By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile
LEXINGTON,
KY—Four divisions for the $324,800 Bluegrass Two-Year-Old Colt Pace headline
the Saturday, Sept. 28 program at The Red Mile with a single 12-horse dash for
the $163,100 Bluegrass Three-Year-Old Filly Pace also featured.
Ohio
Sires Stakes champion Elver Hanover, entering undefeated, competes against
Kentucky Sires Stakes champion Catch The Fire in the first Bluegrass division
for frosh pacing colts.
Elver
Hanover, a gelded son of Yankee Cruiser, has accrued $288,600 from seven starts
for owners Burke Racing Stable, Bridgette Jablonsky, Jason Melillo, Jerry and
Theresa Silva Stables and Purnel & Libby. Yannick Gingras drives the Ron
Burke trainee from post 2.
Catch
The Fire, a Captaintreacherous colt, scooted to a three-length victory in 1:49.4
when winning the Kentucky Sires Stakes Final in his most recent start. The John
Ackley trainee has earned $237,333 from nine starts for owner Ct Stables LLC,
missing the board in only one race. Mike Wilder drives the $15,000 Lexington
purchase from post 4.
Seeyou
At Thebeach tops the second Bluegrass colt split off a fourth-place finish in
the $562,500 Metro Pace. The Brian Brown-trained son of Somebeachsomewhere has
two wins on his eight-race record—a 1:51.2 victory in a division of
Pennsylvania Sires Stakes and a 1:52.2 win in a division of Arden Downs. He has
earned $100,930 for owners Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo
and Chris Page. Tim Tetrick will drive from post 3.
Western
Ideal colt Manticore leads the third Bluegrass colt dash. Hitting the board in
every start, the Bruce Saunders trainee exits a runner-up finish in the
$252,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Championship to Papi Rob Hanover, who
finished second in the Metro Pace Final. M&L of Delaware LLC and M&M
Harness Racing LLC own him while Brian Sears will sit in the bike.
Kentucky
Sires Stakes runner-up Roll With Jr contests Kentucky Sires Stakes Consolation
winner Chief Mate in the final Bluegrass colt split.
Roll
With Jr, in his first start on Lasix, rode the pylons to a second-place finish
behind Catch The Fire in his most recent mile. He has two wins from eight
starts and $101,916 earned for owners Pollack Racing LLC and Jeff Cullipher,
who also trains the Roll With Joe colt. Doug McNair handles $15,000 Lexington
purchase from post 2.
Chief
Mate, winning in his first two pari-mutuel starts, shipped to Canada from the
Meadowlands in late July before venturing south to the Kentucky Sires Stakes.
Off a sixth-place finish as the odds-on favorite, the Tony Alagna-trained
Captaintreacherous colt won the $50,000 consolation by four-and-a-quarter
lengths going wire to wire in 1:51.4. Montrell Teague, who drove him to victory
in his last start, retains the drive and starts from post 3.
In
the lone Bluegrass division for sophomore pacing fillies, Kentucky Sires Stakes
winner Beautyonthebeach ascends into Grand Circuit competition off a 1:49.2
mile to secure a series sweep. The Gregg McNair-trained daughter of
Somebeachsomewhere approaches $500,000 in earnings for owner-breeder James
Avritt Sr. and starts from post 6 with Doug McNair in the sulky.
Current
division leader Tall Drink Hanover starts outside of the state-bred champ,
racing from post 8. The Captaintreacherous filly won a $128,103 Simcoe split in
1:49.1 on Sept. 7 and has not raced since, but qualified on Sept. 22 at
Lexington with a 1:52.1. Tony Alagna conditions the winner of 14 races in 22
starts and $637,807 for owners Alagna Racing LLC, Marvin Katz and Riverview
Racing LLC. Andrew McCarthy will drive.
The
eight-race card Saturday includes two late-closing events for two-year-old
pacing colts and a 13-horse late-closing race for trotting fillies and mares.
The card begins with first-race post at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).
