemish freshman campaign from 10 starts, looks for her second visit to the winner’s circle in 2024. The daughter of Sweet Lou will start from post five fresh from a runner-up effort in the Kentucky Championship Series final.

Millionaire pacing filly My Girl EJ, winner of the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes final on Sept. 9, enters the second division as the 9-5 morning line choice and is looking to rebound. The Ron Burke-trained filly by Sweet Lou broke a hopple heading to the half of the Jugette final – after setting a world record with a 1:49.1 win in her first heat – and was pulled up from the race. Dexter Dunn will pilot My Girl EJ from post one in an eight-horse affair that also has attracted Brett Pelling trainee Rocket Deo, winner of the Shady Daisy on Hambletonian day, from post eight with Andy McCarthy in the bike.

Saturday's Bluegrass Stakes are sponsored by the stallion syndicates of Greenshoe, Captaintreacherous, Papi Rob Hanover and King Of The North as well as Hanover Shoe Farms and Kountry Lane Standardbreds.

Saturday’s program features 15 races total, as well as a pair of non-betting races preceding the pari-mutuel card. First-race post time at The Red Mile is 1 p.m. (EDT).

(With files from The Red Mile)