Papi Grad aims for rebound in Bluegrass
At 1h41, on September 26, 2024 • By Ray Cotolo, Red Mile
After having her unbeaten record snapped one month ago and thrice a runner-up since, Papi Grad will head to the Red Mile as the 3-2 morning line choice in the second of four $77,500 divisions of the Bluegrass Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Thursday afternoon (Sept. 26).
Papi Grad lands post six inside the second division, a seven-filly contest which includes Kentucky Championship Series runner-up Looksgoodinloulou from post seven and Kentucky Golden Rod champion Faze from post five. Dexter Dunn acquires the drive on Papi Grad, a daughter of Papi Rob Hanover, for trainer Steve Carter. She began her career undefeated in five starts before being handed back-to-back losses by Rose and more recently getting caught at the end of a 1:51.4 mile in the Standardbred at Delaware, Ohio, by Odds On Hialeah.
Division one of the 2-Year-Old Filly Pace, which opens the Thursday card, will show whether Rodeo Drive Deo can build off a fast-closing second-place finish in the $150,000 New Jersey Classic Final on Sept. 6. David Miller drives the Ron Burke-trained filly by Captaintreacherous who ripped off cover with a :25.4 final quarter to miss the win by 1-1/4 lengths. She starts as the 8-5 morning line favorite in a seven-horse field.
Miki And Minnie, winner of the $400,000 Kentucky Championship Series final for 2-year-old pacing fillies, fronts the third division of the 2-Year-Old Filly Pace off her tight 1:49.4 win two weeks ago. Dexter Dunn teams with trainer Chris Ryder on this Always B Miki filly, listed at 6-5 on the morning line, as she competes from post four against a group that includes Sammy Jo Hanover, who powered to a 1:51.2 victory in the $185,000 Kentuckiana at Harrah’s Hoosier Park one week ago. Tim Tetrick steers that rival, a daughter of Captaintreacherous, out of post three for conditioner Scott DiDomenico.
The final division of the 2-Year-Old Filly Pace features Red Mile royalty in Chris Ryder pupil Flossy Hill – a daughter of 2020 Tattersalls champion Tall Dark Stranger out of Party Girl Hill, who beat the boys that same year in the other division of the Tattersalls to maintain her unbeaten record. Andy McCarthy picks up the drive on the Tom Hill homebred, listed at 8-1 on the morning line, off a runner-up effort to Faze in the $50,000 Kentucky Golden Rod final. Her competition includes morning-line favorite and stout closer Unreasonable from post three with Scott Zeron driving for Erv Miller and “Nifty” Norman upstart Beyonsay Yankee with Tim Tetrick from post six – as she forays into Grand Circuit company – among four other foes in the seven-filly contest.
Thursday’s Red Mile card also includes five divisions of Bluegrass Stakes for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings, starting in race two.
Thursday’s card, a 12-race program, opens the 2024 Grand Circuit meet at the Red Mile. The Grand Circuit meet has six total race days all leading to a stakes-packed closing day on Sunday, Oct. 6, and the headlining $475,000 (est.) Kentucky Futurity.
First-race post time at the Red Mile is 1 p.m.
