by Lynn Chrisman

Lexington, KY — Kentucky Fair racing moves to The Red Mile Friday (July 27) with post time scheduled for 4 p.m. and 61 horses entered.

The Kentucky sired or bred starters will feature Fort El Said who boasts a mark of 1:54 earlier this year at Hawthorne. The 3-year-old pacer by Well Said is undefeated in six Kentucky fair outings this summer with a win in 1:59.4 at the Paducah-McCracken County fair in June. Owned by David Arboe, Fort El Said is trained by Phillip Cotton.

Seven other starters will go to the gate along with Fort El Said in the 3-year-old colt and gelding pace.

Also featured in the nine-race card Friday afternoon is 3-year-old trotting filly star Vanessa Valentine. The sophomore trotter by Dejarmbro is undefeated in her six starts through the Kentucky fair program. Owned, trained and driven by Jack Gray Jr., Vanessa Valentine trotted to a new lifetime mark of 2:01.4 at the Marion County-Lebanon Fair earlier in July. As trainer, Gray sent six horses to the track at the Woodford County Fair raced at Lebanon on July 20 with five wins.

The 2018 Kentucky Fair program featured seven county fair events racing for a purse of $5,000 each race with Fair finals in each division scheduled to race Saturday (Aug. 4) at The Red Mile. Each division of the Fair finals will race for a purse of $15,000.

The Kentucky Fair program, administered by the Kentucky Colt Racing Association, is considered a stepping stone to the Kentucky Sire Stakes series that race for a final purse of $250,000 in September at The Red Mile.