Grand Circuit racing will resume at the Red Mile this Thursday afternoon with the $323,200 International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old filly trotters. Thirty-three juvenile lasses were declared, resulting in four divisions for the stakes event.
Co-world record holder Mission Brief, the marquee player in the division thus far, has been entered and will start from Post 3 in Race 4. The Muscle Hill filly from Southwind Serena has been sensational, yet somewhat erratic so far in her young career.
Mission Brief’s blazing speed has carried her to five wins by wide margins in fast times, including the Merrie Annabelle and NJSS finals in stakes record time and a Peaceful Way elimination in a record mile of 1:52.1 (which was equalled last Thursday by Jolene Jolene at the Red Mile). The only blemishes on her eight-race slate are by her own hand, as she has gone off-stride in three of her races and put herself right out of contention.
The Grand Circuit’s leading combination will handle Mission Brief, as Ron Burke is training the filly for his Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Our Horse Cents Stable and J&T Silva Stable. Pilot Yannick Gingras will try to keep her on her best behaviour. The way the track has been playing thus far, and with Mission Brief’s talent, the record may be further reduced on Thursday.
The Burke stable will also send out contenders in two of the other divisions, as Kirsi Hanover looks to be a key player in Race 2 and Gatka Hanover will be one to be dealt with in Race 8.
In between, Alfred Ross’ emerging star debutante Bee The Queen will look to complete the Lexington Grand Circuit double by winning both weeks, as she will seek her fifth consecutive win for trainer George Ducharme in Race 5. The Donato Hanover - Bee Line filly was a late comer, but she has surely found her best form in Kentucky. Brian Sears has the drive.
Competition for the ‘Queen’ will be led by Livininthefastlane from the rail for driver Tim Tetrick. She’s also a Donato Hanover (out of Nicoles Promise) filly that is owned by the potent partnership of Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and Sam Goldband and trained by Julie Miller. Livininthefastlane comes in off a convincing win in the Kentuckiana Farms trot at Hoosier Park and has amassed more than $165,000 this season.
Ten races comprise the Thursday Red Mile card, which carries a first-race post time of 1 p.m. (that first-race post time will continue through the meet’s end, on Kentucky Futurity Day, October 5). You can find more pertinent info at the Red Mile’s website, and if you missed any of last week’s action, visit the track’s youtube page for all video replays of the races.
The start of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale is Tuesday at 7 p.m. and continues through Saturday with the cream of the Standardbred yearling crop available for inspection and purchase.
(Red Mile)