Balmoral Park will showcase some of North America's top horses as well as the cream of the crop among the driving colony on Saturday night as six American National Stakes will be contested on the 14-race program worth more than $1.2 million in purses.
Headlining the American National Festival of Racing is the $300,000 three-year-old colt pace which features Little Brown Jug winner and World Record holder Shadow Play.
The striking son of The Panderosa also counts the Windy City Pace and the Adios among his 12 victories this season. Under the tutelage of trainer/co-owner Dr. Ian Moore, Shadow Play checks into Saturday's American National with more than $889,000 in earnings this season for the ownership group of Moore, hockey legend Serge Savard and the R G McGroup Ltd.
In perhaps his most impressive performance of the season Shadow Play obliterated the World Record for a three-year-old pacing colt on a five-eighths mile track with his 1:48.2 clocking at Pocono this summer. As usual David Miller will handle the driving duties behind Shadow Play who is the 8-5 morning line favourite from Post 5.
Mister Big, the top rated older pacer in North America, will go for his 10th consecutive win in the $200,000 aged pace. The five-year-old son of Grinfromeartoear is fresh off an impressive win in the $317,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington and he has been installed as the 3-2 favourite in Saturday's event.
The Virgil Morgan trainee is the only pacer in history to post million dollar plus earnings in both his four and five-year-old seasons. His 2008 earnings of $1,566,067 for owner Joe Muscara also makes him the single season record holder for an older pacer.
Longtime Chicago favourite Tony Morgan, who leads the country in victories this season, will be back in town to handle the driving duties and this formidable duo will leave from Post 2.
Enough Talk, the fastest trotter in history with a mark of 1:49.3 which he took just three weeks ago at Colonial Downs in the Patriot, is the 3-2 favourite to rack up another victory in the $190,000 aged trot.
The pride of trainer/co-owner Peter Kleinhans comes to town after an easy front stepping score in the $100,000 Oleg Cassini Invitational at Yonkers last Saturday. That victory was the seventh in 23 starts this season for the five-year-old gelded son of Enjoy Lavec.
A model of consistency throughout his career Enough Talk has hit the board in 47 of his 59 lifetime starts while banking in excess of $1 million for Kleinhans and partner Jerry Silva. Ron Pierce will climb into the bike to guide Enough Talk who has drawn Post 2.
Bulletproof Enterprises' Schoolkids was a sharp winner in his elimination for the American National two-year-old colt pace and he looks to be the one to beat in the $170,000 final. This good looking son of I Am A Fool was on cruise control in his win last week, stopping the clock in an effortless 1:53.
The Tracy Brainard trainee boasts a record of six wins, three seconds and one third through his first 11 career starts with earnings of $122,876. Schoolkids, who also won a division of the Bluegrass Stake at The Red Mile in 1:51.4 on October 4, will have the services of North America's leading money winning driver and Chicago fan favourite Tim Tetrick. The 9-5 morning line favourite will leave from Post 6.
Sophomore pacing fillies will slug it out for a $165,000 jackpot and this looks to be a very even group.
Kentucky Sire Stakes champion and Bluegrass Stakes winner
Btwnyurheartnmine returns to the Chicagoland area where she started her career and the daughter of Real Desire is the 3-1 morning line favourite with Tim Tetrick in the bike.
Under the watchful eye of conditioner Ross Croghan Btwnyurheartnmine has racked up six wins and three seconds in 11 starts this season with earnings of $322,525 for the partnership of Let It Ride Stables and the Robert Cooper Stables of Florida. Btwnyurheartnmine has drawn Post 2 for Saturday's tussle.
Local hope Fox Valley Topaz is the slight 3-1 favourite in the $116,000 two-year-old filly pace, another test which looks like it should be wide-open affair from start to finish.
The state-bred daughter of Sportsmaster is fresh off a win in the $61,750 Violet Stake Final at Maywood Park on October 10 and she has racked up some pretty impressive numbers in her first season.
Under the steady guidance of Ken Rucker, this year's Filly Orange & Blue winner has posted eight wins, two seconds and one third in 11 starts with earnings of $244,350 for the Engel & Rucker Stables. Balmoral's leading reinsman, Mike Oosting, will be in the bike as usual behind Fox Valley Topaz who has drawn Post 1.
Balmoral Park will also offer a "special" fifty-cent American National Pick 5 on races four through eight with a guaranteed $25,000 pool.
(Balmoral Park)