After three days of stifling heat and humidity, conditions were much different on Thursday, June 9 at Maywood Park, as winds howled out of the north with the temperature in the low 50s after heavy rains early in the day.
The conditions did not slow down the action though, as the 'ladies' of the sport were featured in a $10,000 elimination for the Filly Maywood Pace.
In the Filly Maywood Pace elimination Patrick Quaid’s Little Maeve picked up her first victory of the year as she charged right to the front for driver Ridge Warren and proceeded to make every call a winning one as she reported home with a one-length victory in 1:56.
Confidently handled by Warren, the daughter of Ideal Towne--R N Labelle was whisked away from Post 3 and cleared the even-money favourite Mystical MJ (driven by Marcus Miller) as the field reached the opening station in :28.4.
After gliding over to the pylons, the Roger Welch-trained miss then proceeded to roll through middle splits of :58.4 and 1:27.4 while fending off a first-over challenge from longshot Elisas Model.
Putting her rival away with ease, Little Maeve still had plenty left in the tank, as she kept Mystical MJ at bay. Cuzimademymindup (Dean Magee) turned a ground-saving trip into a third place finish. Also earning spots in the final were Lets Go Higher, Shake That Thing, Elisas Model and Nina Coleada, who overcame a break behind the starting gate.
The win was the sixth in 19 lifetime starts for Little Maeve who returned $6.80, $3.20 and $2.80 across the board.
The top seven finishers from the elim will return on Friday, June 17 to join Fox Valley Touche in the $101,000 final.
A field of eight Illinois-conceived and foaled distaffers also squared off in the $15,000 final of the Filly Newcomers Series.
The Filly Newcomers Series provided a shocking upset as 21-year-old provisional driver Tannor Spittler circled the field on the far turn with 32-1 outside Grannie Nannie to post a neck decision in 1:59.1.
(With files from Maywood)