from Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Lexington, KY — Hambletonian Oaks winner Creamy Mimi and Filly World Trotting Derby champion Lantern Kronos will hope to advance from their respective first heat divisions to the Kentucky Filly Futurity final on Friday at the Red Mile in Lexington.

Creamy Mimi defeated Lantern Kronos by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:53.4 in the Oaks on August 2 at the Meadowlands. The two fillies have not faced each other since then.

Nigel Soult photo

Lantern Kronos has won 11 times this year and earned $866,794.

Lantern Kronos has won 11 of 14 races this season and finished second twice. She is coming off a 3-1/2 length win in 1:52.3 in a Bluegrass Stakes division at the Red Mile, which increased her earnings this year to $866,794. She has been driven in her last four starts by trainer Jimmy Takter. She is owned by Falkbolagen Ab of Sweden.

Trond Smedshammer trains Creamy Mimi, who is coming off a sixth-place Bluegrass finish. Driven most recently by Andy Miller, she has won six of 12 starts this season and earned $680,468.

The Kentucky Filly Futurity carries a total purse of $343,000. The top five finishers from each division of the first heat will return for the final. A horse must win two heats to be declared the race’s winner.

Smedshammer and Takter have dominated the Kentucky Filly Futurity in recent years. Smedhammer’s Falls For You won last year’s race while Takter’s Passionate Glide beat Smedshammer’s Queen Serene in a race-off in 2006. Smedshammer won the 2004 event with Housethatruthbuilt.

Here is the field in post position order (with drivers/trainers) for the first division of the first heat: 1. Kiss The Dice (B. Sears/K. Garland); 2. Poster Pin Up (B. Sears/T. Smedshammer); 3. Dancing On Stage (T. Tetrick/Ji. Campbell); 4. No Pain No Gain (D. Miller/J. Czernyson); 5. Diana Hall (R. Pierce/F. del Cid); 6. Yalta Hanover (B. Sears/E. Miller); 7. Lantern Kronos (J. Takter/J. Takter); and 8. Pizza Dolce (P. MacDonell/R. Norman).

Dancing On Stage upset Bella Dolce, Creamy Mimi, Kiss The Dice and Diana Hall in their Bluegrass Stakes division on September 26. Dancing On Stage won at odds of 54-1. Diana Hall won the Moni Maker at the Red Mile on September 14. Bella Dolce, whose mother, Pizza Dolce, won the 2003 Kentucky Filly Futurity, had a seven-race win streak snapped in the Bluegrass.

Here is the field in post position order (with drivers/trainers) for the second division of the first heat: 1. Lunar Dream OM (T. Tetrick/F. Antonacci Jr.); 2. Saorse (M. Lachance/M. Ortolan); 3. Celebrity Tribute (Jo. Campbell/S. Lind); 4. Morguns Sweetheart (E. Goodell/G. Sholty); 5. One Tough Lass (T. Tetrick/R. Croghan); 6. Stage Show (Jo. Campbell/Ji. Campbell); 7. Creamy Mimi (A. Miller/T. Smedshammer); 8. Epangeline (R. Schnittker/R. Schnittker); and 9. Classic Lane (D. Miller/P. Foley).

Epangeline was second to Creamy Mimi in the Hudson Filly Trot at Yonkers in June. Classic Lane is coming off wins in the Buckette at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio and the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship. She has eight victories in 13 starts this season. Stage Show was third in the Hambletonian Oaks.