The cream of the crop among Illinois conceived and foaled three-year-old pacers and trotters hit the track on Sunday night at Balmoral Park as division leaders Southern Rocketop and Native Hotspur
once again established their dominance posting victories in the $12,000 Brandenburg Stake and $9,000 Ohyouprettything Stake, respectively.
After a trip to Canada to face the best sophomore trotters in the country, Powers Farms’ Southern Rocketop returned to the local scene to take on 10 state-bred rivals in the $12,000 Brandenburg Stake and once again he stood head and shoulders above his rivals as he overcame post ten to win by more than three lengths in a blistering clocking of 1:53.4.
Showing his usual blazing speed away from the gate, driver Brian Carpenter sent the son of Psychic Spirit-Summer In The City right to the front. He has the field lined up behind him in :28.1. Dr Mcdreamy made a bold charge at the leader in the second quarter, and he was allowed to clear on the way to the mid-way point which was reached in a :56-second clip.
Taking full advantage of the cover provided by Dr Mcdreamy as the field moved around the far turn, Carpenter pulled from the pocket as the field neared the three-quarter-mile mark and Southern Rocketop was just a head behind the leader past the third post in 1:25. In the lane the Robert Taylor trainee blew right by his main rival sealing the deal with a :28.4 final quarter to post his fifth win in six starts this season. Dr Mcdreamy held on for second while Samuel Coe was a distant third.
Hammered at the betting windows Southern Rocketop returned just $2.80 for the win while running his career record to 14-1-0 in 20 starts with earnings of $235,476.
In the first of two $9,000 Ohyouprettything Stake splits, Kay Willis and Richard Beere’s Native Hotpsur avenged the only blemish on her record this season as she held on gamely to win by a neck in a career best of 1:52.1.
Driver Sam Widger rolled the daughter of Ft Apache Hanover-Broadway Charisma through splits of :27, :56.1 and 1:24.3 while keeping her seven rivals at bay. Finishing up the mile like a division leader should, the Nelson Willis-trained miss paced home in :27.3 while holding off the late bid of the pocket sitting Shes A Pegase. Longshot LR Dancing Dream rallied late to finish third.
Native Hotspur now boasts seven wins and one third in eight starts this season with earnings of just over $111,000.
In the second division of the Ohyouprettything the Harry Von Knoblauch owned and trained China Gal took advantage of a ground saving journey to win by a length in 1:52.3. Using the inside starting spot to full advantage, driver Todd Warren took the short route around the oval as Park Lane Rhythm led the field through splits of :29, :57.1 and 1:25.1.
After securing racing room in the final eighth of a mile, the daughter of Sportsmaster-China Moon N charged right by the tiring leader en route to posting her third win of the season. Fox Valley Tyra finished second while Park Lane Rhythm held on for third.
With the win China Gal, who returned just $2.80 for the win, now has a career record of 6-3-3 in 19 starts with earnings of $48,787.
(Balmoral Park)
To view Sunday’s results, click here.