After a break in the 2024 Canadian Trotting Classic, Highland Kismet rebounded strongly on a sloppy Saturday, Sept. 28 at The Red Mile in preparation for a rematch with Hambletonian winner Karl in next week's Kentucky Futurity.

With Bob McClure at the controls, Highland Kismet muscled off tepid fractions to a widening open-length win in the final $115,270 division of the Bluegrass.

McClure eased Highland Kismet into contention and had ample room to settle as Bellas Musclehill (David Miller) led a three-wide wave for the lead to a :28 first quarter. Bellas Musclehill remained revved once planting onto the front in the backstretch and clocked a :57.2 half as his foes waited to strike. McClure got Highland Kismet underway entering the final turn and fanned wider as horses angled from the pylons in a slog to three-quarters, timed in 1:27.3.

Highland Kismet had the most momentum rounding the bottom corner and cruised to the lead upon straightening while expanding his advantage with each stride under a firm McClure grip. He crossed the line 4-1/2 lengths better than Bellas Musclehill in the 1:55.1 mile while Flying Kronos S (Yannick Gingras) took third and Benny J (Andy McCarthy) faded off a pocket trip for fourth.

“His last start: he just choked,” McClure said after the race, speaking on Highland Kismet’s break in stride in the Canadian Trotting Classic. “He got ramped up getting out of there, horses came out under him and I was in a bad spot. I had no intention of racing him off the pace [today], but I got caught in a similar situation. Between two horses, he didn’t want to go up to the car. Luckily though, he was an absolute sweetheart in the hole. The way it all worked out – that’s the way you want to go into the [Kentucky] Futurity. That’s probably as good or the best that he’s been.”

Unraced at two, Highland Kismet continues to pile onto his resume with now eight wins from 13 tries and $667,850 banked for owner-breeder Highland Thoroughbred Farm. Mark Etsell trains the Father Patrick gelding who paid $2.60 to win.

Chapter Seven gelding Secret Agent Man posted the swiftest mile of the three Bluegrass divisions for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters, stopping the clock from a front-stepping effort in 1:53.2.

Driver Andy Miller crossed over from post six to take the lead with Secret Agent Man moving for the first turn and relaxed on their way to a :29 first quarter. Secret Agent Man continued comfortably on the point while awaiting the move of even-money chalk T C I (driven by David Miller), who tipped first over out of fifth heading to a :57.1 half. T C I plodded forward through the far turn but reached his reserves as Secret Agent Man hit the pedal.

By three-quarters in 1:25, T C I folded as Secret Agent Man scampered away and built enough cushion to roll in a 3-3/4-length winner. Vic Zelenskyy (Dexter Dunn), mounting a three-wide bid into the stretch, settled for second over pocket-sitting Bargain (Andy McCarthy) and Bryant Bros S (Ake Svanstedt) finished fourth.

“He was a really fast two-year-old, but he wasn’t ready mentally for it,” said Bernie Noren of Knutsson Trotting Inc. “Andy and Julie Miller did very good work to get him around.”

Julie Miller trains Secret Agent Man for Knutsson Trotting Inc. along with Andy Miller Stable Inc., Plouffe Racing and Patrick Hoopes. He won his fourth race from 16 starts, has now banked $238,449 and paid $9.78 to win.

Mr Bluebird (Ake Svanstedt) also stamped a pillar-to-post win on the rainy Saturday with a 1:55.1 effort in the second division of the Greenshoe.

Svanstedt secured the lead out of post two to a :29.1 first quarter and, despite facing little pressure, increased speed to a :56.3 half. Wild Ticket (Dexter Dunn), the 6-5 favourite, tried to challenge first over from out of third but quickly flattened off three-quarters in 1:25.3, leaving Mr Bluebird to scurry to a three-length lead. Greenspan (David Miller) closed ground down the centre of the track all through the stretch but could only manage second, beaten a length. For July (Mattias Melander) came from last for third and Wild Ticket held fourth.

“We had a problem with him,” said trainer Ake Svanstedt of Mr Bluebird, who has only raced five times in his sophomore season. “Don’t know what it was – I think he was growing too much and he was stiff and couldn’t train so much.”

Now a four-time winner from 15 tries, Mr Bluebird has accrued $228,742 on his card for owners Ake Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC and Torbjorn Swahn Inc. The colt by Six Pack paid $5.44 to win

Each division of the Bluegrass Stakes for sophomore trotting colts was sponsored by the Greenshoe Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms.

Steely Knife Upsets, Better Is Nice Delivers In Bluegrass Colt Pace

Steely Knife and Better Is Nice both powered first over and persevered to win in their respective $133,108 divisions of the Bluegrass Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, on Saturday.

Steely Knife (driven by Dexter Dunn) built momentum from a first-over push and rolled home a 1:52.2 winner in the first Bluegrass division.

Dunn slid to the pylons to race fourth to a :28.3 first quarter cut by Cupid Shuffle (Yannick Gingras), who Gingras tried to wrangle back despite coasting to a :56 half. Steely Knife started to gather speed moving for the final turn and angled off the pylons, vaulting forward as Cupid Shuffle raced on fumes by three-quarters in 1:23. Cupid Shuffle promptly folded while Steely Knife powered forward and held firm from late rallying Mccrunch (Andy McCarthy), who sat an antsy pocket and burst through an inside seam to challenge late. Mccrunch had to settle for second, beaten a neck, while Captain Luke (Scott Zeron) – the 3-2 favourite – saved ground throughout and held third from Total Stranger (Dan Noble) as he swooped from last for fourth.  

Trained by Ron Burke, Steely Knife has now won six races from 29 starts and banked $322,307 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Philip Collura and J & T Silva, Purnel & Libby. The Always B Miki colt paid $27.90 to win.    

Better Is Nice (Andy McCarthy) kept finding in a damp stretch sprint to down pacesetter Women Layer (Todd McCarthy) and win the second division of the Captaintreacherous as the even-money favourite.

McCarthy positioned Better Is Nice into fourth while Women Layer circled from the pocket for the lead after a :29.2 first quarter. Women Layer shuffled Dancin Champion (David Miller) into second up the backside and coasted to the half in :58, where McCarthy decided to lift Better Is Nice into action. Once off the pylons, Better Is Nice lunged forward with Women Layer in his sights accelerating to three-quarters in 1:25.4. Better Is Nice continually intensified pressure on a game Women Layer all through the stretch before eventually overpowering his rival and edging to a half-length victory in 1:53.1. Huntingforchrome (Tim Tetrick) closed from last for third and Number Cruncher (Scott Zeron) finished fourth.

“Starting off, he was a little slow to come and we brought him down to Oak Grove,” trainer Tony Alagna said. “He won the [Kentucky Sire Stakes] final there, and then when he came back over here, he started to spark back up again. Then he hit a lull where he wasn’t as sharp, but in his last couple of starts he’s been as good as ever.”

Alagna co-owns Better Is Nice, a colt by Bettors Wish, through his Alagna Racing LLC with Pryde Stables Inc. and Birnam Wood Farms. He won his 12th race from 25 starts, has now banked $1,140,201 and paid $4.20 to win.

Each division of the Bluegrass for sophomore pacing colts was sponsored by the Captaintreacherous Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms.

Pelling Sweeps Bluegrass Filly Pace

Trainer Brett Pelling denied a pair of favourites with Rocket Deo and Disney to cash the lion’s share of their $114,865 Bluegrass Stakes divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday.

Rocket Deo ditched cover from 1-9 favourite My Girl EJ in the stretch and surged to a 1:51.4 victory in the faster split of the Papi Rob Hanover.

Driver Andy McCarthy sent Rocket Deo out of post eight and found a slot behind My Girl EJ (driven by Dexter Dunn) to race fourth. Asweetbeachhere (Yannick Gingras) brushed by early leader Miraculous Deo (Todd McCarthy) to click by the first quarter in :27.4 and maintained her speed up the backside to clock a :55.2 half. As the leader started to slow around the final turn, My Girl EJ launched into action with Rocket Deo following the tow, and the outer tier swiftly reached the front spinning off three-quarters in 1:23.3. My Girl EJ grabbed the lead in the stretch but stalled while Rocket Deo veered outside and confronted the odds-on choice in deep stretch. Rocket Deo zipped by an even My Girl EJ with ease and pulled away to a length victory with Beautiful Roz (Scott Zeron) closing for third and Capytreach (Andy Miller) taking fourth off a ground-saving trip.

“She was our number one pick when we bought her [at the yearling sale],” said Brian Gordon, co-owner of Rocket Deo through the Morrison Racing Stables. “Matt Morrison and I went there specifically to buy her that year. We got her, we watched her grow up; we have horses at Deo Volente, so we actually saw the day she was born. [At two], she was a little off, a little sick. Brett [Pelling] took her time with her [and] said ‘You’re in charge, Brett,’ and he was very high on her all along. He thought exactly what she’s done this year would happen, and we’ve been thrilled so far.”

A filly by Captaintreacherous out of stakes-winning mare Rocklamation, Rocket Deo notched her 10th win from 17 starts and has now earned $516,353 for owners Morrison Racing Stables and John Fielding. She paid $11.58 to win.

Regally-bred Disney (Todd McCarthy) mounted a grueling pocket-popping bid in the stretch and survived flanking pressure to land a narrow win and a 17-1 upset in the first division of the Bluegrass.

Leaving from the pylon post, McCarthy secured a pocket ride for Disney as Donegal Spirit (Dexter Dunn) swooped down from post six to commandeer the pack before a :28.4 first quarter. McCarthy kept Disney focused from the trail seat to a :56.3 half and started floating off the pegs once Sweet Gal (Andy McCarthy), the 9-5 favourite, committed to move out of third. Disney drew to terms with Donegal Spirit by three-quarters in 1:25 and remained hooked in a toe-to-tail battle all through the stretch while Sweet Gal marched nearer to the outside. Disney forged to a narrow lead within the final eighth and kept finding through the unrelenting challenges to hold a head in front of Donegal Spirit at the finish of a 1:52.2 mile. Sweet Gal settled for third and Geocentric (Tim Tetrick), off a second-over trip, gave chase another three lengths behind in fourth.

“We’ve liked her right from day one,” trainer Brett Pelling said of Disney, a foal from double-millionaire Pure Country. “We had a couple of mishaps; she's got a couple of little screws in her. But we’ve always thought she’s had a lot of talent. Just going by her breeding and stuff, we always had to give her a chance.”

Disney, finishing no worse than second from nine starts, bagged her fifth win and added to her account now worth $125,487 for owner Diamond Creek Racing. The filly by Always B Miki paid $36.88 to win.

Each division of the Bluegrass Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies was sponsored by the Papi Rob Hanover Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms.

Soiree Hanover Back To Form In Bluegrass Score

Soiree Hanover soared over the slop and her compatriots to register a slight 5-1 upset in a 1:54.2 mile, the fastest of the three Bluegrass divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies, with a total purse of $340,810 across the three divisions.

Driver Tim Tetrick secured a second-over ride for Soiree Hanover by landing her in fourth out of post seven and flushing cover from Senorita Palema (driven by Ake Svanstedt) after Sadbirdstillsing (Todd McCarthy) fronted the fillies through early fractions of :29.1 and :57.1. Senorita Palema slightly advanced when uncovered around the final turn while Sadbirdstillsing continued strongly by three-quarters in 1:25.3. Tetrick tipped Soiree Hanover three wide into the stretch and accelerated forward to seize the lead in the closing eighth and hold a 1-3/4-length advantage at the beam. Buy A Round (Andy McCarthy) kicked from the back with too much ground to recoup and settled for second while Sadbirdstillsing held third and Spy Coast (Yannick Gingras) held fourth off a pocket trip.

“It’s been a little up and down this year,” trainer Lucas Wallin said after the race. “But when she’s good, she’s very good. And today she was very good.”

A filly by Walner, Soiree Hanover collected her eighth win from 17 starts and pushed her bankroll to $789,990 for owner Snogarps Gard Inc. She paid $13.28 to win.

She Shaq (Ake Svanstedt) rushed into contention as speed diminished late to snag a 1:55.1 victory in the second split of the Bluegrass.

Green Mercedes (Andy Miller) barreled on a line for the lead through a :27.4 first quarter and settled once on the helm in the backstretch. She strolled up the backside to a :56.1 half, but clung to a line again as even-money favorite Miss I La (Andy McCarthy) popped pocket moving for the far turn. She Shaq meanwhile stayed steady from fourth and crept outside towards the four-wide path as Miss I La took the lead by three-quarters in 1:25.3. Miss I La scooted two lengths clear of her peers into the stretch but levelled in the lane while She Shaq gathered steam to the centre of the track. She Shaq kept charging and clenched the lead in late stretch while withstanding a push by Drawing Rights (Dexter Dunn), rallying from last, to win by a nose. Drawing Rights settled for second with Miss I La third and Slip Sliding Away (Tim Tetrick) riding the pylons for fourth.

“She started out good and then she had some breathing issues, so she had throat surgery,” co-owner Matt Franklin said. “Since she’s come back, she’s peaking right now. I hope that win gets us in [the Kentucky Filly Futurity].”

Franklin partners with trainer Ake Svanstedt’s incorporation and Little E LLC on She Shaq, a filly by Southwind Frank. She won her fifth race from 17 starts, has now banked $289,224 and paid $15.38 to win.

Date Night Hanover (Dexter Dunn) steamrolled first over as the 1-5 favourite to win easily in the final division of the King Of The North.

Starting from the pylon post, Dunn kept Date Night Hanover steady and sat fourth while Paulina Hanover (Tim Tetrick) swooped to the lead into a :29.1 first quarter. The tempo increased up the backside and Dunn waited for cover to pull until no one showed themselves a taker, so Date Night Hanover initiated a first-over attack past a :57.4 half. She progressed towards Paulina Hanover and pushed to the lead effortlessly after three-quarters in 1:26.2 to wrap the victory by the final eighth. Date Night Hanover trotted over the line geared down in a 1:55 mile and 2-1/4 lengths in front of pocket-sitter Sambuca Hanover (David Miller) in second while Star Attraction (Yannick Gingras) took third and Upallnight Hanover (Ake Svanstedt) closed from last for fourth.

“She better be for real, she cost a lot of money as a yearling,” co-owner Jeff Snyder said jokingly of Date Night Hanover, the $600,000 sales topper from the 2022 Black Book Sale in Harrisburg, Pa. “It’s just a thrill owning her. We plan on racing her next year, too.” Snyder added Date Night Hanover will race in the Kentucky Filly Futurity next Sunday (Oct. 6) before heading to the Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands.

Marcus Melander trains Date Night Hanover, a filly by Chapter Seven, for owners Snyder and Onda Racing Stable LLC. She won her ninth race from 25 starts, has now earned $940,310 and paid $2.46 to win.

Each division of the Bluegrass Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies was sponsored by Kountry Lane Standardbreds.

Live harness racing resumes at The Red Mile next Friday, Oct. 4 to kick off the closing week of the Grand Circuit meet. Friday’s card will feature the $275,000 USD International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings and the $250,000 USD International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies. First-race post time at The Red Mile is 1 p.m. (EDT).

(with files from The Red Mile)