A trio of state-bred stakes featuring both trotters and pacers shared top billing on a busy Wednesday night at Balmoral Park.
Kicking off the action were two-year-old filly pacers as a field of eight Illinois conceived and foaled youngsters battled in the $12,000 Incredible Tillie Stake. Toting home top honours was James Collier’s Linda On My Mind, as the daughter of Henry Clay-Lady Gram made every call a winning one in a snappy 1:56.2.
Given a confident steer by Mike Oosting, the bay filly took full advantage of the inside post as she led the field through splits of :29.3, 1:00.1 and 1:28.1. With plenty still in reserve the Randy Crisler trained miss put up a final panel of :28.1 to win by 1-¾ lengths while in hand to Oosting. Green Valley (Robert Smolin) was second while Life On The Row (Ronnie Gillespie) finished third.
Freshmen trotting fillies were next on the docket as a compact field of five diagonally-gaited ladies met in the $6,000 Star Slinger Stake. Parlaying a perfect two-hole trip into her maiden breaking score, Performancenter Stables’ S V Spirit romped home with a 4-3/4 length triumph in 2:02.3 for driver-trainer John Roberts.
After sitting right on the back of the pacesetting Fox Valley Hosana (Brian Carpenter) as that filly led the field through splits of :31.1, 1:03.4 and 1:34.4, Roberts maneuvered his charge out of the pocket where she quickly took aim on the leader. Charging home in :27.2 the daughter of Psychic Spirit-S V Rascal cruised right on by to open her 2013 account. Fox Valley Hosana held on for second while Fox Valley Madly (Randy Crisler) was a distant third, some 12 lengths behind the winner.
Sophomore trotting colts capped off the night as a field of seven squared off in the $12,000 Betzotic Stake.
After chasing stablemate King Mufasa for most of this season Mystical Marker Farms and Jack & Peggy Hood’s Powerful Poe took advantage of his absence on Wednesday night knocking off six rivals in wire-to-wire fashion while reporting home with 1-1/4 length triumph in a career-best of 1:55.
Hustled away from post position five by driver Todd Warren, the gelded son of Powerful Emotion-Fox Valley Poetry rolled through splits of :28.4, 58.1 and 1:27. After putting away a three wide surge by Skyline Road (Casey Leonard) at the top of the lane the Dirk Simpson trainee trotted home in :28 to secure his eighth career win in 21 starts while pushing his earnings over the $175,000 mark. Semper Fit (Dave Magee) parlayed a nice inside trip into a second-place finish in his 2013 debut while Fox Valley Camo (Jamaica Patton) was third.
(Balmoral Park)