Grand Circuit underway at Red Mile

The two-week Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile got underway under cool conditions Tuesday afternoon, with the first of four divisions of the $352,500 Bluegrass for 2-year-old filly trotters going to Tequila Slammer and driver George Brennan in 1:56.4. There was a big surprise in the third split as Croquet Style sprung a huge upset in defeating Goldsmith Maid, Peaceful Way and New Jersey Sire Stakes winner Costa Rica.

 

In posting the huge surprise, Peter Wallinder got away fourth with the 40-1 Croquet Style, who had made a break in six of her seven career starts (she won that lone effort in which she stayed on gait in a New Jersey Sire Stakes leg in late July) as Ron Pierce sent the 1-9 favorite Costa Rica to the front. That filly led through fractions of :28.3, :59.1 and 1:29.1 as the field of eight turned for home.

 

At that point Wallinder had been shuffled back to sixth along the inside, but in midstretch a seam opened up in the middle of the track and he angled Croquet Style to his right. With a rush the daughter of Yankee Glide rallied past Costa Rica to win by one-half length in 1:57.2. Ultimate Cameron held from a first-over trip to finish third for Mike Lachance.

 

A $7,200 yearling purchase, Croquet Style is trained by Anette Lorentzon for owner ACL Stuteri AB of Paris, Ky. "I knew that she had a lot of speed and if she got the right trip I thought she could make some money," admitted Lorentzon in the winner's circle. 

 

In the first Bluegrass division, Brennan left from post six with the 8-5 second-choice Tequila Slammer, with Sparkle Hall settling in second and the 6-5 favorite Behindclosedoors in third. Tequila Slammer led through an opening quarter of :29 and half in :59.2, when John Campbell tipped Behindclosedoors to the outside.

 

Tequila Slammer reached the three-quarter marker in 1:29.1 with Behindclosedoors on her flank, and in midstretch that filly put her head in front. But Tequila Slammer battled back and needed all of a last quarter in :27.3 to retake the lead in the final strides to earn the hard-fought victory. Crown Laurel finished third for Mike Lachance.

 

"She was really game. She cut it out, got passed in the lane, and then came back," said Brennan in the winner's circle. "To fight a filly off like Behindclosedoors, that's a testament to how game this filly is."

 

Trained by John Bax, the winner is a daughter of Yankee Glide out of the Balanced Image mare Silly Senorita. Owned by Glengate Farms and Parkhill Stud Farm, the win was her third of the year in seven starts, lowering her previous career best by nearly five seconds. Tequila Slammer's career earnings now stand at more than $127,000. 

 

The second division went to Spicy Wings, who broke her maiden in her eighth attempt with a 1:55.3 effort for Brian Sears. Sears got away second behind the leading In The Mean Time and driver Mike Lachance, and sat the pocket until midstretch when he angled his charge up the inside. Spicy Wings was able to find more than enough room as she trotted on to the win, followed by Secret Magic and Ron Pierce, who also angled toward the pylons in deep stretch to track the winner. Favored Bar Slide tried to rally off a cover trip but had to settle for third for driver David Miller.

A $70,000 yearling purchase, Spicy Wings is a daughter of Andover Hall out of the Lindy Lane mare Angel Fire Hanover, she a daughter of Hambletonian Oaks runner-up and Filly World Trotting Derby winner Almost An Angel. Trained by Ross Croghan and owned by Let It Ride Stables, Mentally Stable and Jerry Silva, Spicy Wings, who had four second-place finishes to her credit in her young career, increased her earnings to more than $79,000.

 

The final Bluegrass saw a mild upset as second-choice Impressive Kemp, making just her second pari-mutuel start, trotted easily past heavy favorite Cantab It All around the last turn to go on to an open-lengths win in 1:55.3.

 

Full Tank and Brennan took the early lead with Campbell and Cantab It All settling in second. Driver Andrew McCarthy had Impressive Kemp out and on the move down the backstretch, following the cover of Fortunes Dream. But just as that one was taking the lead she went offstride. McCarthy managed to avoid trouble and urge his charge on to the top, but then Campbell had Cantab It All on the move.

 

Cantab It All had control around the final turn but McCarthy popped the pocket midway around the bend with Impressive Kemp and she easily cleared and drew away from her rivals, although she gave McCarthy an anxious moment as she showed her greenness and tried to duck in momentarily. As Cantab It All faded out of the money, it was Southwind Samurai who rallied for second, with Full Tank taking third.

 

"She gave me a little fright (in the stretch) but she was strong to the wire," said McCarthy afterward.

 

Trained by Noel Daley, Impressive Kemp was a $130,000 yearling purchase by Jean Edward Cloutier. A daughter of Credit Winner, her dam is Emilie Cas El, a daughter of Amour Angus and a sibling to standout performers Conway Hall, Andover Hall and Angus Hall. Impressive Kemp is a sister to Highscore Kemp, who recently trotted to a world-record victory in the Filly World Trotting Derby.