Undefeated Manchego heads 30 in Bluegrass filly trot
September 27, 2017,by Ray Cotolo, for Red Mile
Lexington, KY — Jimmy Takter trainee Manchego goes for her ninth consecutive win in the fifth of five divisions of the $330,000 Bluegrass 2-year-old filly trot on Friday (Sept. 29) at Red Mile.
Starting from post three, the Muscle Hill filly out of the Cantab Hall mare Secret Magic, has amassed $501,948 in earnings this season, including wins in the $330,800 Jim Doherty Memorial, $252,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes championship, and $307,500 Peaceful Way Stakes. Purchased for $120,000 from the Lexington Selected Sale, Yannick Gingras will drive for owners Black Horse Racing, John Fielding, and Herb Liverman.
Megadolce, winless in eight starts, tries for a maiden-breaking performance in the opening division of the Bluegrass. By Cantab Hall out of the Kadabra mare Bella Dolce, the Richard “Nifty” Norman trainee has earned $43,971 with seven on-the-board finishes this season. Andrew McCarthy drives for owner David McDuffee.
Front Circle, a Muscle Hill filly from Conway Hall mare Sheena Hall, is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the first division. A winner of two races in nine starts this season, the Ron Burke trainee has collected $72,232 in earnings for owners Burke Racing Stable, Silva, Purnell & Libby, Michelle Yanek, and Weaver Bruscemi. Yannick Gingras drives the $110,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase from post two.
Charlie Norris-trained and driven Sherrys Lady moves from the Kentucky Sires Stakes into Grand Circuit competition, starting from post six in the second Bluegrass split. A Muscle Hill filly from the Andover Hall mare Fraction, Sherrys Lady has won twice in four starts this season, including a third-place finish in a preliminary of the KYSS prior to a 1:56.3 lifetime-best performance at Red Mile. An $80,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase, Sherrys Lady races for Coyote Wynd Farms.
Nixie Volo, another KYSS starter, looks to redeem a break in the $250,000 KYSS final, matching up against Sherrys Lady, from post four. Winning two races in six starts this season, the John Butenschoen trained daughter of Yankee Glide from the Windsong’s Legacy mare No I’m Not has earned $39,000 this season for owners Kentuckiana Racing Stables, VIP Internet Stable, 83 Racing, and Eddie Gran. Corey Callahan drives the $22,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase.
The two KYSS starters will face 2-1 morning line favorite Mooshka Stride, a Credit Winner filly from the Donato Hanover mare Check Me Out. A $260,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase by Emilio and Maria Rosati, Mark Harder trains the winner of one race in three starts, with her maiden-breaking score coming in a 1:55 mile in the Kindergarten Series at the Meadowlands. Andy Miller drives the earner of $8,000 this season from post two.
KYSS winner Top Expectations and runner-up Lily Stride battle in the third Bluegrass division. Top Expectations, by Cantab Hall from the Kadabra mare Exceed Expectations, has won twice in eight starts, most recently upsetting at 10-1 in the $250,000 KYSS final in a career-best performance of 1:54.1. Owned by Daniel Plouffe, the Erv Miller trainee has banked $168,378 this season, and will start from post six with Marcus Miller in the bike.
Lily Stride, sent off the 1-5 favorite in the KYSS final, was a neck shy of sweeping the series for owners Emilio and Maria Rosati and trainer Mark Harder. The Muscle Hill filly from the Donato Hanover mare Sterling Volo has won four races in seven starts this season, earning $167,152, and was also third to Manchego in the Jim Doherty Memorial. Purchased for $220,000 from the Lexington Selected Sale, Andy Miller picks up the drive.
Full sister to Shake It Cerry, Swing It Cathy, attempts for her first win of the season in the fourth Bluegrass division, facing Pennsylvania Sires Stakes competitor Seviyorum. By Donato Hanover out of the Yankee Glide mare Solveig, Swing It Cathy has earned $19,456 this season for owners Christina Takter and Solveig’s Racing Partners. The Jimmy Takter trainee will start from post six following a sixth-place finish in the $240,000 Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes and will be driven by Yannick Gingras.
Seviyorum, a winner of two races in six starts, starts from post one for owners Stroy Inc. and Andy Miller Stable Inc. Earning $68,509 this season, the Julie Miller-trained daughter of Donato Hanover from the Self Possessed mare Armbro Domino enters off a second-place finish in a Kindergarten prelim at the Meadowlands. The hombred from Stroy Inc. will be driven by Andy Miller.
Post time for the second evening of the Grand Circuit is slated for 7 p.m. (EDT).
- ‘Special filly’ Manchego puts streak on the line in Bluegrass Stakes (Thursday, September 28, 2017)
Yannick Gingras is no stranger to driving successful filly trotters. In the past six years alone, the list of such horses includes Maven, Mission Brief, Lifetime Pursuit, All The Time and Ariana G. And now there is Manchego.Manchego is a perfect 8-for-8 this year for Gingras and trainer Jimmy Takter. Her next start is Friday in the fifth of five $66,000 Bluegrass Stakes divisions for 2-year-old female trotters at Lexington’s Red Mile and she is 3-5 on the morning line.
- Manchego maintains record in Bluegrass (Saturday, September 30, 2017)
Manchego won her ninth start in a row taking the fifth of five divisions of the $330,000 Norman Woolworth Memorial Bluegrass 2-year-old filly trot on Friday (Sept. 29) at Red Mile. The other winners were Sevenbuyeleven, Seven Karats, Top Expectations and Seviyorum.