Illinois top two-year-old pacers of both sexes will be on display on Friday, October 2 at Maywood Park, as eliminations for the Violet and Cardinal Stakes are scheduled to be contested
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With a total of 15 fillies entered, a pair of $7,500 eliminations for the Violet will be going forth as Races 2 and 4 with the top four finishers in each split moving on to next week’s $56,550 final.
A field of eight colts will battle for four starting spots in the Cardinal, which has been carded as Race 7. The top four finishers will join Power Of A Moment, Voomerang, Indescribable and Fitzz Z Tam in next week’s $52,650 final.
In the first Violet Stakes elim, Stretch It Again Stables' Fox Valley Angie has been accorded the morning line favouritism off the strength of her third-place finish in the $250,000 Filly Orange & Blue at Balmoral Park. The daughter of Sportsmaster--Assailed missed by just a head in her elimination before winding up a fast-closing third in the rich final. The John Butenschoen trainee now sports a record of 3-2-3 in 10 career starts.
Others who merit strong consideration include Thrifty Way Stakes winners Fox Valley Naomi, Rolldownthehiway and runner-up Makena Cat.
In the second elim, another Butenschoen-trained miss, Fox Valley Oracle, the Orange & Blue winner, has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favourite. The good looking daughter of Sportsmaster--Our Golden Promise came flying through the lane to win the year’s richest race for state-breds on Super Night, as she stopped the clock in 1:54.1. Boasting a record of two wins, five seconds, and two thirds in 11 starts, Fox Valley Oracle has banked over $161,000 for the Stretch It Again Stable.
Others who figure to garner plenty of attention in this battle are Orange & Blue elim winner Nice Big Star, State Fair and First Lady Stakes champion The Assassinator and State Fair Stakes consolation winner Miss Kellie.
The Cardinal Stakes elimination looks to be a wide-open affair, with the top four performers in the dash getting the chance to return to next week’s final.
In this match-up, the Tom Simmons-trained Burnthemidnightoil, who finished second in the State Fair Stakes consolation, could be tough to stop from his inside starting spot. Others who figure to grab a fair share of the betting action include Apache Renegade, who finished a tough luck fourth in the Orange & Blue final, Governor’s Cup elim winner Curb Your Z Tam and Yates Eagle Stake winner Fox Valley Barbosa.
(Maywood)