Saturday night racing at The Red Mile features the top pacers in the land with another eight divisions of the Grand Circuit Bluegrass Stakes. Freshman colts and sophomores of both sexes are on the bill with over $700,000 in purses distributed over the 12-race card.
The Bluegrass two-year-old pacing colts split four ways with each division of the “Western Ideal” racing for over $80,000. Division leader Artspeak returns from a brief freshening in race seven after his Metro triumph of last month. Unbeaten in six outings, Artspeak tuned up with a 1:52.4 qualifying win over the track last Friday in anticipation of the Bluegrass.
He wears the target of a favourite here for owner/breeder Brittany Farms, partners Marvin Katz, Joe Sbrocco and In The Gym Partners. Tony Alagna trains and Scott Zeron drives the son of Western Ideal and The Art Museum.
Little Brown Jug winner Limelight Beach has been entered in the three-year-old Bluegrass colt stake named for his sire, super-stallion Somebeachsomewhere. The stake drew a pair of nine-horse fields and each will race for a purse of $92,600.
Limelight Beach’s division reads the tougher of the two off the form as he lines up behind the Magical Acres starting gate next to Meadowlands Pace winner Hes Watching and Jug heat winner Lets Drink On It. While the Jug wins were his first of the year, Limelight Beach has been steady throughout and would eclipse the half-million dollar mark in seasonal earnings for Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, M1 Stable and the Wingfield Brothers. Ronnie Burke trains and Yannick Gingras drives on Saturday.
The filly pacers split nicely into two fields of eight in the "Darlins Delight," each for a purse of $73,300. The first division (race 10) offers a competitive group featuring the return of last year’s division leader and Red Mile track and world record holder Precocious Beauty to her home state of Kentucky. The Art Major filly from Precious Beauty was raised by breeder/owner Jim Avritt in nearby Lebanon, Kentucky and seems to thrive on the home cookin’. She’ll face a staunch group here for trainer Gregg McNair and driver Brian Sears.
The fun starts at 7 p.m. at The Red Mile.
(The Red Mile)