Vernon,
NY - The Kindergarten Trotting Classic series, a
Grand Circuit event for freshman fillies and colts, comes to a conclusion with
the rich finals on Halloween night (Saturday, October 31) at Vernon Downs. The
card will also include the annual "Turn Back The Clock" pace and trot
where the horses race one circuit of the track clock-wise and the "Four
One One" race for greys.
There is a special
6:00pm post time on Saturday.
The Kindergarten colts
come up first in race eight with a with a very competitive field of nine
going for a purse of $191,500. Trainer Staffan Lind holds a strong hand
sending the uncoupled entry of series point leader Hollywood Highway and
the emerging talent Celebrity Express into the fray.
With the top point
earners assured a draw between posts 1 & 6 by series conditions,
Hollywood Highway drew four. He clearly found The Red Mile to his liking,
arriving in Kentucky a lightly raced maiden and leaving a Grand Circuit stakes
winner with a 1:54.2 mark. He also won a pair of Kindergarten legs there for
owners Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld who also bred the son of Muscle Massive.
Tim Tetrick drove to Hollywood Highway to his record mile and chose to stick
with him for the final.
Celebrity Express (post
7) also came of age in Lexington when paired with driver John
Campbell, scoring a late-closer win followed by a solid third in
a division of the International Stallion Stake (INSS). The Andover Hall brother
to Donato Hanover could make a significant dent in his $200,000 yearling purchase
price with a good result here for owner Celebrity Farms.
Jimmy Takter who
shattered records with
his fantastic Breeders Crown tour de force last week has the
power in the $174,500 Kindergarten filly final, race nine on the program.
The Takter coupled entry
is led by series point leader Haughty who starts from the rail. The Donato
Hanover lass is a three-time Kindergarten leg winner who finished second in last
week's Breeders Crown, the only blemish on her freshman slate. Haughty
won a Kindergarten split in 1:54.1 in Kentucky then captured an INSS
division in advance of her Crown showing. Dave Palone has been the filly's
regular pilot and is in to drive for owners Al Libfeld,
Marvin Katz and Sam Goldband.
Hollywood Hill (post 2)
is the Takter entry-mate here. She has been a model of consistency while
winning three of ten seasonal outings for owner/breeder Goran Falk and his
partner Christina Takter. John Campbell has the drive on Saturday.
Further
information on Saturday's races are available by visiting the Vernon Downs
website.
