by Ray Cotolo, for Red Mile

Lexington, KY — Closing day at Red Mile, headlined by the $600,000 125th renewal of the Kentucky Futurity, features other sophomore stars competing in two heats of the $240,000 Kentucky Filly Futurity, two divisions of the $406,000 American Ideal Tattersalls Pace, and the $234,000 Glen Garnsey Memorial, as well as older competitors going in the $67,000 Crawford Farms Allerage Farms Mare Trot and the $105,000 Four Roses Allerage Farms Mare Pace, on Sunday (Oct. 8).

Elimination one for the Kentucky Futurity, sponsored by Hunterton Farms, Stoner Manor Inc., and Menhammer Stuteri, draws Perfect Spirit, the de facto winner of the 2017 Hambletonian, starting from post eight with trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt at the helm for owner Srf Stable. With $653,919 in earnings and seven wins in his 17-race resume, the Andover Hall colt, out of the Kadabra mare Good Common Cents, has raced once since the Hambletonian, finishing second in a $30,000 Simpson Memorial split at Harrah’s Philadelphia to Stealth Hanover, who starts from post one in the same elimination.

New Image Media photo

What The Hill, shown here winning the Canadian Trotting Classic, will compete against Hambletonian winner Perfect Spirit are in separate eliminations for the Kentucky Futurity.

What The Hill, disqualified from first in the Hambletonian, goes from post eight in the second elimination with David Miller in the bike for trainer Ron Burke. Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Our Horse Cents Stable, Jerry and Theresa Silva Stables, and Deo Volente Farms, the Muscle Hill colt, out of the Angus Hall mare K T Cha Cha, exits a sixth-place finish in a division of the Bluegrass Stakes after attempting to set a hot pace. He has eight wins on his 25-race record, and $719,612 in earnings, including wins in the Canadian Trotting Classic and Peter Haughton Memorial.

Opting to race against the fillies, Ariana G, the sport’s top-ranked horse, starts from post four in the opening elimination for the Filly Futurity, which is sponsored by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld, who bred and own her. Winning her Bluegrass Stakes division by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:52.2, the Muscle Hill filly, out of the Cantab Hall mare Cantab It All, added a 19th win to her 23-start career. Yannick Gingras steers the Jimmy Takter trainee.

Takter also sends Thats All Moni, exiting a 1:52.2 win in the Bluegrass, from post one in the second elimination. Winning nine of her 21 starts, the Cantab Hall filly, out of the Pine Chip mare Mom’s Millionaire, has accrued $455,914 in earnings for owners Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, and Al Libfeld. Tim Tetrick will drive.

After finishing fifth in the second heat of the Little Brown Jug, Downbytheseaside returns to the track in the first division of the Tattersalls Pace, which is sponsored by Brittany Stallion Management. He will be starting from post one against defending freshman champion Huntsville, himself entering from a defeat.

Downbytheseaside, a Somebeachsomewhere colt out of the Allamerican Native mare Sprig Hanover, has won 17 races in 28 starts, including the Messenger Stakes and Carl Milstein Memorial, earning over $1.6-million for owners Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo, and Diamond Creek Racing. Brian Sears drives from trainer Brian Brown.

Huntsville, second to Little Brown Jug winner Filibuster Hanover in 1:48.4 in a Bluegrass Stakes split last week, competes against Downbytheseaside for the first time since the Cane Pace. A winner of 15 races in 25 starts, Huntsville, by Somebeachsomewhere out of the Western Hanover mare Wild West Show, has earned over $1.7 million for owners Ted Gewertz, Steven Arnold, Crawford Farms Racing, and trainer Ray Schnittker. Tetrick will drive from post three.

North America Cup and Adios winner Fear The Dragon neighbors Filibuster Hanover in the second division of the Tattersalls. Owned by Emerald Highlands Farms, the Brian Brown trained colt by Dragon Again, out of the Western Ideal mare Armbro Cinnamon, has won 16 races in 25 starts, amassing over $1.3 million in earnings. He enters this race off a fourth-place finish in the Little Brown Jug, David Miller drives from post two.

Filibuster Hanover, starting from the rail, scored his sixth win in 28 starts, taking his Bluegrass Stakes division in a career-best clocking. The gelding by Somebeachsomewhere, out of the Western Hanover mare Fashion Ecstasy, has earned $669,958 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Joe Di Scala Jr., Jerry and Theresa Silva Stables, and Weaver Bruscemi. Gingras drives for trainer Ron Burke.

Nigel Soult photo

Caviart Ally, shown her winning her Bluegrass Stakes division, will attempt to add a Glen Garnsey Memorial win to her resume.

Entering off three consecutive victories, Caviart Ally goes from post nine in the Glen Garnsey Memorial, sponsored by Diamond Creek Farms. By Bettor’s Delight out of the No Nukes mare Allamerican Cool, the filly is a winner of nine races in 30 starts and has earned $629,625 for owner Caviart Farms. Caviart Ally won her division of the Bluegrass Stakes last week as the odds-on favorite in 1:51, which followed her 1:51.3 victory in the Jugette, where she bested Blazin Britches, who starts from post two. Andrew McCarthy will be in the bike for trainer Noel Daley.

Pasithea Face S draws the outermost post in the Allerage Mare Trot, sponsored by Michelle and Albert Crawford, going from post five with Tetrick piloting the Takter trainee. Owned by Courant Inc., the 5-year-old Muscle Hill mare, out of the Passionnant mare Jovelinotte, has 12 wins to her credit from 38 starts, including wins in the John Steele Memorial and Dayton Trotting Derby. She has earned $562,815.

World champion Emoticon Hanover competes against Pasithea Face S, going from post three. Exiting an open-length victory in the Miss Versatility final, Emoticon Hanover, by Kadabra from the Ken Warkentin mare Emmylou Who, has won 14 races from 35 starts, while compiling $873,802 in earnings for owner Determination Inc. Daniel Dube will drive for conditioner Luc Blais.

Milton Stakes winner Blue Moon Stride, enters this race off a second place effort in an Open at Red Mile last week. She will start from post two in the Allerage Mare Pace, presented by Four Roses Bourbon. The 4-year-old Rocknroll Hanover mare, out of the Cam’s Card Shark mare Classic Star, has earned nearly $1 million from 44 starts, winning 14. She is trained by Mark Harder and will be driven by David Miller.

Also entered in the Mare Pace are millionaires Lady Shadow, the nearly $2 million earner and multiple O Brien Award winner, who will be starting from post one for trainer Ron Adams and driver Gingras, in addition to Sassa Hanover, who will leave from post seven with Matt Kakaley driving for trainer Burke. Pure Country, the $2 million earner and dual Dan Patch Award winner trained by Takter, is also entered and will have Mark MacDonald driving from post 10.

First race post for closing day at Red Mile is set for 1 p.m. EDT.