by Mike Paradise, publicity director, Maywood Park

Melrose Park, IL — The Tom Simmons Stable has a strong one-two punch of Orange and Blue champion Froggy Turner and runner-up Jolly Lester slugging it out against each other and six other ICF pacing rivals in Friday night’s (October 5) $60,000 Cardinal Championship for 2-year-old colts and geldings. The pair will race uncoupled because of different ownership.

However, Froggy Turner (3-1, Dave Magee) did draw the outside eight slot and Jolly Lester (7-2, Dale Hiteman) the six post, while elimination victor Willie The Kid (4-1, Jason Dillander) is sandwiched in between with the seven. Mucho Sleazy (post three) is the 5-2 first flash favorite with Mike Oosting.

Froggy Turner was a convincing winner in his Cardinal elimination while stablemate Jolly Lester overcame the outside eight slot in his elim and finished a strong third. Froggy Turner’s time of 1:54 equaled the national season’s mark on a half-mile track.

“Froggy Turner won easy,” said winning driver Dave Magee after guiding the Cole Muffler offspring through fractions of :27.3, a second quarter breather of :29.3 and a :28 third panel. “This horse is a big striding, easy-going horse that just eats up ground. He has no problem getting around a half-miler.”

Willie The Kid also won his elimination in front-end fashion for the Tom Harmer Stable and was only two-fifths slower than Froggy Turner’s mile. Willie The Kid shot out to a quick lead before the first turn and took the field through times of :28.3, :57.4 and 1:26, turning in a :28.2 final panel.

“Willie The Kid is very quick and tends to get pretty fired up, so we’ve been working at keeping him relaxed,” Dillander said. “He trains at Maywood Park, so it makes sense that he’d get around the track really well. He won his elimination rather easily.”

Driver Mike Oosting was satisfied with Mucho Sleazy’s second place finish behind Willie The Kid. The Springfield and Hawthorne champion raced first up against the winner.

“Our goal was to make the final and we accomplished that,” said Oosting, who had six winners on last Friday’s card. “Mucho Sleazy made a break in his Super Night elimination and so now we’ve been working on keeping him settled and not letting him get too worked up. He was much better here, even though I had to baby him a little.”

Littlebitoflife, who came on well to be second best against Froggy Turner, had his driver Ryan Anderson optimistic. “This horse came up the passing lane very strongly and made the final in fine shape. He gets around a half better than he does the mile track. Shawn (trainer Nessa) has his horse ready to go.”

Thisbigdogwilfight heads up Egyptian Stake

Thisbigdogwilfight will make his first Maywood Park appearance since his 1:50.3 world record mile on June 8 when he won the Cook County stake, the first leg of the Maywood Pacing Series. He’ll be joined in Friday’s $40,000 Egyptian by entry mate Third Day (Sam Widger), who holds Maywood’s track standard for a 3-year-old pacing gelding.

The Jim Eaton trained entry will open up as the 7-5 favorites with millionaire My Boy David (Ryan Anderson) the 9-5 early second choice. They’ll be challenged by Hot N Sporty (3-1, Brent Holland), on a two-race victory streak; Go Warrior Go (6-1, Mike Oosting), winner of the pacing series the last two years, and Kashitin (10-1, Del Chupp).

Thisbigdogwilfight will again be guided by Dave Magee, who was behind the 4-year-old when he became the third fastest pacer in Maywood Park’s long 61-year history.

Also on the Friday Maywood card is a race that will serve as a prep for three very likely Windy City Pace starters — Home Bed Advantage (3-1, Ryan Anderson), Kinetic Yankee (2-1, Dave Magee) and All Is Saidanddone (4-1, Brent Holland). The fourth race for 3-year-olds also lured Glass Pack (5-2, Mike Oosting), Sneaky B Skipalong (8-1, Todd Warren) and One Park Place (8-1, Sam Widger).

Kinetic Yankee earlier this year won a trio of New Jersey Sires Stakes for the Erv Miller stable and the Hayes at Du Quoin. The colt also was second best in the $500,000 Hoosier Cup (Hoosier Park) and again in a $121,000 division of the Oliver Wendell Holmes (The Meadowlands).