A couple of Canadian invaders have garnered some respect on the morning line for Maywood Park's Windy City Pace Night card, which will head postward Friday, November 18 in Illinois

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The main event of the night, the $175,000 Windy City Pace for three-year-old pacing colts, will feature this year’s Breeders Crown and American National champion, Betterthancheddar, who been installed as the 3-5 morning line favourite over seven rivals for Race 10 on the 14-dash card.

The pride of the Casie Coleman barn is in the midst of a four-race winning streak. Betterthancheddar comes to Maywood looking to make his case for three-year-old pacing colt of the year honours. The Bettors Delight colt is scheduled to be handled by driver George Brennan, who also steered the good looking sophomore to an impressive one and three-quarter-length triumph in 1:50.3 during last week’s American National at Balmoral Park. Unraced at two, Betterthancheddar, who also won the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown, the Cane Pace, boasts nine victories from 17 starts.

The $127,800 Abe Lincoln Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts (Race 8) has attracted an overflow field of 11 starters and figures to be a wide open affair from start to finish. The Roger Welch-trained Fridaynightflight is the slight 5-2 morning line favourite after having drawn the favourable inside starting spot in this large group.

The Steve Carter-trained duo of Caviart Key and Star Recruit are 3-1 and 9-2, respectively, and they will leave from Post 2 and Post 10 (the latter being on the second tier). Caviart Key is a five-time winner this year, while his stablemate Star Recruit finished a game second in the American National last week.

Another that cannot be overlooked in the Abe Lincoln is the upset winner of the American National, Crime Of Passion (PP11, 5-1) who always seems to come up big when the cash is on the line for conditioner Erv Miller.

The $70,000 Cinderella Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies has drawn a field of nine, and the trailer in the race, Swinging Beauty, who is fresh off a big win in the American National last week, will be tough to beat for trainer Gregg McNair. A Jugette division winner this season, the daughter of Art Major is the 2-1 morning line favourite.

Also on tap for Friday are two $50,500 divisions of the Galt Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts. In the first division (Race 2), the John Butenschoen-trained coupling of Take Heart and The Evictor has been accorded the 8-5 morning line favouritism. In the nightcap (Race 11), the Homer Hochstetler-trained Evil Urges (9-5) will return to his home base looking for his fifth win of the year after racking up a good deal of purse earnings while campaigning mainly on the New York Sire Stakes circuit.

State-bred pacers will also get their turn to shine in Race 6, as James Gorman’s ageless wonder Well To Do Guru, the 8-5 morning line favourite, will look to earn his 12th win of the year when he takes on seven others in the $35,000 Lester McKeever Stakes, which he also captured last season on Windy City Pace night.

(Maywood Park)