Hambletonian champion Karl takes a back seat to no one in the division, yet this Sunday in the oldest harness stakes race, the 132nd edition of the Kentucky Futurity, the son of Tactical Landing will start behind the first flank after drawing post 11 in the second tier. The Hambletonian winner hopes to give trainer Nancy Takter her second straight Kentucky Futurity victory at The Red Mile's closing Grand Circuit program in the historic event that carries a purse of $500,000 this year. With 11 slots available for the Futurity, Karl was the lone horse in the race that won't have his nose on the starting gate at the outset, but trainer Nancy Takter was happy with the draw, nonetheless. "He could have drawn eight, nine or 10," Takter said, "So I'm happy with 11." Karl may be coming in off a loss, but his trainer praised what the colt has done in the last few months. "His last nine starts have all been 1:51 3/5 or faster, and five of them have been in 1:51. If you go back to look at history, how many horses have gone that fast that many times," said Takter. Karl has generally had to cut the mile, and that's something he may not be able to do easily on Sunday. "It would be nice if he could get a cover trip," Takter said. Karl will be looking to rebound from just his second loss of the season in the $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series final where Dame Good Time trotted past him in the final strides on September 15. Travis Alexander conditions Dame Good Time, who took 1:50 2/5 record in the Kentucky Championship Series final and is a son of the white-hot stallion Chapter Seven. Highland Kismet, runner-up in the Hambletonian, is likely the close second choice in the field with Bob McClure guiding the gelded son of Father Patrick from post three. Highland Kismet bounced back from a break in stride in the Canadian Trotting Classic with an authoritative win in last Saturday's Bluegrass over an extremely sloppy surface. "I trained him a bit yesterday (Wednesday) and he's feeling really good," said Mark Etsell, who will be starting a horse in the Futurity for the first time. Highland Kismet will once again be racing without trotting hopples, something he wore in the Hambletonian final but has since taken off with some success. Secret Agent Man, another solid sophomore son of Chapter Seven, hopes to give trainer Julie Miller and husband Andy the coveted Kentucky Futurity victory that barely eluded them a year ago when French Wine put in a huge effort and was just collared by a head on the wire by Tactical Approach. Secret Agent Man was a runner-up to Karl in three legs of the Kentucky Championship Series and then regained winning form by capturing the faster Bluegrass division in 1:53 2/5. Secret Agent Man landed post five. Trainer Ake Svanstedt captured the Futurity in a record-setting 1:49 1/5 mile in 2018, and he's back in force in 2024 with three solid contenders. Canadian Trotting Classic winner Amazing Catch (post four), Tony Adams S (post six) and Bluegrass winner Mr. Bluebird (post seven) give Team Svanstedt three horses not only with power but gate speed in the large field. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter The luck of the draw worked in opposite directions for trainer Marcus Melander, who found the pole position for Wild Ticket but will be on the extreme outside of the starting car after Security Protected drew post 10. Wild Ticket came up a little short in the Bluegrass, his first start in four weeks after being scratched from the New York Sire Stakes final. One of three sons of Chapter Seven in the field, Wild Ticket was a winner in the Empire Breeders Championship in June at Vernon Downs. He finished sixth in the Hambletonian, racing from well off-the-pace after drawing post nine. Trainer Noel Daley had Sig Sauer in top form for this year's Hambletonian, but the son of Muscle Hill drew post eight and was used hard in the early going and had to settle for a fourth-place finish. Sig Sauer bounced back in a big way by capturing the $300,000 Beal Memorial at Pocono in his very next start. Following a win in the New Jersey Classic trials two weeks later, Sig Sauer looked like a cinch to capture the final, leading the race into the stretch before making an uncharacteristic break in stride. Sig Sauer was entered by Daley to race in the Bluegrass but opted out due to the track conditions, and now the colt will be racing competitively for the first time in four weeks and again will start from post eight. Rounding out the Kentucky Futurity field will be Bella's Musclehill from post nine for trainer Nifty Norman. The Kentucky Futurity will be race 12 on the Lexington Red Mile's Sunday showcase, with the 59th edition of the $301,550 Kentucky Futurity Filly division slated as race 10. With 11 fillies signed on, the race appears to be a wide-open affair. Hambletonian Oaks winner Warrawee Michelle drew post seven in what will be her first start in a month for trainer Ake Svanstedt. Svanstedt will also send out multiple stakes winner French Champagne from post 11. Noel Daley has a three-pronged attack with Buy A Round (post three) likely his best chance and stablemates Paulina Hanover (post one) and Miss I LA (post six) likely to be forwardly-placed following the draw. Date Night Hanover comes into the race in great shape but again has been bitten by the luck of the draw. The Chapter Seven-sired filly landed post nine in the Hambletonian Oaks and now starts from post 10 in the Kentucky Futurity Filly division. Post may not be enough to deter this Marcus Melander-trained filly as Date Night Hanover enters the race off two exceptional outings - a 1:50 1/5 career-best in the $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series final followed up by a gritty uncovered performance in her Bluegrass win on September 28 at The Red Mile. Rounding out the field for the Kentucky Futurity are R Melina (post two), Sadbirdstillsing (post four), Sambuca Hanover (post five), Allegiant (post eight) and Soiree Hanover (post nine). KARL TO RETURN AS A 4-YEAR-OLD? Trainer Nancy Takter has a schedule mapped out for Karl that includes Sunday's Kentucky Futurity, the Breeders Crown and possibly the FanDuel against older horses. But what's next? "We haven't really decided if he is going to stand stud or race next year," said Takter. "It is on the table but we’ll have to see." Takter owns 10 percent of the colt and has mixed feelings about racing him as a 4-year-old due to his potential value as a stallion. "We've talked about that, maybe a limited book and race as well," said Takter about potentially racing and breeding in 2025. "We'll evaluate where his health level is at the end of the year and go from there." --additional reporting by Derick Giwner--