Red Mile: Greenshoe shines in the slop, easily wins Kentucky Futurity

The conditions weren’t ideal for certain, but Greenshoe was on his game on Sunday afternoon, capturing the 127th edition of the Kentucky Futurity at The Red Mile in effortless fashion. The $450,000 contest, the finale of Grand Circuit action in Kentucky, was contested over a rain-soaked surface, but neither the elements, nor his 11 3-year-old male trotting rivals could do anything to keep Greenshoe from scoring in 1:51 1/5 for driver Brian Sears.

With a little help from his friends, Greenshoe left the gate supported by Green Manalishi and Gimpanzee, his companions in the Marcus Melander stable. After Marseille had taken the early lead, Green Manalishi and Tim Tetrick took charge in the 27 3/5 opening quarter. The move gave the stable control of the race, but Tetrick didn’t make it easy for anyone, keeping a solid pace before Gimpanzee would clear in front of him.

The half was clocked in 55 1/5, with Sears, aboard Greenshoe, patiently advancing, but once he called on the son of Father Patrick, Greenshoe had not only seized control from Gimpanzee within an instant, but had opened ground on the field. It was a magnificent move but done only on ‘cruising” speed by Greenshoe as the 28 4/5 third quarter, which resulted in a 1:24 three-quarters, proved the slowest of the four in the contest.

Turning into the homestretch Greenshoe saw some pressure initially from Pilot Discretion, but that rival couldn’t maintain his momentum for long. Gimpanzee rallied once again along the rail but couldn’t dent the margin, and longshot Don’t Let'em and Yannick Gingras made a belated move but only for the runner-up spot as Greenshoe tacked on a 27 1/5 final quarter to complete the circuit.

Sent off as the 1-10 favorite in the field, Greenshoe returned $2.20, but the victory was worth a lot more to the connections of Greenshoe, who will go next in the Breeders Crown before his next career as a stallion for the famed Hanover Shoe Farms.

“I was really happy the way things worked out,” said Sears following the victory. “He’s been down here (The Red Mile) for a few weeks, and he’s been getting more and more relaxed. I was very happy with the way he scored down.”

When Greenshoe is relaxed that’s bad news for the competition as it proved on Sunday.

Trainer Marcus Melander kept it simple.

“He’s been great all year,” Melander said.

The trainer witnessed Greenshoe post a 1:49 4/5 mark a week ago, a mark most experts believe is far short of the colt’s bottom.

“He did it in-hand,” Melander said.

Greenshoe won for the 10th time in 12 sophomore appearances for owners Courant Inc. (Anders Strom), Hans Backe, Lars Granqvist, and Morten Langli.

“I got into this business in 2005 and gave myself 15 years to own the world’s best,” said Strom, “So I’m up by a photo finish.”

Strom gave credit to all parties responsible for Greenshoe’s success, as well as third-place finisher Gimpanzee, a winner in the Yonkers Trot and third in both Hambletonian and the Kentucky Futurity. While the victory in the Kentucky Futurity was sweet, Strom is looking to win the big one.

“I would still like to win the Hambletonian, perhaps with a son of Greenshoe,” Strom said.