Taking advantage of the defection of top contender Semper Fit (scr-injured) and a perfect trip, Mystical Marker Farms and Jack and Peggy Hood’s Powerful Poe crushed nine other two-year-old trotting colts, winning Sunday’s $119,00 Lincoln Land Stake by nine-lengths in a career best of 1:56.3 for driver Todd Warren.
Using the inside starting spot to perfection, Warren allowed Show Stopin Monkey (Ronnie Gillespie) to grab control of the race, sitting right on his back in the garden spot through splits of :28.3, :57 and 1:27.1.
Maneuvered to the outside nearing the top of the stretch, the Dirk Simpson-trained son of Powerful Emotion-Fox Valley Poetry immediately pounced on the leg weary leader as the field turned for the money.
Quickly opening up a seven-length advantage by the mid-stretch call while under no urging whatsoever from Warren, Powerful Poe continued on cruise control the rest of the way leaving his rivals in his dust as he notched his fourth victory of the year. Accokeek Mercury (Buddy Simpson) saved ground throughout and shook loose late to get the place money while Fox Valley Camo (Jamaica Patton) rallied to be third.
With the win Powerful Poe now boasts a first year record of 5-1-3 in 12 lifetime starts with earnings of $98,664. Thanks in large part to the scratch of the morning line favourite, Powerful Poe was hammered down to 4-5 at the betting windows returning just $3.80.
Another trotting stake on the undercard Sunday produced a nice upset as Steve Searle and Tom Wisniewski’s Ants Iner Pants uncorked a big rally to score at 14-1 taking the $13,900 Betzotic Stake for diagonally-gaited three-year-old fillies by 1-1/2 lengths in a career best of 1:57.2.
With Ryan Anderson picking up the catch drive for trainer Steve Searle, the daughter of Bands Gold Chip-Patient Dream sat near the back in the field of eight before unleashing a :28.4 final quarter to blow by her rivals for her third victory of the year. B Fly Mcqueen (Robert Smolin), who was making her first start since winning the Lady Ann Reed on Super Night looked like a winner in mid-stretch after making a huge sweep to the front but wound up tiring late and settling for the bridesmaid role while Maevey Gravy (Marcus Miller) rallied late for the show dough.
Ants Iner Pants returned $30.00 while pushing her career bankroll over the $70,000 mark.
(Balmoral Park)