Saturday's Grand Circuit card at the Red Mile features the glamour boy division, and 'The Captain' is in-to-go.
On a night when two- and three-year-old pacing colt stakes dominate the ten race card for total purses in excess of $650,000, the weather man is predicting favourable conditions for a speed-filled program.
Captaintreacherous will face a solid group of six in the $95,500 Bluegrass Stakes event titled for his sire Somebeachsomewhere. He will begin from post five in the third race with Tim Tetrick aboard the pride of Captaintreacherous Racing for trainer Tony Alagna.
"The Captain" had a few weeks away from racing after his Cane Pace win, then had a good tightener last week at Hoosier Park.
The winner of the 2013 Meadowlands Pace, North America Cup and Max Hempt Memorial, he is harness racing's top seasonal money earner with just a hair less than $1.5 million and a career total of $2.378 million in the bank.
A second division of the Bluegrass goes for $96,500 in the eighth race with Little Brown Jug heat winner Resistance Futile facing Battle Of The Brandywine champ Sunshine Beach.
Resistance Futile has long displayed high speed and seemed to put it all together winning the fastest 'Jug' heat in 1:49.3, only to eliminate himself from contention in the second heat by going off-stride while gaining ground on the final bend. Corey Callahan retains the drive for trainer Blair Burgess, who owns the Real Desire colt in partnership with JH Walker and Deo Volente Farms.
Sunshine Beach is the only horse to finish in front of Captaintreacherous this season when he hung a narrow defeat on that one in their memorable world record Battle Of The Brandywine at Mohegan Sun Pocono. This Somebeachsomewhere colt has been raced sparingly by trainer Mark Steacy and comes into this race three weeks stale after skipping the "Jug" due to a minor health issue. John Campbell is down to drive for owners Hudson Standardbred Stables, Conrad Leber and Diane Bertrand.
Supporting the sophomore stars are four divisions of the Bluegrass Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts where the likes of recent Delaware star On Golden Ponder, NJSS champ and Metro runner-up Western Vintage and PASS stars Limelight Beach and Sometimes Said will try their luck over the red clay carpet.
Three-year-old filly pacers will go in a single eleven filly division of the Bluegrass for $122,000 in the ninth race. The good Bettors Delight filly Shebestingin is the likely choice in this one off a strong season that has seen her pick up over $316,000 on the strength of seven wins for Val D'Or Farms, Ted Gewertz and L & L Devisser. Joe Holloway trains and David Miller will drive the speedy lass.
Saturday post time is 7:00 p.m., the last of the night cards for 2013. Sunday racing has a 1:00 p.m. post time and that will continue through the balance of the meet.
(Red Mile)