by Dean A. Hoffman

Lexington, KY — Glidemaster won the Kentucky Futurity on Saturday (Oct. 7) at The Red Mile in a stirring stretch duel over E L Mikko, wrapping up the second leg of the Triple Crown for trotters. Both Glidemaster and E L Mikko had won an elimination heat.

Glidemaster pulled away in the stretch to win the Kentucky Futurity.

Glidemaster won the Hambletonian in early August for owners Robert Burgess, Karin Olsson-Burgess, Marsha Cohen, and Brittany Farms.

Trainer Blair Burgess was non-commital about racing Glidemaster in the Yonkers Trot, the third leg of the Triple Crown.

“We’ll have to see how it goes before we make a decision,” said Burgess. “The race is on a half-mile track and it’s late in the season.”

The next target on Glidemaster’s agenda is the Breeders Crown later this month in Ontario.

Glidemaster showed great courage in winning the final heat as E L Mikko edged past him in the stretch drive, but Glidemaster rallied to post a 1-1/2 length win in 1:53.1.

Burgress admitted that he was worried as he watched the stretch duel.

Mark Hall photos

Trainer Blair Burgess (left) and driver John Campbell celebrate in the floral chair.

“I thought he (Glidemaster) was beat,” he admitted. “The other horse was a neck or even more ahead of him, but he really showed some heart and fought back.”

In the final heat driver Bill O’Donnell left alertly with Berto Primo, but was pressed on the outside by Man About Town, a 109-1 longshot. They trotted past the quarter in :27.2 and to the half in :55.3 and O’Donnell refused to yield to Man About Town.

Driver John Campbell slipped Glidemaster out of fourth place as they neared the half-mile marker, then went three-wide around a stalled Man About Town to wrest control from Berto Primo.

Tim Tetrick, driving E L Mikko, followed Glidemaster’s move and the two elimination heat winners trotted around the far turn side-by-side. As they fought into the stretch, E L Mikko seemed to have the momentum and surged past Glidemaster. He then seemed to shorten stride in the final hundred yards as Glidemaster was determined to win.

Make You Mine finished fast to claim third place, but he was 5-3/4 legnths behind the winner. Algiers Hall was fourth and Global Glide was fifth.

Glidemaster now has six wins and six seconds in a dozen starts this year. He paid $2.40, $2.10, and $2.10 in the mutuels.