Illinois top older pacers will be in action on Friday, August 28 at Maywood Raceway, as a field of nine classy veterans with more than $2.3 million in career earnings will square off in the $40,000 Egyptian Stakes, carded as Race 8 on the 14-dash program.
Redbud Stable and Michael McNeely’s World Record and track record holder Thisbigdogwilfight has been installed as the lukewarm 3-1 morning line favourite.
The six-year-old son of The Big Dog etched his name into the record books back on June 8, 2007 when it tripped the timer in an amazing 1:50.3 at Maywood Park making him the fastest four-year-old gelding in the history of the sport on a half-mile oval. The Jim Eaton trainee has been a fixture in these Illinois-bred stakes events from the time he hit the track and the bay gelding now boasts a whopping 33 wins, 15 seconds and 13 thirds in 92 lifetime starts with earnings of more than $676,000.
Bruce Pacitti and O’Toole Racing’s Sports Fanatic, a recent winner in 1:50.3 in the FFA ranks at Balmoral Park, is the close 7-2 second choice in the morning line. The roan five-year-old has 20 lifetime victories and more than $123,000 in earnings on his card and he has been particularly hot of late winning three of his last five starts.
Others which merit strong consideration among this group include Cook County Stakes winner Audience Of One, which has flourished since being claimed by conditioner David McCaffrey; Fox Valley Gambler, a lifetime winner or more than $320,000 for the Sawgrass Farms; the ultra-consistent Well To Do Guru, which has hit the board in 14 of 18 starts this season; and Booze Cruzin, a multiple stakes winning five-year-old which boasts 23 career wins and more than $663,000 in earnings.
(With files from Maywood)