by Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile

Lexington, KY — The 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings hit the spotlight at The Red Mile Saturday (Sept. 29) when they race in five divisions of the $367,000 Western Ideal Bluegrass Stakes. Sophomore pacing fillies also compete on the program in a single dash of the $126,000 American Ideal Bluegrass Stakes.

Captain Trevor, a son of Captaintreacherous, leads the first frosh colt pace off a third-place finish in the $250,000 Kentucky Sires Stakes final after winning in every preliminary. Owned by Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Brad Grant and Captain Trevor Racing, the Tony Alagna trainee has collected $76,500 in earnings and will start from post one with Andrew McCarthy aboard.

Neighboring the morning-line favorite on the gate, Rock Candy, a Brian Brown-trained colt by Pet Rock, and Lyons Night Hawk, a Sweet Lou colt trained by Jeff Gillis, start from posts two and three, respectively. Rock Candy, finishing second in the $275,000 Ohio Sires Stakes championship, has earned $170,626 with three wins from seven starts. David Miller drives for owners Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco and Richard Lombardo. Lyons Night Hawk enters off a fourth-place finish in the $685,300 Metro Pace. Winning one race from eight starts, he’s earned nearly $100,000 for owner Geoffrey Lyons Mound and will have Tim Tetrick at the reins.

Pennsylvania Sires Stakes champion Proof, by A Rocknroll Dance out of the Real Artist mare Ginger And Fred, heads the second split of the colt pace. Off a 1:52 victory in the $120,000 Elevation Pace at Hoosier Park, the Brian Brown trainee has five wins overall from seven starts and $272,591 in earnings for owner Diamond Creek Racing. Scott Zeron will steer from post two.

Waterway moves into the third division off a 1:50.1 win in the $50,000 KYSS consolation. The Captaintreacherous colt has won two races from six starts total, earning $43,300 for owners Alagna & Bergley Stable, Santo Barbera, David Silverman and Joseph Barbera. Brett Miller will drive from post six for trainer Tony Alagna.

Air Force Hanover competes against Waterway from post two for owners Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo and William Donovan. The Brian Brown-trained colt by Somebeachsomewhere enters off a failed wire-to-wire effort in the $40,418 Standardbred Stakes at the Delaware County Fair, finishing second in a 1:50.3 mile after setting fast fractions on the front. He has two wins from eight outings and nearly $70,000 in earnings. David Miller will sit in the bike.

KYSS runner-up Blood Money fronts the fourth colt pace and will start from post five for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Jimmy Takter. The Sweet Lou colt, owned by Diamond Creek Racing, has hit the board in all of his seven starts, winning four, and has compiled $129,658 in earnings.

Brian Brown-trainee Workin Ona Mystery competes in the same division and tries to maintain his unbeaten record. Winning all three of his starts, the Captaintreacherous colt enters off a 1:50.3 victory in the $40,418 Standardbred Stakes at the Delaware Country Fair. Tim Tetrick will sit in the bike for owners James Stambaugh, Alan Keith, Milton Leeman and Wingfield Brothers.

The Cancellieres send Love Me Some Lou in the final colt pace split from post two. The colt by Sweet Lou, winning three races from six starts, enters off a 1:53 victory in a $30,000 Liberty Bell division at Harrah’s Philadelphia and also holds a mark of 1:50.4 at Harrah’s. The colt, earning $65,797, will have Corey Callahan driving.

Kissin In The Sand, starting from post eight with Scott Zeron driving, leads a field of 12 in the sole division of the 3-year-old filly pace. With victories including the James Lynch Memorial, the Mistletoe Shalee, the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes championship and, more recently, against older mares in a $23,100 Preferred Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park, the Nancy Johansson-trained daughter of Somebeachsomewhere is approaching $1 million in career earnings, currently having collected $841,795 for owners Marvin Katz and Hatfield Stables. She’s finished no worse than second in 12 starts this season, winning eight, and has won 15 races from 26 overall.

The Western Ideal Bluegrass Stakes are sponsored by Hanover Shoe Farms and Brittany Farms, and the American Ideal Bluegrass Stakes is sponsored by Brittany Stallion Management.

Saturday’s 10-race program will get underway with a first race post time at 7 p.m. (EDT).