Both Balmoral Park and Maywood Park have announced stakes schedules for the upcoming 2010 racing
season.
What promises to be another non-stop seven months of stakes action in the Chicagoland area will kick off at Balmoral Park with Illinois-conceived and foaled three-year-old pacing colts battling in the Taurus Bomber on April 3. The three-year-old colts will be right back in action on April 16 to begin the Maywood stakes schedule, as they will battle in the Sportsmaster Stakes.
The first 'major' ICF tests of the season will take place in late May at Balmoral Park, as the Violet Stakes Finals for three-year-old filly pacers will be contested on May 23. The Violet Stakes Final for three-year-old filly trotters will headline the action on May 30. The sophomore trotting and pacing colts will have their turn to shine in the Cardinal Stakes finals, which will be held at Balmoral Park on June 2 and June 5, respectively.
A pair of Maywood Park’s signature events, the Maywood Pace and the Filly Maywood Pace will take place on back to back Fridays in June, with the ladies battling on June 18 and boys slugging it out on June 25.
The 2010 Hanover Stakes season will get underway at Balmoral Park on July 14 with three-year-old trotting fillies taking centre stage. A big weekend of Hanover Stakes will then follow, as the Crete plant will also play host to the Hanovers for two-year-old colt pacers, two-year-old filly pacers, three-year-old colt pacers, and three-year-old filly pacers on July 17. The big weekend will draw to a close with the Hanover for three-year-old colt trotters on July 18.
The second annual Southland Festival of Racing at Balmoral Park will showcase some of the Prairie State’s finest trotters and pacers on Saturday, July 31 and Sunday, August 1. Among the stakes that will be contested on that fun-filled weekend will be the Mini Me (two-year-old colt pace), Loyal Opposition (two-year-old filly pace), Big Tom (three-year-old & up pace), Incredible Finale (three-year-old colt pace), Ann Vonian (three-year-old filly pace), Parklane Powerful (three-year-old & up filly and mare pace), Kadabra (three-year-old colt trot) and the Fox Valley Evita Stake (three-year-old filly trot). Freshman trotters will also get their first 'major' tests of the season in the Fox Valley Flan (two-year-old filly) and the Plesac (to-year-old colt) stakes on Wednesday, August 4 to wrap up the festival.
Illinois' biggest night of racing, Super Night, will once again take place at Balmoral Park on Saturday, September 18. More than $1 million in purses will be on the line as Illinois best pacers and trotters will be showcased. Eliminations for the eight championship tilts will be held on Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12.
A pair of American National Stakes for two-year-old trotters will also be contested on September 22 to round out a busy month of action.
October’s action will kick off with the richest events of the season for Illinois-conceived and foaled two-year-old trotters, as the Lincoln Land and Lady Lincoln Land Stakes will take place at Balmoral Park on October 6. Also on the docket in October will be the prestigious Cardinal and Violet Stakes finals for two-year-old pacing colts and two-year-old pacing fillies at Maywood Park on October 8, and the Cardinal and Violet Stakes finals for two-year-old colt trotters and two-year-old filly trotters on October 20 at Balmoral Park. A pair of Hanover Stakes for two-year-old trotters will close out the month’s stakes action on October 27 at Balmoral Park.
Even though the temperatures will be dropping, the action will remain red-hot in November, as both tracks are scheduled to host some of their largest-pursed events of the year. Balmoral Park will host its American National Festival of Racing on Saturday, November 13. On the card that night will be the two-year-old colt pace, two-year-old filly pace, three-year-old colt pace, three-year-old filly pace, the Aged Pace and the Aged Trot. As has been the case in recent years, some of North America’s top trotting and pacing stars, as well as the top drivers in the sport, are expected to hit town for these events.
Maywood Park’s biggest night of the year is just six days later, as Windy City Pace Night is expected to draw another big crowd to the half-mile oval on Friday, November 19. On tap that night are the signature Windy City Pace for three-year-old colt pacers, the Cinderella Stakes for three-year-old filly pacers, the Abe Lincoln Stakes for two-year-old colt pacers and the Galt Trot for three-year-old colt trotters.
Live racing action will resume at Balmoral Park on Wednesday, January 27. Balmoral will race on Wednesdays (7:20 p.m.), Saturdays (7:20 p.m.) and Sundays (6:30 p.m.) throughout the 2010 season.
Maywood Park will begin its 64th consecutive season of live racing action on Thursday, January 28. Maywood will host live racing on Thursdays and Fridays with first-race post time at 7:20 p.m.
(Balmoral/Maywood)