The top distaffers the Prairie State assembled on Saturday, June 23 at Balmoral Park as a field of eight distaffers squared off in the $20,000 Sue Fee Stake.
Fresh off a convincing win over conditioned rivals last week, Mystical Marker Farms & Peggy Hood’s Mystical Victress showed that she’s regained the form that has netted her more than $500,000 in career earnings as she came flying down the stretch to win by one and three-quarter lengths in 1:51.4.
Sitting patiently at the back of the pack through the early stages of the race with Marcus Miller at the controls, the five-year-old daughter of Sportsmaster was content to watch Fox Valley Absolut (Robert Smolin) and Rev Me Up (John Roberts) slug it out through splits of :27.1 and :56.
Moving into the outer flow on the far turn, the Ervin Miller-trained miss began her assault on the leader’s midway around the bend. When her cover began to tire, Mystical Victress was then forced to tip three-deep in order to continue her momentum. Moving like a freight train into fifth as Rev Me Up continued to show the way past the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:24.1, Mystical Victress was three and three-quarter lengths behind the pacesetter as the straightened for the money.
With dead aim on the leaders as they headed for home, Mystical Victress began to pick off one rival after another. Flying down the grandstand side, Mystical Victress ripped off a final quarter of :26.4 to post her 30th lifetime victory. China Gal (Casey Leonard) finished a game second while Fox Valley Absolut held on for third.
Sent off as the 2-1 second choice in the wagering, Mystical Victress returned $6.60, $3.40 and $2.60 while running her record to 3-1-1 with $30,630 in eight starts this season.
(Balmoral Park)