The 2015 Hanover Stake season is officially underway as Balmoral Park played host to a pair of trotting stakes for three-year-olds as part of an action packed July 4 program.
The action kicked off with a non-wagering event as a field of five colts lined up behind the gate to battle for a purse of $20,600.
The battle between Illinois-bred stars Captain Greedy and Fox Valley Qatar resumed in this event and for the third straight meeting between these two it was Charles Dowering and John D. Finn’s Captain Greedy who came out on top as he reported home with a one-length victory in 1:56.2.
Confidently handled by driver/trainer J.D. Finn, the son of Yankee Valor—Tropical Trixie was sent right to the top where he proceeded to stroll through splits of :28.2, :58.3 and 1:28.4.
Sprinting home in :27.3, Captain Greedy shook off the challenge of a pocket-sitting Fox Valley Qatar (Todd Warren) to record his fourth win in seven starts this season. Fox Valley Qatar was forced to settle for the runner-up role again while Bulldog Benji (Mike Brink) was third.
The victory pushed Captain Greedy’s career bankroll up to $90,796.
Sophomore trotting fillies also took to the track for Hanover action as a compact a field of five battled for a purse of $23,900.
After being content to sit near the back in the compact field, Ronald Phillips' My Mini Snickers exploded through the stretch to win by a widening three and a half lengths in 1:56.3 for “provisional” driver Clifton Bell.
Content to bide their time near the back as Fox Valley Harrah (Todd Warren) put up pedestrian splits of :29.4, :59.1 and 1:28.1, Bell moved his filly to the outside as the field neared the top of the lane.
Trotting up a storm as she moved down the center of the track, the Bob Phillips-trained daughter of Muscle Mass—Milky Way rolled home in :27.4 to notch her second win in 10 starts this season. In what is believed to be a “first” in harness racing history, Fox Valley Yoko (Kyle Wilfong) and Persuasive Look (Casey Leonard), who finished in a dead-heat for the win in an ICF stake here last week, wound up on even terms once again as they dead-heated for the place spot.
With the victory, My Mini Snickers now boasts seven wins in 21 career starts with earnings of $45,319.
A pair of state-bred events were also contested on Saturday night as part of the big 12-race betting card.
In the first of these battles, the $8,000 Hot Head Stake for sophomore pacing colts, James and Terri Blackmon’s Dixies Boy picked a nice time to come up with a career-best as he blew by his rivals in the lane to post a one-length victory in 1:52 for driver Casey Leonard.
Using a perfect second over trip, the gelded son of Duneside Perch—Dingys Model circled rivals after watching Dinky Dune (Pat Curtin) put up some brisk splits, speeding home in :26.4 while holding division leader Earndawg (Todd Warren) at bay. Longshot Casey At Bat (Mike Oosting) wound up with the show dough.
The Joel Smith trainee now sports a career record of 5-5-5 in 24 lifetime starts with earnings of $31,522 after Saturday’s victory.
In the nightcap, Kay Willis’s Lex had no problem overcoming the dreaded 10-hole as she posted a one and three-quarter length triumph over nine rivals in the $8,000 Ohyouprettything Stake for ICF three-year-old pacing fillies.
Hustled right to the front by Kyle Wilfong, the Nelson Willis-trained daughter of Lexington Legend—I Bet U put up splits of :28.4, :58.2 and 1:26.4 while relatively unchallenged on the front end.
With plenty left in the tank, the division leader in 2015 sealed the deal with a :26.4 final panel to notch her fifth win in nine starts this year. Fox Valley Charm (Tim Curtin) rallied late to be the bridesmaid while Sportsmuffler (John De Long) shook loose to finish third.
With Saturday’s victory, Lex now boasts a career record of 9-4-4 in 18 starts with earnings of $107,123.
(Balmoral Park)