Continuing to show that she is one of the top distaffers on the Chicagoland circuit, Frank Baldachino and Earl J. Smith’s Rev Me Up toyed with nine other pacing distaffers before she rolled to a one and three-quarter-length victory in last night's $14,500 Fox Valley Mystery Stakes at Balmoral Park.
Confidently handled by driver Eric Carlson, the four-year-old daughter of Park Place floated away in fourth as Joinusforsomefun (driven by Kyle Wilfong) led the field through an opening quarter in :27.4.
Electing to put his mare in control of the proceedings, Carlson quickly moved to the outside as the field raced down the backstretch, where the Kathy Millman trainee swept to the top as the field raced by the half-mile mark in :57.
Getting a :29.1 breather as most of the field sat tight around the far turn, Rev Me Up was still fit and fresh as she sped by the three-quarter-mile station in 1:26.1.
The issue was never in doubt from that point on, as the classy mare sped home in :27 to secure the victory while under very little urging from her pilot.
Joinusforsomefun followed the winner’s every move for the final three-quarters of the mile to finish in the bridesmaid role, while Reilly’s Daughter (Todd Warren) overcame some early traffic problems to rally from far back to finish a nice third.
The win was the sixth in 33 starts for this tough as nails mare who now boasts $374,209 in career earnings. Rev Me Up has hit the board in 41 of her last 61 starts for her proud connections.
Rev Me Up returned $3.00, $2.20 and $2.20 across-the-board prices.
(Balmoral)