It was all treats and no tricks for Mystical Marker Farms and Jack & Peggy Hood’s Powerful Poe on Wednesday night as the division leader among the Illinois conceived and foaled two-year-old colt trotting set put another notch in the win column knocking off five other youngsters by two and a half lengths in the $43,500 Cardinal Stakes at Balmoral Park.
Patiently handled through the opening quarter by driver Todd Warren as Show Stopin Monkey (Ronnie Gillespie) led the way past the opening station in :29.4, the Dirk Simpson trainee then swept to the top after letting the field settle onto the backside.
In complete command of the proceedings through middle splits of :59.4 and 1:29.4, Warren then asked the son of Powerful Emotion-Fox Valley Poetry for a little something extra as the field turned for the money.
Quickly opening up a three-length advantage, Powerful Poe rattled off a :28.3 final quarter to stop in the clock in 1:58.2 while earning his sixth win in his last seven starts. Show Stopin Monkey held on to be second while Powerful Valor (Jared Finn) was third.
Dispatched as though defeat was out of the question, the 1-9 favourite returned $2.10, $2.10 and $2.10 while pushing his career record to 6-1-3 in 14 starts with earnings of $149,464.
(With files from Balmoral Park)