The annual fortnight of Grand Circuit racing begins on
Thursday, September 25 with the $336,000 Bluegrass Stakes for freshman
trotting fillies, traditionally the kick-off to the meet. This stake has been
known for a number as years as the Norman S. Woolworth Memorial remembering one
of harness racing's most beloved personalities. Twenty seven fashionably
bred debutantes were entered and split into quad-features on the twelve race
card.
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| Wild Honey (USTA//Mark Hall Photo) |
Wild Honey leads the first division of six in the third race. The
gifted Cantab Hall filly is but a head away from an unbeaten season, having won
six of seven with the $260,000 PASS final chief among those wins. Wild
Honey shattered CR Kay Suzie's 20 year old half-mile track World Record
by more than a second in a dazzling 1:55.2 performance last
week at Delaware. She'll be a short price in this one for the Jimmy Takter barn
and driver Yannick Gingras. Christina Takter, Fielding, Liverman & Fielding
are the proud owners of the $35,000 bargain from last fall's Lexington Selected
Yearling Sale.
Jolene Jolene is the most accomplished of the seven fillies in the
second division of the Woolworth (race 5). This Muscle Hill filly was second in
the Merrie Annabelle and the winner of the Champlain stakes on her way to
over $165,000 in earnings. She blew a shot at big money with an early break in
the Peaceful Way final at Mohawk last week when division leader Mission Brief
took herself out by going off-stride as well. A chance for redemption looms for
Jolene, her owner Bill Donovan, trainer Jonas Czernyson and driver Dave
Miller on Thursday.
A pair of solid fillies who have had their efforts focused on
regional programs move onto the Grand Circuit stage in division three
(race 8). Concentration has been working her way around the Empire State via
the NYSS program with just over $100,000 in earnings to show for those efforts.
She was the betting favorite in last week's rich final but jumped it off early
and lost all chance for owner Ray Campbell, Jr. Trainer George
Ducharme and Driver Brian Sears who teamed to win the 2013 Hambletonian
with Royalty For Life, a horse in which Mr. Campbell had an interest, will look
to rekindle that spark.
Local hopeful Armatrading (named for recording artist Joan
Armatrading) should provide ample competition for Concentration. The
Groton Hall lass won the $175,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes final over this
very track in August and closed nicely to be third in a Kindergarten leg last
week for Atlantic Trot, trainer Kenneth Oscarsson and driver Randy
Jerrell.
The fourth division (10th race) appears the most contentious based
on current form.
Bee The Queen has really found her best stride here at The Red
Mile with back to back Kindergarten scores for George Ducharme and owner Alfred
Ross with equally effortless 1:56 wins. Allerage Star has pretty much made the
winners circle her alternate residence, winning four of seven including her
most recent, an unlikely recovery from an early break in the Kindergarten last
Thursday. She flashed unusual determination and grit in that one for the
ownership group of Jeff Gural (via his nom de course Little E, LLC) Jason
Settlemoir, Dave Stolz and Art Geiger and trainer Jessica Okusko.
Captain Corey Callahan has the enviable yet difficult choice
of either, having been named to drive both fillies.
