Ready for Grand Circuit?

The next two weeks of racing promises to bring to Lexington the best performers harness racing has to offer, both human and equine. The stars of the sport will assemble to compete for over $8 million in purses over this unique oval of red clay known for 132 years as The Red Mile. Racing Tuesday through Saturday (Sept. 26-Oct. 7) with an afternoon post time of 12:30, each day will showcase the leading pacers and trotters thus far in 2006 with a sprinkling of freshmen just embarking on what will hopefully become successful and exciting careers.

The best drivers from across North America will bring their tack to Lexington to drive for the international community of trainers in attendance. John Campbell has won the driving title at The Red Mile a dozen times. Names like Pierce, Sears, Lachance, Brennan, Palone, Miller and Gingras will be driving the stock of trainers like Takter, Gurfein, Sylvester, Smedshammer, Daley, Croghan and Elliott.

Week one features the Bluegrass Series, with 2 and 3-year-old divisions of both gaits and sexes, for total purses of $2.5 million. The second week offers the $1.2 million International Stallion Stakes for the freshmen. The fall championship meet concludes on Saturday, Oct. 7 with the 114th edition of the $600,000 (est.) Kentucky Futurity and the $700,000 (est.) Tattersalls Pace. Closing day will also see the sport’s best older horses in the $500,000 Allerage Farms Free- For-All series.

The Kentucky Futurity, middle jewel in this year's trotting Triple Crown, is raced in the classic heat format where a horse must win two races on the same day to be crowned as champion. In 2004 Windsong’s Legacy became the first in a generation to complete the Crown for trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer right here in Lexington. Smedshammer also sent out last year’s Futurity winner, Strong Yankee, who trotted the fastest mile (1:50.3) in the long history of The Red Mile for driver Brian Sears.

The Tattersalls Pace enjoys the same respect afforded the Futurity in the harness racing community. Last season’s two divisions were won by the colts regarded as the class of their crop, eventual Horse of the Year Rock and Roll Hanover and American Ideal, who the previous week lowered The Red Mile’s all-time pacing standard to a world record 1:47.4 in a division of the Bluegrass.

This fall promises more of the same with Hambletonian winner Glidemaster and World Trotting Derby champ Chocolatier listed among the Kentucky Futurity eligibles. Meadowlands Pace winner and current leader in Horse of the Year polls, Artistic Fella, is stabled on the grounds already with his connections intending to supplement to the rich Tattersalls Pace.

Many of the finest Standardbred yearlings made available at public auction will be offered at the Lexington Selected Sale held at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavillion. The sale dates are Wednesday, Oct. 4 through Saturday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee session scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 8.

The 29th annual HTA Art Auction will be conducted in the Tattersalls arena, with 270 pieces to be offered on Oct. 6 and 7 beginning at 8:30 a.m. and concluding at noon each day.

The Red Mile Grand Circuit simulcast signal is beamed to nearly 500 locations worldwide, resulting in average handle in excess of $1 million per day. A diverse menu of exotic wagers will be made available to accommodate the taste of the horseplayers. More information is available at www.theredmile.com. (Red Mile)

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