Sig Sauer plowed forward off a tumultuous tempo and persevered through a weary charge down the stretch for the 1:49.3 victory in the 132nd edition of the $675,676 Kentucky Futurity, the third leg of Trotting's Triple Crown, to close out the Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile on Sunday, Oct. 6. The race was sponsored by Hunterton Farms, Stoner Manor Inc. and Menhammar Stuteri AB.

Leaving from post eight, driver Andy McCarthy sent the Noel Daley-trained Sig Sauer forward and floated back to race fifth – ahead of Hambletonian champion Karl (Yannick Gingras) leaving from the second tier – while favoured Highland Kismet (Bob McClure) charged to the lead in a :26.3 first quarter.

Tony Adams S (Dexter Dunn) followed to sweep forward to lead the field up the backside and stayed on the muscle to clock a half in :52.4, spurring McClure immediately to pop pocket.

“Plan A was to try and get in front of Bobby [McClure] and Highland Kismet – I figured Highland Kismet was ready for a big mile today,” said McCarthy after the race. “I didn’t quite get him out of there as good as I wanted to and there were a few speeding out of there, so it kind of worked out where I could land in front of Yannick [Gingras and Karl] and just take my time; wait for the pace to slow down. When it finally started easing up a bit, I thought, ‘Well, here comes the march. We’ll get going.’”

Sig Sauer ranged forward to the half to race third and caught brief cover from Highland Kismet moving for the final turn. Highland Kismet easily circled Tony Adams S, but Sig Sauer continued advancing on the rim and pushed forward to the lead after three-quarters in 1:21.

Sig Sauer disposed of a tired Highland Kismet and opened a 2-1/2-length cushion on his competitors into the stretch. Karl levelled off from his parked trip as did Mr Bluebird (Ake Svanstedt), but Amazing Catch (James MacDonald) ripped onto the scene through traffic and in the last eighth to challenge Sig Sauer late. Andy McCarthy pulled the plugs and asked Sig Sauer for just enough to keep Amazing Catch at bay by three-quarters of a length at the line. Bellas Musclehill (David Miller), at 130-1, rallied from near last for third with Mr Bluebird taking fourth and Karl settling for fifth.

Sig Sauer missed the world record for three-year-old male trotters by just two-fifths of a second that was set in this race back in 2018 by Six Pack.

“The way Sig Sauer felt in the last turn, he was just full of muscle – and even in the stretch, he thought his job was done,” said McCarthy. “I was trying to tell him, ‘C’mon boy, we’re not done yet,’ you know what I mean? He was starting to switch off a bit, but he had enough.

“He’s a great horse,” continued McCarthy.. “He’s had some unfortunate starts this year, but he’s also had some really awesome ones. He’s so powerful and full credit to Noel [Daley], he’s just amazing. He didn’t start the year out well and [Noel] just turned him back into the champion he’s supposed to be. That trip he went today was quite an effort."

Andy McCarthy won his second Kentucky Futurity, having won his first in 2021 with Jujubee in another 1:49.3 mile.

“I did have quite a bit of adrenaline going into this race because it means so much. You’re trying to think about how it’s going to play down, but at the end of the day you just have to drive.”

Daley trains Sig Sauer, a three-year-old Muscle Hill-Sigilwig colt, for owners Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, JAF Racing, Allister Stables and Caviart Farms. Daley also won his second Kentucky Futurity, having first won with Mr Muscleman back in 2003. 

“That’s a nice bunch of horses there, but on his day, he’s as good or better than most of them,” said Daley. “He never seems to get tired. I know in the warm up if he’s going to have a good day or not – he’s a brute of a horse, so sometimes he gets a little ouchy. But I took the shoes off and warmed him up, and he handled it well. Andy said, ‘What do ya’ think?’ I said, ‘You got to go forward.’ It was just a matter of who else went forward – everyone was going to forward, we thought.”

With his eighth win in 13 career starts, Sig Sauer went over the $1 million mark in earnings. The colt was bred by Southwind Farms of Pennington, New Jersey.

He paid $21.18 to win for the upset.

In the $67,568 Kentucky Futurity Consolation, Vic Zelenskyy and driver Dexter Dunn romped to an 8-3/4-length victory in 1:50.1. Marcus Melander trains the Greenshoe colt, out of world champion Mission Brief, for owners S R F Stable and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd. He paid $2.90 to win.

(With files from The Red Mile)