The annual fortnight of Grand Circuit racing at the Red Mile begins on Thursday, September 25 with the $336,000 Bluegrass Stakes for freshman trotting fillies, which is traditionally the kick-off to the meet.

The stakes event has been known for a number as years as the Norman S. Woolworth Memorial, which remembers one of harness racing's most beloved personalities. Twenty-seven fashionably-bred debutantes were entered and split into ‘quad-features’ on the 12-race card.

Wild Honey leads the first division of six in the third race.

The gifted Cantab Hall filly is but a head away from an unbeaten season, having won six of seven with the $260,000 PASS final chief among those wins. Wild Honey shattered CR Kay Suzie's 20-year-old half-mile track world record by more than a second in a dazzling 1:55.2 performance last week at Delaware. She'll be a short price in this one for the Jimmy Takter barn and driver Yannick Gingras.

Christina Takter, Fielding, Liverman and Fielding are the proud owners of the $35,000 bargain from last fall's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Jolene Jolene is the most accomplished of the seven fillies in the second division of the Woolworth (Race 5). The Muscle Hill filly was second in the Merrie Annabelle and the winner of the Champlain Stakes on her way to over $165,000 in earnings. She blew a shot at big money with an early break in the Peaceful Way final at Mohawk Racetrack last week when divisional leader Mission Brief took herself out by going off-stride as well. A chance for redemption looms for ‘Jolene,’ her owner Bill Donovan, trainer Jonas Czernyson and driver David Miller on Thursday.

A pair of solid fillies that have had their efforts focused on regional programs move onto the Grand Circuit stage in division three (Race 8). Concentration has been working her way around the Empire State via the NYSS program with just over $100,000 in earnings to show for those efforts. She was the betting favourite in last week's final, but jumped it off early and lost all chance for owner Ray Campbell Jr. Trainer George Ducharme and driver Brian Sears teamed to win the 2013 Hambletonian with Royalty For Life, a horse in which Mr. Campbell had an interest.

Local hopeful Armatrading (named for recording artist Joan Armatrading) should provide ample competition for Concentration. The Groton Hall lass won the $175,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes final over the Red Mile in August and closed nicely to be third in a Kindergarten leg last week for Atlantic Trot, trainer Kenneth Oscarsson and driver Randy Jerrell.

The fourth division (Race 10) appears the most contentious based on current form.

Bee The Queen has really found her best stride at the Red Mile with back-to-back Kindergarten scores for George Ducharme and owner Alfred Ross with equally effortless 1:56 wins. Allerage Star has pretty much made the winner’s circle her alternate residence, winning four of seven including her most recent, an unlikely recovery from an early break in the Kindergarten last Thursday. She flashed unusual determination and grit in that one for the ownership group of Jeff Gural (via his nom de course, Little E, LLC) Jason Settlemoir, Dave Stolz and Art Geiger and trainer Jessica Okusko.

Captain Corey Callahan has the enviable yet difficult choice of either, having been named to drive both fillies.

The races begin at 7 on Thursday evening and continue at that post time through Saturday, then shift to 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

(Red Mile)