Determination's homebred three-year-old trotting colt Emoticon Legacy braved a strung-out first half from post 10 and proved all grit on the helm to take the 133rd renewal of the $694,444 Kentucky Futurity in a 1:49.2 effort, just one-fifth of a second off the divisional world record, on Sunday, Oct. 5 at The Red Mile. The Grade 1 stakes was sponsored by Hunterton Farm.
Driver Louis-Philippe Roy sent the Luc Blais-trained Emoticon Legacy forward from the outermost post and tracked cover from Super Chapter (Dexter Dunn) as he marched to take the lead from early leader Happy Jack B (Ake Svanstedt) through a :27.1 first quarter. Emoticon Legacy pushed once uncovered up the backstretch but didn’t clear control from Super Chapter until just past a :53.3 half.
Roy kept his charge on the muscle through the turn as a new challenge came from Go Dog Go (Todd McCarthy), who pulled off the pylons from fifth and progressed up the rim uncovered to three-quarters in 1:21.4.
Go Dog Go folded in his bid on the turn for home, leaving room for Super Chapter to pull outside as Maryland (Yannick Gingras) kicked down the centre of the track from third-over. Emoticon Legacy sped steadily for the finish and thwarted both of their late bids to secure a neck win with Maryland clinching second from stablemate Super Chapter. Happy Jack B gave chase in fourth.
“I was definitely going to go forward,” said Roy when discussing his game plan from post 10 in a post-race interview. “I mean, the horse is so good. He went :53 to the half and felt like he’s not going at all. He’s efficient in his gait, he doesn’t have to re-up to cover a lot of ground and he was still pretty good down the lane. I didn’t want to spring him too early, but then everybody else were coming too. I think everybody had a fair shot there and my horse is simply the best.”
Emoticon Legacy lowered his lifetime mark, which he established in his last start when trotting a Canadian record 1:49.4 to win the Grade 1 Canadian Trotting Classic. The Walner colt, out of champion mare Emoticon Hanover, earned his seventh win from nine starts this year and his 11th victory from 16 starts in his career, pushing his earnings over the $1.5 million mark for owner Determination of Montreal, Que.
“He’s an amazing horse,” said Blais after the race. “He makes my job really easy, he does everything right and he’s a super athlete. He’s very smart – he’s aggressive, but very smart. And strong, very strong. She [Emoticon Hanover] was special, if you remember her. She gave her heart to her babies, I think.”
Luc Blais and Louis-Philippe Roy
Sent off as the 5-2 second choice in the betting, Emoticon Legacy paid $7.04 to win.
Earlier in the day, Ake Svanstedt trainee Mr Mouton led every step to match the world record for three-year-old trotting geldings again with a 1:50.1 mile in the $69,444 race for Kentucky Futurity eligibles. Dexter Dunn sailed the 4-5 favourite around the track and won for owners Knutsson Trotting Inc., Little E LLC, Stolz Geiger and Jorgen Sparredal Inc. The Chapter Seven-Burberry gelding first matched the record held by Crystal Fashion and Seismic Wave in a leg of the Kentucky Sire Stakes on Aug. 4. He paid $3.78 to win.
(With files from The Red Mile)