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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Freshmen Pacers in Saturday Bluegrass Spotlight

By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile

LEXINGTON, KY— The Saturday, October 1 program at The Red Mile will feature four divisions of the $294,000 Bluegrass for two-year-old pacing fillies and five divisions of the $330,000 Bluegrass for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

Idyllic Beach draws into the opening division of the Bluegrass for pacing fillies. Racing from post five, the filly by Somebeachsomewhere, from the American Ideal mare Idyllic, enters off a 1:52.2 performance at Hoosier Park as the 1-5 favorite in the $246,000 Kentuckiana Pace. Owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Brixton Medical Ab and Marvin Katz, and trained by Jimmy Takter, she has won six of eight starts this season, earning $449,132.

Noel Daley sends Jenny’s Terror in the second division. By Western Terror from the Beach Towel mare Beach Jenny, Jenny’s Terror enters off two wins in Kindergarten Classic preliminaries, winning recently in 1:53.4 at 3-2. Owned by The Ok Corral, she has earned $12,800 over five starts this year, and will start from post two.

Ella Christina also starts in the second division. Racing from post five, the Nancy Johansson-trainee enters off a 1:54.3 win at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in a $49,200 division of the Standardbred Stakes. Also owned by Nancy Johansson, the daughter of Western Ideal, from the Artiscape mare Arthroscopic, has won two of seven starts, earning $48,067.

Division three gathers She’s A Great Lady finalists Happy Hannah, That’s The Ticket, and Awash. Recently winning a conditioned race at Mohawk Racetrack as the 1-5 favorite, Happy Hannah, by Well Said from the Village Jolt mare Hallie Gallie, will make her eighth start of the season. She has earned $54,479 over seven starts for owners Stan Klemencic, Hudson Standardbred Inc., and Hutt Racing Stable and trainer Mark Steacy. She races from post one.

That’s The Ticket, who upset her She’s A Great Lady elimination in 1:52 at 58-1, starts from post three. By Roll With Joe from the Artsplace mare Art Account, the Chris Ryder trainee enters off a seventh-place effort at Mohawk in an $81,671 division of the Champlain. She has one win in eight starts this year, amassing $42,681 in earnings for owners Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo, and Lawrence Minowitz.

Awash, entering off a third-place effort at Hoosier Park in the Kentuckiana Stakes, will start from post five. Winning one race in eight starts, she has earned $91,503 this season for owner Bradley Grant. Tony Alagna trains the daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, from the Jereme’s Jet mare Apogee Hanover.

The final pacing filly split features Everyones Watching. Trained by Tony Alagna, the daughter of Artiscape, from the Rocknroll Hanover mare Burnett Blue Chip, enters off a 1:52.4 win at Mohawk in an $80,516 division of the Champlain Stakes. With that being her lone win in six outings this year, she has earned $79,941 for owners Riverview Racing, Deo Volente Farms, Crawford Farms Racing, and Steven Wienick.

Kicking off the Bluegrass splits for pacing colts and geldings is a matchup between Huntsville, Ocean Colony, and Fear The Dragon. Huntsville, by Somebeachsomewhere from the Western Hanover mare Wild West Show, has finished better than second in every start this season. He enters off a win in the $252,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Championship, where he bested Fear The Dragon in 1:51.1. Earning $227,484 over six starts this season, Huntsville will race from post three for owner-trainer Ray Schnittker along with partners Ted Gewertz, Charles Iannazzo, and Steven Arnold.

Fear The Dragon, a son of Dragon Again from the Western Ideal mare Armbro Cinnamon, races from post seven. Trained by Brian Brown, he has finished better than third in every outing this season. He enters off a 1:50.4 win at Hoosier Park as the even-money favorite in the $140,000 Elevation Pace. Winning five of nine starts this year, he has earned $212,016 for owner Emerald Highlands Farm.

Jimmy Takter trains Ocean Colony, by Somebeachsomewhere from the Western Ideal mare Amora Hanover. He finished second to Fear The Dragon in the Elevation Stakes and was fifth as the even-money favorite in the $508,970 Metro Pace final. Earning $91,383 over seven starts this year, Ocean Colony will race from post six for owners Christina Takter, John Fielding, Hatfield Stables, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld, and Sam Goldband.

Division two features Windsong Napoleon, who won a $30,800 Metro Pace elimination in 1:51.3 going wire to wire at 54-1. Finishing ninth in the final, the Carl Jamieson trainee rebounded to finish third in an $81,215 division of the Champlain Stakes. By Art Major from the Precious Bunny mare Bunny Dearest, he has won three out of ten starts this year, earning $70,635 for owners Carl Jamieson, Thomas Kyron, and Douglas Good. He starts from post four.

Rivaling Windsong Napoleon is Odds On Delray, who failed to make the Metro Pace final following a break at the start in his elimination. Going on to win the $38,500 consolation in 1:51.2, he has since finished third in a division of the Champlain Stakes and in the Elevation Stakes. Winning three times in eight starts, the son of Somebeachsomewhere, from the Dragon Again mare My Little Dragon, has earned $62,095 this season for owner Odds On Racing. Trained by Tony Alagna, Odds On Delray starts from post two.

Tony Alagna sends Western Hill in the third division. Starting from post one, the Western Ideal colt from the Art Major mare Cosmo Blue Chip enters off a 1:54.3 qualifier at The Red Mile, as well as a 1:53 effort to win the $40,000 Stallion Series final at Pocono Downs. Owned by Tom Hill, he has won four of five starts this season, compiling $49,750 in earnings.

Starting from post three in the third division is Blood Line. Sent off the favorite in his Metro Pace elimination, he went on to finish tenth in the final. Following that performance finishing second in a division of the Champlain and fifth in the Elevation, the Jimmy Takter trainee will go for his second win of the season. He has earned $69,687 over seven starts this season for owner Diamond Creek Racing.

Downbytheseaside highlights the fourth division. Exiting a 1:50 performance at the Delaware County Fairgrounds to win a $34,500 division of the Standardbred Stakes, the Brian Brown trainee will start from post seven. Winning four of eight starts this year, the Somebeachsomewhere colt from the Allamerican Native mare Sprig Hanover has earned $173,956 this season for owners Country Club Acres Inc., Joe Sbrocco, and Richard Lombardo.

Against him from post one is Machiavelli, by Somebeachsomewhere from the Western Ideal mare So Perfect. Finishing third and second respectively in his recent performances in the Kindergarten Classic preliminaries, he will try for his second win of the season. Trained by Joe Holloway, he has earned $16,622 this season for owners Val D’Or Farms, Ted Gewertz, and Rojan Stables.

The final division features Miso Fast, by Roll With Joe from the Artsplace mare Sakura Hanover. Entering off a second-place finish at Yonkers Raceway in the $225,000 New York Sires Stakes final, the Ron Burke trainee will start from post two. He has won five of eight starts this year, earning $174,231 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Our Horse Cents Stables, and Jerry & Theresa Silva Stables.

Brian Brown sends Mcthriller from post one. He enters off a six-length victory in 1:53.4 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in the $35,325 Ohio Breeders Championship, where he trailed the field by 13 lengths at the quarter. A winner of four in seven starts this season, he has earned $88,662 for owners Nr Holdings LLC, T L P Stable, and Howard Taylor.


First race post for Saturday’s 11-race program is 7:00pm.