The top older Illinois conceived and foaled pacers were back in action on Friday, August 24 at Maywood Park as a field of eight classy veterans were sent postward in the $30,000 Egyptian Stake.
As local fans have grown accustomed to James Gorman’s Well To Do Guru proved once again that he is the “King” of this division as he toughed out a hard fought wire to wire victory, winning by a neck in 1:53.3 for driver Casey Leonard.
Hustled away from post position seven by Leonard, the eight-year-old son of Richess Hanover grabbed control of the proceedings early on leading the field through splits of :26.4, :55.4 and 1:24.4.
With a first over Voomerang (Todd Warren) pressuring the 1-2 favourite as the field headed into the far turn, the Terry Leonard-trained showed the grit and determination that has made him a fan favourite over the years, fending off that challenge and then holding on gamely as Fox Valley Yukon (Kyle Wilfong) made one final bid to pull off the upset in the final yards.
But once again, Well To Guru would prove to be too tough for his rivals, digging in determinedly to win for the sixth time in 17 starts this season. Fox Valley Yukon was a fast-closing second while Voomerang was third.
Boasting a career bankroll of more than $670,000 after Friday’s victory, Well To Do Guru returned $3.00, $2.60 and $2.10.
(Maywood Park)