By all accounts Yannick Gingras is going into Sunday's Red Mile program with a decided edge. His mounts in both the Kentucky Futurity and the companion filly division have excelled over the Lexington mile track for the past two seasons, and Gingras is hoping he can convert that affinity into a seat in the famed winner's circle. "He loves the track," Gingras said bluntly about Branded By Lindy, a son of Chapter Seven that returns to Kentucky for the $430,000 Futurity (race 12) and landed post six. The return to his preferred surface will certainly help after a miscue in the Canadian Trotting Classic at Woodbine Mohawk Park on September 24. "He lost his gait," said Gingras. "It was a shame, really, because he was overloaded with trot." Gingras, however, pointed back to a race just six days prior when Branded By Lindy powered past many of the same horses he'll face in Sunday's 130th edition of the oldest trotting classic the sport has known. Trained by Domenico Cecere for Lindy Farms of Conn., Branded By Lindy took a 1:50 3/5 mark in capturing the Kentucky Championship Series final on September 18, giving his driver the needed confidence boost heading into Sunday's third jewel in trotting's Triple Crown. "Post six is a good spot to start," said Gingras. "But in a field of 12 you have to get lucky and work out a trip, and you never know how that's going to go." The dozen sophomores entered in the Kentucky Futurity include this year's Hambletonian champion Cool Papa Bell, who landed post nine for driver Todd McCarthy. Trainer Marcus Melander has Periculum (post three) and Temporal Hanover (post five) set for action, with Brian Sears taking the former following a 1:50 3/5 career-best mile in last week's Bluegrass at The Red Mile. "It's an open group of 3-year-old colts now. Anyone can win this Sunday," said Melander. "[Periculum] has been racing very good. He's just had some bad luck, bad posts and trips haven't been working out. Brian [Sears] put him on the lead, and I think that he thought it was a little fun. He won pretty easy. He'll be dangerous." Trainer Tony Alagna got the best and worst of the draw with his pair as Canadian Trotting Classic winner Slay drew post two while Fast As The Wind will start from the outermost post position 10. Slay, another son Chapter Seven, has won five of his 12 starts this year. Trainer Ake Svanstedt has had an impressive record racing at The Red Mile over the last few years and his Justice (post 11) rose to the occasion in last week's Bluegrass division with a 1:50 2/5 career-best. The lightly-raced colt has won nine of his 14 career starts spanning two seasons. Unlike her stablemate, Raised By Lindy returns from Canada as the champion of the Elegantimage, a race she captured on September 24 on the front-end in a 1:52 1/5 clocking. The Walner-sired homebred has won half of her 18 lifetime starts and returns to The Red Mile where she's never lost a race. A winner in 1:51 3/5 in Grand Circuit action, Raised By Lindy was just a nose shy of Joviality S in last year's Breeders Crown 2-year-old filly final for Gingras. "She raced well in that Jersey Classic behind Fashion Schooner," said Gingras of Raised By Lindy's third-place finish on September 9 at the Meadowlands. "Then she was very sharp in Canada." As for the $276,000 Kentucky Filly Futurity (race 10), the driver is a bit concerned. "It's always tough in 12-horse field. We're behind the #1 horse [Mon Cheval] and she's got early speed, but with a horse outside of me in the second tier [Joviality S], I'm going to need to find room," said Gingras. Brian Sears drives division leader Joviality S, and the Marcus Melander-trained filly has been flawless since a second-place finish in the Hambletonian on August 6, posting four consecutive wins. There was some consideration given to racing against the boys but ultimately the money difference wasn't big enough. "She feels as good as ever," said Melander of Joviality S. "Purse-wise there wasn't a huge difference, $430,000 to $275,000. It is not as big as the Hambletonian and Oaks." A second tier draw and a talented group on the starting gate should make this one an interesting race from start to finish. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Despite drawing post eight in the $363,500 Tattersalls Pace for 3-year-olds, Gingras feels that All About The Hunt may be able to overcome it. "I was very happy with his race last week," Gingras said of the 1:49 mile on October 1 at The Red Mile. "He had missed five weeks and Ronnie [Burke] told me he was ready. I think he should be better with that race under his belt." All About The Hunt has won five of his nine career starts, all as a 3-year-old. He'll face a solid group that includes the red-hot I Did It Myway (post three), a son of Captaintreacherous that has won his last five starts all over the Red Mile surface. Gingras figures to be front and center on Sunday in a pair of Allerage Farms events for trotters with Atlanta (post one) going in the $57,000 event for mares (race three) and Cuatro De Julio (post two) in the $149,000 Open event, race seven on the 12-race afternoon program. "Atlanta wasn't as good at Dayton [October 1] as she was winning the Miss Versatility at Delaware [September 22]," said Gingras. "It was a tiring surface at Dayton, but I was still impressed by her holding off Bella Bellini in the stretch." Atlanta, a 7-year-old, is making one of the last starts of her storied career, and Gingras feels confident if she's on her game she can handle the select field of five in the Allerage. "I ‘d say when it comes to flat-out speed there aren't many faster, pacer or trotter," said Gingras of Atlanta's breathtaking closing kick. Cuatro De Julio was a winner for Gingras in the $200,000 Charlie Hill on September 10 at Scioto Downs but let him down as the favorite in the Caesars on September 23 at Hoosier Park. "Before the Hill he was doing those quirky things before the race that he's known for," said Gingras. "Before the race at Hoosier he was a perfect gentleman." Cuatro De Julio cut the pace in the Caesars but faded to fourth in the stretch. "I spoke with [trainer] Marie [Ortolan Bar] and she's made some changes," said Gingras. Hopefully that will have the 4-year-old ready for action as he faces five rivals, including last year's Futurity winner Jujubee (post four). Sunday's Red Mile card brings the top Standardbred in North America to the famed oval in quest of yet another world record. Bulldog Hanover owns the sport's fastest clocking, a 1:45 4/5 mile taken at the Meadowlands, and could break that should the conditions be ideal on Sunday afternoon. It was clear from the draw, however, that Bulldog Hanover may have to do most of the heavy lifting as just six horses will oppose him in the $153,000 Allerage Farms Open event (race 11). Dexter Dunn guides Bulldog Hanover from post five with the likely second choice Allywag Hanover (post one) the main rival. First post time for the 12-race Kentucky Futurity program on Sunday is 1:00 p.m.