After two weeks of stakes competition, The Red Mile will close the annual Grand Circuit fortnight on Sunday (Oct. 6) with the 127th edition of the Kentucky Futurity capping the program.
Marcus Melander’s trotting trio leads the field for the $450,000 Kentucky Futurity, which drew 12 horses and will go as a single dash. The Father Patrick colt Greenshoe, whose brother Maverick sold for a record $1.1 million on the opening night of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, will start from post four and inside of stablemates Gimpanzee and Green Manalishi S. A winner of 11 races from 15 starts and more than $1 million, Greenshoe competes for owners Courant Inc., Hans Backe, Lars Granqvist and Morten Langli, and will have regular driver Brian Sears in the bike.
Gimpanzee (PP6, David Miller) enters from a second-place finish to Greenshoe in his 1:49.4 mile last week at Lexington. A son of Chapter Seven - Steamy Windows, Gimpanzee has earned more than $1.2 million in his career for owners Courant Inc. and S R F Stable. Courant-owned Green Manalishi S (PP8, Tim Tetrick) will look to add to his $1.2 million bankroll. The son of Muscle Hill - Naga Morich S comes in off a 1:50.4 victory in a $96,100 division of Bluegrass.
The 54th Kentucky Filly Futurity also goes as a single $267,000 dash. Hambletonian Oaks winner When Dovescry leaves from post four off a 1:50.1 victory in a $108,500 division of Bluegrass. The Rene Allard-trained Muscle Hill filly approaches $720,000 in earnings for owners Go Fast Stable, Yves Sarrazin, Kapildeo Singh and Lawrence Dumain, and Simon Allard will drive.
Millies Possesion starts directly inside of When Dovescry, who has handed the previously-undefeated Jim Campbell trainee her only losses. Unraced as a two-year-old, Millies Possesion (Possess The Will - Fashion Athena) filly has earned nearly $500,000 from 12 sophomore startsfor owner-breeder Fashion Farms and will have regular pilot Dexter Dunn at the reins.
Sophomore pacing colts also compete in a pair of $270,000 divisions for the $540,000 Tattersalls. Little Brown Jug winner Southwind Ozzi paid the $45,000 supplement and draws post three in the first division. The Bill MacKenzie-trained Somebeachsomewhere colt has won nine races from 11 starts this season and banked $771,263 in his career for owners Vincent Ali Jr. and Alma Iafelice. Brian Sears will drive.
Bettors Wish and Captain Crunch compete against each other for the first time since the 2019 Cane Pace in the second Tattersalls division. Captain Crunch bested Bettors Wish in the $285,362 Cane Pace by a neck in 1:48 but has not won a race since. The son of Captaintreacherous - Sweet Paprika, a winner of nearly $1.5 million, will leave from post five with driver Scott Zeron in the sulky for trainer Nancy Johansson and owners 3 Brothers Stables, Christina Takter, Rojan Stables and Caviart Farms.
Bettors Wish (PP6, Dexter Dunn) has only lost one race since the Cane Pace for trainer Chris Ryder, finishing second in the $500,000 Messenger Pace to American Mercury (who starts from post two). The son of Bettors Delight - Lifetime Star has earned more than $1.1 million from his 14 starts this season for co-owner Ryder, Bella Racing, Fair Island Farm and Bettors Wish Partners, finishing no worse than second.
Shartin N fronts the $87,000 Allerage Farms Fillies and Mares Open Pace. Winning 40 races from 52 starts, the six-year-old Tintin In America mare nears $2 million in earnings and rides a 14-race win streak into Sunday's event for trainer Jim King Jr. Tim Tetrick co-owns Shartin N and will drive her from post four for partners Richard Poillucci and Joann Looney-King.
Aged trotting mares also race on the closing-day card with the $69,500 Allerage Farms Fillies & Mares Trot starting the Sunday stakes action. The four-year-old Muscle Hill mare Manchego leads the eight-mare charge off a nine-length blowout against the boys in the $171,250 Dayton Trotting Derby last week. Nancy Johansson conditions the winner of $1.8 million for owner Black Horse Racing.
Ake Svanstedt sends a speedy pair into the Allerage Mare Trot with Plunge Blue Chip and Darling Mearas S. A winner in 1:49.4 at The Red Mile last year, Plunge Blue Chip recently surpassed $1 million in earnings for owners Ake Svanstedt Inc., Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc. and Tomas Andersson. Svanstedt will drive from post five.
Darling Mearas S (PP8, Andy Miller) trotted a 1:49.4 mile at the Meadowlands earlier this season. The daughter of Cantab Hall approaches $1 million in earnings for owner Snogarps Gard.
The closing-day program gets underway with first-race post at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).
(The Red Mile)