Sophomore pacers and trotters compete on the first matinee program of the Grand Circuit meeting at The Red Mile on Sunday, October 2, with three divisions of the $188,200 Bluegrass for trotting fillies, two divisions of the $163,500 Bluegrass for trotting colts, two divisions of the $147,000 Bluegrass for pacing fillies, and three divisions of the $173,900 Bluegrass for pacing colts.
The opening of the three Bluegrass splits for trotting fillies pins Celebrity Eventsy against Double Exposure.
Starting from post one, Celebrity Eventsy, by Manofmanymissions from the American Winner mare Little Ms Queenie, exits a ninth-place effort in the $436,000 Elegantimage, which was the result of a parked first-over trip. Owned by Celebrity Farms and trained by Staffan Lind, the winner of eight out of twenty-one starts lifetime has earned $493,556.
Double Exposure enters off a 1:55.2 qualifier at The Red Mile, and adds Lasix for the first time in her career. Her last pari-mutuel start was in a $35,000 Elegantimage elimination, where she finished sixth, failing to make the final. She has won six races out of fifteen starts lifetime, earning $304,253 for owners Brittany Farms and Melvin Hartman and trainer Tony Alagna.
Freshman-sensation Broadway Donna, by Donato Hanover from the Broadway Hall mare Broadway Schooner, draws into the second division. Winning the $252,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Championship in 1:53.4 in her most recent start, she earned her 12th win in 17 races, earning $800,894 for owner Fashion Farms LLC. Trained by Jim Campbell, she starts from post one.
Trond Smedshammer sends Fad Finance, by Credit Winner from the Sierra Kosmos mare Armbro Vanity, from post five in the second division. Her last race was in the $225,000 New York Sires Stakes Final, where she finished fifth as the 3-5 favourite. Winning nine of 20 starts and earning $275,356, she races for owners Purple Haze Stables LLC, Marc Goldberg, and Rojan Stables.
Hambletonian Oaks-elimination winner Side Bet Hanover competes in the final trotting filly split. Since her 38-1 upset in her Hambletonian Oaks elimination, she has finished second in a $97,000 Casual Breeze division and fifth in the Elegantimage Final. A winner of four of 17 starts, the filly by Donato Hanover from the Muscles Yankee mare Sea Level Hanover has earned $155,142 for owner SRF Stable. Trained by Jonas Czernyson, she starts from post two.
Wildflower, off a 14-1 upset in the $118,574 Hudson Filly Trot, starts from post six against Side Bet Hanover. After her 1:56.1 performance in the Hudson Filly Trot, she qualified at Pocono Downs, winning by seven lengths in 1:58. Winning four of 16 starts lifetime, she has earned $225,507 for owner-trainer Ake Svanstedt along with partners Douglas Sipple and Mal & Janet Burroughs.
The first of two Bluegrass divisions for trotting colts attracts Mavens Way, Sutton, and Lagerfeld.
Mavens Way, finishing sixth to Sutton in a 1:51.4 mile against conditioned trotters at the Meadowlands, starts from post one. By Muscle Hill from the Andover Hall mare Doris Deo, he has earned $141,724 over 17 starts for owner-trainer Ake Svanstedt along with partners Mal & Janet Burroughs, T L P Stable, and Esa Hietakanagas.
Sutton, who finished third at 48-1 in the $1,000,000 Hambletonian, races from post four. Finishing fourth in the $500,000 Colonial Trot and breaking as the even-money favourite in an $104,020 Simcoe division, he will try for his sixth win in his career. By Donato Hanover, from the Muscles Yankee mare I Wanted Wings, Sutton has compiled $328,806 in earnings over 20 starts for trainer Julie Miller and owners Andy Miller Stable Inc and Jason & Douglas Allen.
Exiting a fourth-place finish in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Championship, Lagerfeld, by Yankee Glide from the Yankee Paco mare Southern Senorita, starts from post two. The Jimmy Takter trainee has struggled with gait issues most of the season, breaking in a $153,250 Stanley Dancer Memorial division and in the $40,000 Yonkers Trot elimination. A winner of six in 26 starts, he has earned $604,387 for owners Christina Takter, John and Jim Fielding and Herb Liverman.
Bar Hopping, who was sent off as the even-money favourite in the Hambletonian, races in the other trotting colt division. Off a 1:53.1 victory in the $687,000 Canadian Trotting Classic, the Jimmy Takter-trained son of Muscle Hill, from the Credit Winner mare Cocktail Hour, starts from post three. Winning six of 22 starts, he has earned $901,048 for owners Christina Takter, Hatfield Stables, Marvin Katz, and Al Libfeld.
Pure Country and Darlinonthebeach will battle again when they race in the first Bluegrass division for pacing fillies.
Exiting the $143,640 Jugette, Pure Country finished fourth in the final, while Darlinonthebeach scratched after finishing fifth in the first heat. Pure Country, by Somebeachsomewhere from the Western Hanover mare Western Montana, has won 17 of 26 starts and earned $1,745,477 for owner Diamond Creek Racing. She’ll race from post two.
Darlinonthebeach, by Somebeachsomewhere from the Bettors Delight mare Darlins Delight, neighbours Pure Country from post three. A winner of 10 of 26 starts, she has earned $811,869 for owner White Birch Farm.
Call Me Queen Be highlights the other pacing filly split. Finishing second as the 1-2 favourite after setting the pace in the Jugette Final, she draws post three. Defeating Pure Country and Darlinonthebeach in both the $252,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Championship and the first heat of the Jugette, they filly by Somebeachsomewhere from the Western Terror mare Preppy Party Girl has nine wins to her credit out of 25 starts, earning $755,661 for owners Let It Ride Stables Inc and Dana Parham.
American Passport, who emerged into the stakes spotlight after winning a division of the International Stallion Stakes last fall, returns to The Red Mile. Drawing post four, he exits a ninth-place finish in the $100,000 Jennas Beach Boy. Winning five of 24 starts, he has earned $299,176 for owners Brittany Farms, Alagna Racing, Riverview Racing, and Jody Siamis.
The second Bluegrass division for pacing colts features Western Fame, who won at 10-1 in a $92,320 Little Brown Jug elimination. Drawing post six, the Western Ideal colt from the Artiscape mare Shyaway has won four of 21 starts, earning $287,006 for owner Brittany Farms and trainer Jimmy Takter.
Another Jug finalist, Big Top Hanover, starts from post two. Going off stride before the start, he finished sixth. A winner of five in 33 starts, the colt by Western Ideal from the Art Major mare Blind Ambition has earned $671,064 for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, JT 45 and Weaver Bruscemi and trainer Ron Burke.
The final Bluegrass division attracts Dr J Hanover, who enters off a third-place effort in the Little Brown Jug. Starting from post five, Tony Alagna trains the gelding by Somebeachsomewhere, out of the Western Ideal mare So Perfect. He has won eight of 15 starts, amassing $292,072 in earnings for owners Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, John Cancelliere, and Dr J Partners.
Manhattan Beach, who finished fifth in the Little Brown Jug, races from post two. By Somebeachsomewhere from the Badlands Hanover mare Benear, the Ron Burke trainee has won five of 27 starts, which includes an elimination for the Adios Pace. Also finishing second in the $320,000 Cane Pace, he has earned $385,017 for owners Burke Racing Stable & Weaver Bruscemi, Geoffrey Lyons Mound and Wingfield Brothers.
Sunday’s 14-race card is set to start at 1:00 p.m., which will be the post time for the remaining dates in the Grand Circuit meet.
(The Red Mile)