With victories in five of his last six starts Mystical Marker Farms and Jack and Peggy Hood’s Powerful Poe figured to be a huge favourite in Wednesday’s $12,000 Betzotic Stakes at Balmoral Park.
The good-looking youngster lived up to that billing, never giving his legion of backers an anxious moment as he stormed to the front and made every call a winning one while cruising to an easy one and a half-length victory in 1:58 for driver Todd Warren.
Pointed for the top from Post 3 by his pilot, the gelded son of Powerful Emotion--Fox Valley Poetry was comfortably in front as he cruised by the quarter in a leisurely :30.
Facing no opposition whatsoever from his five rivals, the Dirk Simpson trainee then rolled through middle splits of :59.4 and 1:29.2.
With plenty of horse left, Warren let Powerful Poe trot a bit, and the long striding youngster responded nicely, rolling home in :28.3 to post his seventh win in 15 starts. Fox Valley Camo (driven by Jamaica Patton) followed the winner’s every move to be the runner-up, while Powerful Valor (Jared Finn) was a distant third.
With the victory, the two-year-old now sports a record of 7-1-3 in 15 trips postward. Sent off as the 1-9 favourite, Powerful Poe returned $2.10 and $2.10. Show wagering was not offered.
(Balmoral)