Track officials are ready for Saturday's opening day of the 2023 Sandy Ridge at Red Mile Quarter Horse Meet in Lexington, Kentucky.

© Courtesy of KyQHRA

by Greg Thompson, Stallionesearch.com

LEXINGTON, KY–MARCH 30, 2023–Shawna Martin-trained Hh Cj Shake, the 7/2 morning-favorite for the $45,000 Cherokee Overnight Stakes on the opening day race card, takes a highly competitive field of runners on Saturday to begin the 2023 Sandy Ridge at Red Mile Quarter Horse Meet in Lexington, Kentucky.

The six-day meet begins Saturday, April 1st, and has racing for six-consecutive days at the historic Lexington, Kentucky race course. 

Two stakes events will highlight the six-day meet, with the $45,000 Cherokee Overnight Stakes take place on opening day, as well as the $45,000 BOCO Overnight Stakes happening on closing day on April 6, 2023.

Hh Cj Shake, an Indiana-bred gelded son of Escondido Beach, is coming off a layoff of nearly six-months, was a runner-up finisher in the Horseshoe Park Classic Stakes in October of 2022 going 400-yards in Indianapolis.  

In 2022, the gelding registered two victories in seven starts, including a win in an overnight stakes at 350-yards in August at Horseshoe At Indianapolis.  Jockey Cesar Esqueda has the mount in the opening day stakes aboard the favorite.

Multiple stakes winner Hh C J Shake is the 7/2 morning-line favorite for the $45,000 Cherokee Overnight Stakes on Saturday. © Coady Photography

The morning-line oddsmaker has two horses as co-second choices at 4/1 in the wagering going into the 220-yard event.

Justin Powell trained Hallmarke goes into the Cherokee Overnight Stakes after posting a four-race win streak that stretches all the way back to her maiden score at Evangeline Downs in December.  

The 4 year-old filly by Duponte was a $17,000 purchase at the 2022 Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale in January.  Veteran-rider Gilbert Ortiz will have the mount on the Powell trainee when the field goes postward.

Clint Crawford trained Im A Fancee Chik will also contest the Cherokee Overnight Stakes as the 4/1 co-second choice on the morning line.  The 2022 Jack Brooks Stakes(G3) winner comes into this race after two decent efforts to close out her three year-old campaign that saw two victories in eight starts, including the grade 3 victory at Remington Park. 

Crawford's regular rider, Jorge Torres, will have the mount on this four year-old Im A Fancy Pyc filly as the field goes postward on Saturday. 

The 2023 Quarter Horse meet of Sandy Ridge at Red Mile are the inaugural races for Revolutionary Racing Kentucky, which was awarded the Commonwealth's ninth and final horse racing license last year.

The group is investing $55 million into building a racetrack and gaming facility in Ashland, Kentucky. That racetrack in Ashland is set to open for racing in 2025, while Sandy's Racing and Gaming is set to open later this year.

Post time every day for the first-race is at 2 p.m. (EST).

All races at the 2023 Quarter Horse Sandy Ridge at the Red Mile meet can be seen at Q-Racing Video.com.