Trotting
colts and pacing fillies will race for nearly a half million dollars in purses
in the Grand Circuit International Stallion Stakes on Friday at The Red Mile.
Outsourced
returns to the scene of his world record effort of last week in Friday's fourth
race. The Explosive Matter gelding set the fastest
mark of any male freshman trotter in the sport's history when he converted a
perfect Ron Pierce drive into a narrow 1:53.1 win in the Bluegrass
stakes. He faces a slightly less accomplished group of seven in this quest to
double up for trainer Noel Daley who owns him in partnership with Adam
Victor & Son Stable and Mira Bogucki. Pierce is listed to drive from post
four.
Odds
On Amethyst spins right back after a dominant four length 1:54.2 romp in the
Bluegrass. He's a Muscle Hill first cropper from the great Mystical Sunshine
and he had the look of a contender last week. Tim Tetrick has the drive (and
quite possibly the warm up call) again for trainer Robin Schadt and Dana
Parham's Odds On Racing in the third race.
The
final division (race 8) holds great promise, with a couple of lightly
raced but royally bred colts.
E
L Titan is a Muscle Hill from Courtney Lobell and he's been brought along
carefully by trainer / driver Riina Rekila. Among his just three
starts is an impressive second to division star Father Patrick (who sits
this one out) in the Champlain stakes. Erkki Laakkonen bred and retains
ownership of this top prospect.
Also
in the field is Muscleprinctonian, Jules Siegel's homebred result of pairing
his 2009 Hambletonian Oaks winning mare, Broadway Schooner with 2009 Hambo
winner Muscle Hill. He looked great in his Meadowlands qualifiers and had a few
lackluster starts in Jersey Sires Stakes competition before trainer Jim
Campbell gave the colt some time off. He qualified very nicely in
1:56.3 for John Campbell here last week.
The
pacing fillies are carded in races five, six and ten with the best saved
for last. Division leader Precocious Beauty hooks up with Uffizi Hanover,
who won her Bluegrass division from an impossible spot last week.
Precocious
Beauty (Art Major) has a five race winning streak including the season's top
dollar race to this point, the She's A great Lady and won her Bluegrass
split in 1:51- last Friday. She sports a pair of 1:50.2 wins and over $400,000
on the year for breeder/owner Jim Avritt and trainer (father) Gregg McNair and
driver (son) Doug McNair.
Uffizi Hanover had lost a few photos before breaking her
maiden in the Bluegrass, coming from tenth and last at the three
quarters call blasting home in 26.1 to win in 1:50.3 for Dave Miller. She is by
first crop sire Well Said and is indicative of the late season bloom by his
get. Jimmy Takter trains her for Al Libfeld, Marvin
Katz and Sam Goldband.
Post
time is 1:00 pm on Friday and through the meet's end on Sunday.
The
Lexington Selected Standardbred Yearling sale begins at 7:00 pm tonight at the
Fasig-Tipton pavilion.
