Illinois conceived and foaled stakes action continued on Sunday, May 10 at Balmoral Park as a field of eight state-bred three-year-old trotting fillies lined up behind the gate for the $8,000 Betzotic Stake.
After a fourth-place finish in her seasonal debut, the Homer Hochstetler-trained Persuasive Look was ready to roll in her second start of the season as she came charging out of the fog to post a half-length victory in a career-best of 1:57.2 for driver Casey Leonard.
After getting away in mid-pack as Shez So Sassy (Todd Warren) led the field through an opening split in :30, Leonard moved the homebred daughter of Powerful Emotion—Blacknbluegenes second over behind the race favourite Bi Polar Rose (Travis Seekman) as the field rolled by the half-mile mark in :59.1.
With the favourite clearing to the front midway around the final bend, Persuasive Look gapped a bit allowing Shez So Sassy to slide out of the pocket while providing “live” cover as the field hit the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:27.4.
Once the field straightened for home and came dashing out of the heavy fog that had settled over the track early in the card, Leonard was able to rouse Persuasive Look into her best stride and the good-looking bay steadily wore down the pacesetting Bi Polar Rose with a :28.4 final quarter to notch her first victory of the season. Bi Polar Rose held on gamely to finish second while Shez So Sassy grabbed the show dough.
Overlooked a bit in the wagering despite some very impressive freshman credentials, Persuasive Look returned a generous $14.40, $4.40 and $2.80 to her backers. The ultra-consistent filly now boasts a record of 5-4-4 in 15 career starts with earnings of $100,826 for the partnership of Homer Hochstetler and Robert Buddig.
Sophomore pacing fillies were also in action on Sunday night as a field of eight battled in a Violet Stake “prep.” When the “fog” cleared from this event, it was Kay Willis’s Lex who emerged victorious, posting a two and a quarter length front-stepping score in 1:53.4 for driver Kyle Wilfong. Fox Valley Aubrey (Robert Smolin) finished second while Sportsmuffler (John De Long) was third. Last season’s divisional leader, Mr Lelands Filly, wound up an even fourth in this event.
(Balmoral Park)