Red Mile: Plenty of contenders in 126th Kentucky Futurity

Closing day at the Red Mile always delivers a parade of stars and Sunday’s program led by the 126th Kentucky Futurity is no exception.

In addition to the two-heat main event for the best 3-year-old trotters on October 7, their filly counterparts also compete twice in the 53rd Filly Futurity, older pacing and trotting mares hook up in the Allerage and the top 3-year-old pacing colts battle it out split divisions of the Tattersalls.

While the undercard is strong, the $434,000 Kentucky Futurity is the big prize. Two $93,000 eliminations carded as races 9 and 10 will slim down the 12 entrants to the 10 finalists that will compete in the 13th and final race on the card.

Crystal Fashion is the likely favorite in the opening elimination from post two with Tim Tetrick in the bike. A 9-time winner in 13 races this year, the Jim Campbell trainee has won three straight including the rich Canadian Trotting Classic at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Looking for the slight upset will be Tactical Landing and trainer/driver Jimmy Takter.

“He’s still a very green horse but I was very pleased with his last start. He finished in hand. I’m excited by him. I think he is in a good spot,” said Takter. “There are a couple of good horses he has to face. It will be a good race.”

Takter also sends out longshot You Know You Do in the first heat and was encouraged by his most recent fifth-place finish over the Red Mile surface.

“I didn’t get enough room in the stretch but he finished with plenty left, so I think he’ll be improved.”

Eurobond is another seemingly capable of upsetting accoding to trainer Domenico Cecere. “I think he has turned the corner and is ready to step up.”

Completing the field in the opening dvision is Missle Hill and Evaluate.

The second elimination comes up as similar to the first in terms of competition. Met’s Hall is likely to be the chalk from post three with Andy Miller driving for his wife Julie, but despite winning three of his last four starts, the son of Cantab Hall is far from a cinch.

Fiftydallarbill is an interesting player in the field. He was third behind Crystal Fashion and Met’s Hall after an overland journey from an outside post in the Trotting Classic at Mohawk. While splitting time between open foes and Indiana-breds, the William Crone trainee has compiled a 12-7-2-1 record.

“I think if he comes here with his A game, he has a shot to win this,” said driver Brett Miller. “That horse can race any way and is just as good from off the pace.”

Both Takter and Campbell are represented by three horses in the Futurity. While Takter’s duo comes in the first division, Campbell’s goes in the second stanza with Patent Leather and Fashionwoodchopper looking to pick up their games after finishing fourth and third respectively last time.

Takter’s entrant in elimination two is Zephyr Kronos.

“Zephyr Kronos is a big sleeper in the race,” said Takter, who has enlisted Yannick Gingras to drive the colt.

Capping off the field is the wildcard Six Pack. He topped the division going into the Hambletonian before some bad in-race decisions cost him making the final. Since then he has gotten on track with consecutive wins at Yonkers Raceway and will try to translate that success to the much larger mile oval in Lexington.

Post time for the Sunday program at the Red Mile is 1 p.m.