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It will be eight weeks since the Hambletonian was contested at the Meadowlands and Apex nosed out rival Big Ranger in an epic stretch duel. The two are among 11 entered for Saturday's 134th edition of the $575,000 Grade 1 Kentucky Futurity at Lexington's famed Red Mile in the third jewel in trotting's Triple Crown.
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World champion Lifetime Dreamer, who set the global mark for 2-year-old trotting geldings with a 1:51 1/5 victory on Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands, returned to the winner's circle with an open-length victory on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 1) in the first $91,000 Bluegrass division - sponsored by the Captain Corey Syndicate and Hanover Shoe Farms - of four splits for 2-year-old trotting males at The Red Mile.
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Odds-on chalk Seaside Ubeaut vaulted off a picturesque covered trip and cruised to a career-best equaling 1:49 2/5 victory in the second of two divisions of the $236,480 Grade 3 Bluegrass Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 1) at The Red Mile.
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A 75-day layoff, a slow pace, and a quality opponent in front of her in the stretch would have been good reasons for Kathynmarissa to come up a bit short in Thursday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont Park.
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At several points along the way in his career, Minaret Station had made his connections wait. So, after crossing the finish line a half-length in front of Far Bridge in Thursday’s $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park, perhaps it was only fitting they had to wait a little longer to be assured of the colt’s first Grade 1 victory.
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T Kraft, brave on the front end under Junior Alvarado, held off a late-flying Crazy Mason by a nose to win the Grade 3 Vosburgh Stakes on Thursday at Belmont Park. After coming up just short in the Grade 1 Forego in August, trainer Bill Mott didn’t need to wait much longer for the colt’s first graded stakes victory.
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Neither a layoff nor facing males proved a deterrent for the South African-bred mare Egyptian Mau who, under Antonio Fresu, rode the rail to a neck victory over the game Waralo in Thursday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Stakes at Belmont Park.
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The 134th edition of the $575,000 Grade 1 Kentucky Futurity, the final jewel of the Trotting Triple Crown, will receive national airtime on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 2) for the final race of the 13-race card.
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Ervin Hanover will attempt to turn back-to-back September victories into a three-race win streak when he returns to Dayton for Saturday’s (Oct. 3) Dayton Pacing Derby.
A stallion breeding auction benefiting the Breeders Crown Charity Challenge (BCCC), presented by Prolific Equine, will be held on Tuesday, October 6, at the Lexington Selected Sale.
