A pair of Illinois-bred stake events for two-year-olds shared top billing on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Balmoral Park as a field of eight freshmen pacing fillies squared off the $12,000 Beecher Stake while seven of their male counterparts met in the $12,000 Crete Stake.
Continuing her late season run at Illinois divisional honours, Sawgrass Farms' Molly Go Lightly parlayed a perfect two-hole trip into her fifth straight victory as she prevailed by a well-measured length in 1:54.2.
Perfectly positioned in the pocket behind Fox Valley Amanda (Dale Hiteman) by driver Mike Oosting, the homebred daughter of Lexington Legend—Waggle saved ground the entire way as the pacesetter put up splits of :29.1, :57.4 and 1:27.
Sitting behind their cover until the eighth pole, Oosting then maneuvered the Nelson Willis trainee to the outside, eventually wearing down the leader with a :27.1 final quarter to post her sixth win in 13 career starts. Fox Valley Amanda was forced to settle for the bridesmaid role while Thesleazyprincess (Casey Leonard) was third, five lengths behind the winner.
The 1-5 favourite in the betting, who returned $2.40 $2.10 and $2.10, now boasts a record of 6-1-3 with $56,895 in career earnings despite missing the division’s richest event of the year, the Filly Orange & Blue on Super Night.
Fresh off an impressive win in a $12,000 Betzotic Stake last week, Jack and Peggy Hood, Mystical Marker Farms and Dirk Simpson Stable's Traffic Cop curbed six rivals for the second straight week. The Dirk Simpson trainee cruised to a two and a half length score in 1:52.2.
Driver Todd Warren worked out a perfect two-hole trip for the son of Sportsmaster-Dixiegirl. The bay gelding was fit and fresh after sitting on the back of heavily favoured Unlocked (Mike Oosting), who clicked off splits of :28, :57 and 1:25.
Quickly swallowing up the pacesetter in the stretch, Traffic Cop sped home in :27 to notch his fourth win in 15 tries. Unlocked was forced to settle for the runner-up role for the second straight week while I Bizel The Shizel (John De Long) finished a distant third, nine and three-quarter lengths behind the victor.
The win moved Traffic Cop’s career earnings up to $77,635 on the strength of a 4-4-2 record in 15 starts. The 2-1 second choice returned $6.00 and $2.80. There was no show wagering on the race.
(With files from Balmoral Park)