The Red Mile drew the fields for the 133rd renewal of the Grade 1 Kentucky Futurity and the 60th renewal of the Grade 1 Kentucky Filly Futurity, the marquee races of the annual Grand Circuit meet that will be contested on Sunday, Oct. 5.
The Kentucky Futurity, traditionally the last race of the Grand Circuit fortnight, drew 11 horses, with post 11 starting from the second tier. Noel Daley, who teamed with Andy McCarthy last year when Sig Sauer gutted a first-over trip through fast fractions for a 1:49.3 win, will try for a repeat in the Kentucky Futurity when sending Onajetplane, who enters the race off a third-place Bluegrass Stakes finish behind longshot Warrior and runner-up Super Chapter.
Super Chapter, runner-up in the 2025 Hambletonian, also entered as one of a five-prong battalion for trainer Marcus Melander, who won his first Kentucky Futurity when Greenshoe scored a 1:51.1 victory in 2019. Melander also sends out Bluegrass winner Meshuggah along with O'Brien Award winner Maryland and two other pupils in Variegated and Mountcastle.
The Kentucky Futurity also matches up a pair of trotters that have breached the 1:50 threshold this season. Emoticon Legacy heads south from Canada, where he set a Canadian record with his 1:49.4 victory in the Canadian Trotting Classic. His 1:49.4 mark also stood as the North America season’s record for sophomore trotting males until Go Dog Go powered with an uncovered bid for a 1:49.3 win in Bluegrass action last week. Luc Blais, trainer of Emoticon Legacy, will try for his first win in the Kentucky Futurity as does Go Dog Go’s conditioner Carter Pinske, who did win in the Kentucky Filly Futurity two years ago with Mommamia Volo alongside pilot Todd McCarthy.
Below is the field for the Grade 1 Kentucky Futurity, with the drivers listed still subject to change.
$500,000 USD Kentucky Futurity (Grade 1)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Fashion Green - Tim Tetrick - Jim Campbell
2. Meshuggah - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander
3. Onajetplane - Andrew McCarthy - Noel Daley
4. Super Chapter - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
5. Variegated - Tim Tetrick - Marcus Melander
6. Gap Kronos S - Tim Tetrick - Ake Svanstedt
7. Go Dog Go - Todd McCarthy - Carter Pinske
8. Happy Jack B - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
9. Mountcastle - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander
10. Emoticon Legacy - Louis-Philippe Roy - Luc Blais
11. Maryland - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
A field of 11 will also go to the gate for the Grade 1 Kentucky Filly Futurity. Trainer John Butenschoen has an opportunity to land back-to-back victories in the classic debutante trot when sending R Dutchess to the gate, after he and driver Todd McCarthy paired with R Melina for a power-packed 1:50.1 victory on the point in last year’s renewal of the Filly Futurity. This time, Butenschoen has Tim Tetrick slated to drive R Dutchess in this year’s Filly Futurity.
Delaney Hanover will return to The Red Mile after snapping the win streak of Yo Tillie, who was not paid to be eligible to the Filly Futurity and did not supplement into the race. The most prominent of the Hambletonian Oaks finalists entered with her third-place finish to Conversano, Delaney Hanover competes for trainer Lucas Wallin, who won in the 2022 Kentucky Futurity with Rebuff.
The field for the Kentucky Filly Futurity also includes a pair of Bluegrass division winners from last week in Champagne Problems and Kadena, whose dam Mission Brief finished runner-up in the 2015 renewal of the Filly Futurity to Wild Honey. The race also features a foal from 2018 Filly Futurity winner Atlanta in Deja Blu, who makes her third start since switching into trainer Ron Burke’s barn.
Below is the field for the Grade 1 Kentucky Filly Futurity, with the drivers listed still subject to change.
$300,000 USD Kentucky Filly Futurity (Grade 1)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Country Victory - Tim Tetrick - Melvin Schmucker
2. Miss Belmar - Andy McCarthy - Noel Daley
3. Delaney Hanover - Scott Zeron - Lucas Wallin
4. R Charm - Scott Zeron - Linda Toscano
5. Deja Blu - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
6. What A Bid Hanover - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
7. Kadena - Andy McCarthy - Marcus Melander
8. Stash Some Cash - Dexter Dunn - Domenico Cecere
9. R Dutchess - Tim Tetrick - John Butenschoen
10. Royal Mission - Andy McCarthy - Marcus Melander
11. Champagne Problems - Jason Bartlett - Nancy Takter
First-race post time for closing day of the Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile is 1 p.m.
(With files from The Red Mile; photo of Canadian Trotting Classic champion Emoticon Legacy)