After opening his second season with two very impressive scores over older company in overnight racing, Paula Smith and James Runyan’s Fox Valley Deuce took his first crack at state-bred stakes company on Saturday night at Balmoral Park in the $10,000 Taurus Bomber Stake.
The gelded son of Sportsmaster—Dodger Girl had no problem keeping his perfect slate intact as he cruised to an easy four and a half length score over five rivals in 1:56.1 for driver Casey Leonard.
Hustled away from the outside post in the field of six, the Joel Smith trainee was parked through an opening quarter of :29.4.
After grabbing command as the field straightened up onto the backstretch for Leonard, the issue was never really in doubt again as the good-looking sophomore put up leisurely middle splits of 1:00.2 and 1:29.4.
Fit and fresh as he headed for the money, Fox Valley Deuce finished off the mile in grand fashion, rattling off an eye-opening :26.2 final split to make it three in a row in 2014. Orange & Blue winner Cotton Eyed Joe (Robert Smolin), who was making his sophomore debut, finished a fast-closing second while Dune Dude (Dean Magee) turned in a solid try to rally for third.
With the win, Fox Valley Deuce now boasts five victories and a third in 18 lifetime starts with earnings of $28,147.
A trio of Newcomer Series finals were contested on Saturday night as well.
The $7,800 filly & mare final was taken by Brett Wilfong’s Chariots Afire (Jimmy Daniel) as she cruised to her second win in three starts this year. The homebred daughter of Skydancer Hanover stopped the clock in 1:55.
The $8,000 colt & gelding final was captured Nelson and Kay Willis’s Shark Vision (Kyle Wilfong) as the royally-bred son of Cams Cam Shark made it three in a row in 2014 while tripping the timer in 1:55.1.
On the trotting side of the docket, the Lester Banks-owned, Steve Bauder-trained Mary Queen (Dale Hiteman) was able to mind her manners again as she uncorked a big closing burst to knock off eight other diagonally-gaited specialists in the $7,750 final of that series. The final time was a career-best of 1:59.2.
There will be no live racing this Wednesday, April 2 due to a lack of entries.
(With files from Balmoral Park)