Starting in the second tier in both the Kentucky Futurity and Kentucky Filly Futurity will leave driver Yannick Gingras as something of a spectator when the gate begins to roll for each of those classic events at Lexington’s Red Mile on Sunday, Oct. 6. But not for long.

Gingras will leave from post 11 with Hambletonian champion Karl (pictured above) in the $500,000 USD Kentucky Futurity, for three-year-old trotters, two races after starting from the same spot with French Champagne in the companion $301,550 USD Kentucky Filly Futurity. He will have the only horse in the second tier in both races, and observing the 10 horses ahead of him on the gate will determine his first move as he looks to find a path to a favourable early position.

Karl, who has won nine of 11 races this year and 18 of 21 lifetime, is the 6-5 morning-line favourite in the Futurity.

Highland Kismet, the Hambletonian runner-up and 3-1 second choice, will leave from post three and is coming off a victory in a division of the Bluegrass Stakes last week at the Red Mile.

Highland Kismet is one of six horses in the race to win his most recent start, and those horses — which include Dame Good Time, Amazing Catch, Secret Agent Man, Tony Adams S and Mr Bluebird — occupy posts two through seven. Sig Sauer, in post eight, is the season’s fastest three-year-old trotter.

“All the best horses in my opinion are right there in front of me,” Gingras said. “I’ll pick which one looks best behind the gate to follow. They’re all nice horses. It is going to depend on what the outside (horses) do too. You don’t want to end up getting away eighth or ninth, so you have to be a little bit careful who you follow to try to get away close enough. No matter the horse, it’s really hard to come from too far back.

“There will be so much speed from the outside because I think it’s a very even field. Karl is going to be the favourite most likely, but not by a lot. Highland Kismet could end up being the favourite. Amazing Catch raced good last time. Secret Agent Man has been good; Sig Sauer the same thing. Dame Good Time was great his last start. It’s going to be interesting to see who is on his A-game. Would I have liked to have my nose on the gate? Of course. But I’d much rather have this (11) than eight, nine or 10.”

Karl is trained by Nancy Takter, who won last year’s Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity with Tactical Approach. Karl’s Hambletonian victory in August made Takter the first trainer since her father, Jimmy, in 2014-15 to win the race in consecutive years. The most recent trainer to win the Futurity in back-to-back years also was her dad, who accomplished the feat with Nuncio in 2014 and Pinkman in 2015. Gingras drove Pinkman.

In his most recent outing on Sept. 15, Karl finished second by a neck to Dame Good Time in in 1:50.2 in the Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series final at the Red Mile, snapping a five-race win streak.

“I trained him (Thursday) morning and I was really happy with him,” Takter said. “He trained super. He’s going to be ready to go on Sunday.

“This is a really nice group of horses here. There are 10 really solid competitors, so you need a little racing luck and things have to go your way. But like I said, my horse is coming into the race in great shape, so I’m really happy with him.”

Said Gingras, “From what I’m told, it’s all systems go. I think he’s the same Karl. Of course, from (post 11) he’s going to need a trip. He’s not going to have a choice. But I think he’s proved he can race any which way, and I’m extremely confident in my horse.”

Amazing Catch heads to the Futurity off a win in the Canadian Trotting Classic on Sept. 21 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Secret Agent Man and Mr Bluebird joined Highland Kismet in winning Bluegrass Stakes divisions last week. Tony Adams S won the New Jersey Classic his last time out on Sept. 6 at the Meadowlands.

“It’s going to be a great race,” Gingras said.

The Kentucky Futurity is the third jewel in the Trotting Triple Crown. The first, the Yonkers Trot, was won by Sir Pinocchio. Karl won the second, the Hambletonian.

In the Kentucky Filly Futurity, Gingras will drive French Champagne for the first time. French Champagne, trained by Åke Svanstedt, won the Elegantimage Stakes in her most recent start, on Sept. 21 at Mohawk. She is 12-1 on the morning line. Date Night Hanover, who starts from post 10 for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Marcus Melander is the 3-1 favourite.

French Champagne has hit the board in eight of nine races this season, winning four and earning $560,025. In addition to the Elegantimage, her victories include the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship. Her only off-the-board finish came in the Hambletonian Oaks, when she went off stride.

“She had no luck in the Hambletonian Oaks,” Gingras said. “I think she was going to get a good chunk there, and she got interfered with. Other than that, I think she’s been really consistent. I think she’s coming into the race tremendously. I’m really confident in her. You have to navigate the second tier, but she has options to follow.

“Both of these races, we’ll see how the cards play out. We’re going to need the front end to not be too good on Sunday. Obviously, we’re not going to be anywhere near there. If the track plays fair, like it usually does in Lexington, I think both of them will be in striking distance turning for home, and then it’s going to be their job to do the rest.”

Among Gingras’ other drives on Sunday, he will guide 2023 Dan Patch Award winner Bythemissal from post 10 for trainer Ron Burke in the $159,000 USD Allerage Farms Open Pace. Bythemissal, winless in four starts this season, heads to the race off a third-place finish in the Harrah’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby on Sept. 20. He left from post nine and was beaten by a half length despite being parked out from the start.

“He was tremendous in Indiana,” Gingras said. “He’s ready to rock. Post 10 makes it a little bit harder, but he’s going to race Sunday. You should see a good performance from him.”

Racing at the Red Mile begins at 1 p.m. (EDT). Free program pages are available here.

(USTA)