Despite rain, hail and strong winds throughout the day, Sunday night’s stake action at Balmoral Park went off without a hitch with the action being headlined by a pair of Hanover Stakes for two-year-old trotters and Betzotic Stake for Illinois conceived and foaled two-year-old pacing fillies.
Despite the conditions form held true throughout the night as heavy favourites took home top honours in all the stakes action.
Freshman trotting colts kicked off the action in the night’s second race with a field of nine diagonally-gaited youngsters battling in a $58,100 Hanover Stake.
Fresh of a big win in the Lincoln Land Stake last Sunday night, Mystical Marker Farms’ and Jack & Peggy Hood’s Powerful Poe continued his winning ways as he made every call a winning one scoring by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:58.2 on a track listed as “good”.
Hustled to the front by driver Todd Warren, the son of Powerful Emotion easily made the lead cruising through an opening quarter in :28.4. Able to catch a breather while trotting through middle splits of :59.3 and 1:30.1, the Dirk Simpson trainee was fit and fresh when entrymate Mystical Dew (Tyler Smith) came calling as the field reached the top of the stretch. Turning back the challenge of the Kentucky Sire Stake champion, Powerful Poe began to draw away through the final eighth trotting home in :28.1 to score for the fifth time in his last six starts. Mystical Dew was forced to settle for the runner-up role while American National champion Longwell (Dan Shetler) was third.
Part of a four-horse Mystical Marker Farms owned entry Powerful Poe returned just $2.10 to win while running his career record to 5-1-3 in 13 starts with earnings of $127,714.
With a total of 14 two-year-old trotting fillies dropped into the box for their Hanover Stake a pair of $33,000 battles were slated with each tussle featuring a field of seven youngsters.
In the first division of the filly battles another Illinois bred sensation, Trot Fudge Sundae. toted home top honours as the speedy miss recorded a three-quarter length victory in 2:02 for driver Dave Magee.
Taking advantage of breaks by three of the seven starters before the field reached the first turn Magee put Trot Fudge Sundae in her usual position on the front end while leaving from post position three. After putting up fractions of :29.1, 1:00.2 and 1:31.4, the Dirk Simpson-trained daughter of American Native-What A Joy received her only challenge from a first-over Kendall Marie (Mike Oosting) as the field turned for the money.
After battling tooth and nail with that rival through the lane, Trot Fudge Sundae began to assert her superiority with a sixteenth of a mile to go, eventually drawing clear in the closing yards for her ninth win in 11 lifetime starts. Kendall Marie turned in a game effort but was forced to settle for the bridesmaid role while Powerful Goddess was third.
Another overwhelming favourite on the tote board, Trot Fudge Sundae returned $2.80 to win while upping her career bankroll to $159,960 for the partnership of James Bafia, Eugene White and Samuel Daddono.
In the second division Robert and Donnie Taylor’s Little Ms Chrissy parlayed a perfect two-hole trip into a three-quarter-length victory in 2:00.3 to complete the Illinois bred sweep of the Hanovers.
Perfectly positioned after starting from the inside spot, driver-trainer Robert Taylor had the daughter of Southwind Breeze-Fox Valley Shiraz in the garden spot as Bull Spreader (Marcus Miller) carved out splits of :29, 1:00.2 and 1:31.1. Patiently awaiting the passing lane while Bull Spreader and Pretty Crazy (Todd Warren) battled through the lane, Taylor maneuvered a ready and willing Little Ms Chrissy into the open stretch where she quickly swallowed up Bull Spreader and proceeded to draw away to her third straight victory here. Bull Spreader held on for second while Pretty Crazy was third.
The good-looking bay put the finishing touches on a chalk player’s delight returning just $3.00 to win while moving her record to 5-3-0 in 9 starts with earnings of $112,910.
A field of nine state-bred two-year-old pacing fillies renewed acquaintances in the fifth race of the night as they squared off in a $13,000 Betzotic Stake.
When the smoke cleared from this battle it was yet another front end favourite who emerged victorious as John Carver’s Auniqueaquistion rolled to a three-quarter-length victory in 1:55.4 with driver Mike Oosting in tow.
Briefly taking a tuck behind the hard leaving The Bruzilian Blur (Brian Carpenter) as the field headed for the quarter Oosting then moved the daughter of Cole Muffler-Shessoluvabull to the front where she put up splits of :28.4, :59.1 and 1:27.3. After turning aside a first over challenge from Filly Orange & Blue winner Thank You Doc as the field moved through the stretch, a game Auniqueaquistion then held off a fast-closing Fox Valley Ruby (Casey Leonard) with a :28.1 final quarter to notch her third win in six lifetime starts. Fox Valley Ruby was a hard-trying second while The Bruzilian Blur finished third.
The 4-5 favourite returned $3.60 to win while pushing her career bankroll to $71,660 while under the watchful eye of conditioner Donna Lee Ozment.
(Balmoral Park)