by Tom Kelley, publicity director, Balmoral Park

Crete, IL — The countdown to the first major stake of the 2013 season for Illinois conceived and foaled 3-year-old pacing fillies started on Sunday (May 12) at Balmoral Park as a total of 14 state-bred sophomores battled in a pair of $10,000 Violet Stake eliminations. The top five finishers in each division will be back for next Sunday’s $55,300 (est.) final.

Dallas Jones held off the late bid of Auniqueaquistion to win the first of two Violet Stake eliminations.

In the first division Paula Smith, James Runyan and Frank Pike’s Dallas Jones continued a big 2013 campaign as she “gutted out” a wire-to-wire, nose decision in 1:55 for driver Casey Leonard.

Sent right to the front from the inside post the daughter of Sportsmaster-Cams Bett was allowed to stroll through splits of :29.2, :59.2 and 1:28 while her six rivals elected to sit inside. With the field basically preparing for a quarter-mile sprint home, the Joel Smith trainee dug in gamely as Auniqueaquisition (Mike Oosting) began to cut into the margin after a perfect pocket sitting trip.

With those two drawing clear from the rest of the field, a tough as nails Dallas Jones managed to keep a nose in front, forcing Auniqueaquisition to settle for the bridesmaid role in a big sophomore debut. Private Ashley (Kyle Husted) finished third, four lengths behind the top pair, while Mystical Danica (Dave Magee) and Fox Valley Ruby (Dean Magee) picked up the two other starting spots in next week’s final.

The win was the sixth in 15 starts this year for Dallas Jones who also has six seconds and one third to her credit, with earnings of $37,307 in 2013.

Balmoral Park photos

Feel Like Dancing posted her third straight victory as she gamely held on to win by a neck in the second Violet Stake elimination on Sunday night.

The nightcap also provided another photo finish with Roy Drevs and Brett and Candice Wilfong’s Feel Like Dancing prevailing by a hard fought neck in 1:55.1 for driver Kyle Wilfong.

Zipped right to the top from the outside post in this field of seven, the daughter of Skydancer Hanover-Fox Valley Funny was parked through an opening quarter of :28.3. In control of the proceedings as the field moved down the backstretch the Brett Wilfong trained miss put the brakes on, leading the field through pedestrian middle splits of :59.2 and 1:28.

Moving through the stretch, Feel Like Dancing continued to show the way but a hard charging Aliyah Maria (Todd Warren) was starting to cut into the leader’s advantage. With those two hooked up in a thrilling duel through the final sixteenth of a mile, Feel Like Dancing gamely kept a neck in front for her third straight victory here at Balmoral. Aliyah Maria was a hard fought second while My Marisa Clair (Phil Knox) used a ground saving trip to earn the show dough. The last two spots in next week’s final went to Incredible Filly (Dave Magee) and Thank You Doc (Dean Magee).

Fresh off a win in last week’s Betzotic Stake here at Balmoral, Feel Like Dancing, who made only one start as a 2-year-old, now sports a record five wins and two seconds in seven starts this year, with earnings of $24,383.