Red Mile: Go Dog Go eyes rebound in opening week return

Carter Pinske's eccentric trotting speedster Go Dog Go returns to The Red Mile, where he breached the 1:50 threshold last season for a lifetime-best win on the Grand Circuit, and looks to make a return to the winner's circle when starting as the 9-5 favorite in the lone $35,000 dash of Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) for 4-year-old trotting males during opening week of the 2026 season on Tuesday (July 28).

Go Dog Go, a son of Greenshoe, ships to Lexington from a gritty effort in the Grade 1 Hambletonian Maturity on Meadowlands Pace night, where he braved an uncovered trip up the rim and out of the second tier before tiring and breaking stride in the added-distance race. He lands the pylon post in the eight-horse affair on Tuesday, which includes two-time Oak Grove KYSS Gimpanzee Dancer (driven by Andy McCarthy, post six, 5-2 morning line), and gets a new pilot for the first time in his career with Scott Zeron taking the lines. Todd McCarthy, the former regular pilot for Go Dog Go, lands a drive next to the favorite on the gate with Ron Burke pupil Big Shoes (post two, 6-1).

Monday's (July 27) pari-mutuel card features a $35,000 split of KYSS for 4-year-old pacing males where Ron Burke trainee Captain Arturovico (Dexter Dunn, post one, 3-5) aims to maintain the throne in his cohort after scoring the $150,000 KYSS final at Oak Grove with a 1:48 4/5 effort. The Captaintreacherous gelding also makes his return to Lexington after a breakout sophomore campaign in which the Burke Brigade purchased him from local trainer Rodney Debeck during The Red Mile meeting and found success in KYSS company that included a near 38-1 upset in the $400,000 final for pacing glamour boys last year behind stablemate and eventual Breeders Crown winner Sippinonsearoc.

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Both the Monday and Tuesday cards will also feature a non-betting KYSS division for 4-year-old mares. Pacing mares hit the track on Monday with Brett Pelling pupil Three Times Bettor (Dexter Dunn, post one) fronting the four-horse field in her return to KYSS company after a dominant campaign through the Oak Grove series this year. She exits a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Cleopatra Invitational at Scioto Downs behind Miki And Minnie. Tuesday's KYSS split for trotting mares features a trio out of the Carter Pinske barn, including early Oak Grove KYSS series winner Aperfect Annie (Marvin Luna, post two), with stablemates Best Friends Girl (Todd McCarthy, post one) and Grand Reserve (Andy McCarthy, post three) at her flank.

The 2026 live harness racing season at The Red Mile will begin with a 10-race card on Sunday night (July 26) that includes eight $50,000 finals of the Kentucky Proud Series, which gathers the best in competition from the Kentucky fair circuit this year. Following opening week, The Red Mile will host harness racing on a Sunday-Wednesday rotation through Sept. 9 and then on a Sunday-Tuesday rotation through Sept. 22, the week that precedes the 2026 Grand Circuit meet. Sunday cards will begin at 5:05 p.m. (EDT) with all other race days starting at 1 p.m. (EDT).

For more information on the 2026 live harness racing season, please visit The Red Mile website (https://www.redmileracing.com/).

--press release (Red Mile)--