The undefeated St Elmo Hero continued his winning ways in the $10,900 Free For All Pace at Balmoral Park on Saturday night during a visit to his hometown
.
Firing from the outside Post 5, St Elmo Hero and driver Bobby Smolin crossed down along the pylons before the first turn. He led the way through fractions of :27.4, :55.1 and 1:21.4 before opening up four lengths on the field. The five-year-old Western Hero-Crystal Crickett stopped the clock in 1:50 flat over a wet track rate "good," pushing his win streak to 24. Parkland Hot Shot (Mike Oosting) advanced first up from third at the third quarter mark to finish second over pocket-sitter Big Daddy Woo Woo (Marcus Miller).
“We were going faster than I wanted to through the opening half because my horse was so revved up,” said Smolin. “Marcus Miller, who was sitting right behind us, kept popping his wheel disk trying to get his horse to keep up and that was getting Elmo fired up. Then Mike [Oosting] came after us first over on the far turn with Park Lane Hotshot so I really never had a chance to give him a breather.
“I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I might be going out there tonight because I drove this horse through the first part of his career,” added Smolin. “The difference now is that he’s even bigger, stronger and more mature. Throughout that entire mile it was probably the biggest adrenaline rush I’ve ever had in my life.”
As the heavy favourite, St Elmo Hero returned $2.10 to his backers.
St Elmo Hero, a winner of the Complex Series at the Meadowlands Racetrack four weeks ago, is now five-for-five with $67,950 earned this year. His 24th consecutive career win pushed his earnings over the $200,000 mark for trainer Charles Eustis III and owner John Barnard.
Barnard, a native of Orland Park, Illinois, donated the winner’s share of $5,450 to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for children’s cancer research.
“I’ve been blessed to have this horse come into my life and I felt that it would be a good thing to help give back something,” explained Barnard. "The St. Baldrick’s Foundation always has a nice well attended event here at Balmoral Park [on March 19] and their motto is 'be a hero for kids with cancer' so tonight was nice that 'Elmo' could be a hero."
St Elmo Hero will head to Canada on Tuesday or Wednesday for the Cam Fella Series at Woodbine Racetrack next, which begins on March 5. He is also staked to the Spring Championship.
"If he takes to the surface up there and all goes well he’ll probably be north of the border for the next month or two,” said Barnard.
(With files from Balmoral Park)