by Mike Paradise, publicity director, Maywood Park
The draw for post positions for both of Friday night’s $102,000 Maywood Pace Colt Final and the $100,000 Maywood Pace Filly Final has had a profound effect on each of the 3-year-old state-bred stakes.
After Live Out Loud won a photo decision in his Maywood Pace elimination on June 11 his trainer and co-owned Dave Mc Caffrey quipped: “I think the final is shaping up to be so tough with the caliber of horses in it that the race could be won or lost in the race office, when the draw takes place.”
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Maywood Park photo
Enemy At The Gate is favored to win Friday’s $102,000 Maywood Pace Final for state-bred 3-year-old colts and geldings.
It could be the Maywood Park based conditioner is right on the money with his observation even though we’re sure the 36-year-old Davenport, Iowa native is hoping he will be proven wrong.
That’s because his talented Illinois bred pacer Live Out Loud (3-1) will have to overcome the low percentage (4.6) eight-slot if he is to make it five consecutive victories on this track in the Maywood Pace Colt Final. His driver Dale Hiteman will be on the outside looking in and starting to his left is ML’s Boy (6-1, Tony Morgan) another pre-stake favorite.
The tenth race favorite is the fast developing Enemy At The Gate, the latest star pacer from the Tom Simmons Stable. The Cole Muffler offspring will leave from post five after a very game first-over 1:52.3 winning mile in his elimination, impressing his regular driver Dave Magee.
“I was very concerned at the half-mile point because I wasn’t sure how my horse would be, first over the rest of the mile against ML’s boy,” Magee said after last Friday’s race. “But Enemy At The Gate was very game and just kept grinding it out on his own. I didn’t pull the earplugs until the top of the stretch and he proved again to me that he’s one of the best three-year-olds in the state right now. “
Live Out Loud and ML’s Boy both have shown that can leave in a hurry on this race track, but the same can be said for others starting inside of them including He Does It All (4-1, Peter Wrenn), who cut the fractions last week when he was nipped in the final stride by Live Out Loud.
Looking to pull off an upset in the first “six-figure” stake of the season in the Illinois bred sophomore division is Sparky’s Fire (20-1, Gary Rath), Coldheadedrevenge (8-1, Andy Miller), Hot Bet (12-1, Pat Berry), and Gar (15-1, Tim Tetrick).
Enemy At The Gate brings a five-race winning streak into the final that included a 1:50.4 mile in last month’s $54,700 Cardinal Final and a 1:50.1 career best clocking on June 5, each at Balmoral Park.
Live Out Loud is looking for his fourth consecutive added money triumph at Maywood Park for McCaffrey and M & M Harness Racing LLC (Suffern, NY). The gelded son of Art’s Conquest ended his two-year-old season by taking a division of the Abe Lincoln stake in open company, followed by a win in the ISOBA Sales Stake. He then added the Spring Championship to his resume’ here on May 7.
Aries Conquest Looking In
A significant change in post position for world champion Aries Conquest will also likely make her odds and little more inviting in the ninth race co-feature $100,000 Maywood Filly Pace Final.
On June 9 Aries Conquest was an easy winner leaving from the one-slot in her elimination, sent off at overwhelming 1-9 odds and producing a minus show pool of more than $26,000.
The playing field for the 3-year-old state bred filly showdown got a lot more level for Friday night when Aries Conquest drew the seven-slot against seven other rivals. She’ll open as the 9-5 morning line favorite with regular driver Andy Miller at her lines for owner Tanah Merah Farms (Springfield, IL) and trainer Erv Miller.
Erv also sends out the 7-2 early second choice Jan’s Julie Too (Mike Oosting), who took her elimination on June 9 with a 1:55 flat mile despite racing much of the last half first up. Jan’s Julie Too is owned by Harvey Eisman of Flint Michigan and will race uncoupled against her star stablemate Aries Conquest, last season’s ICF Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year.
Aries Conquest puts a sparkling career record of 14 wins in 18 starts on the line in the filly showdown and while the seven-post has to be a worry, her driver still likes her chances of adding the $50,000 winner’s share to her $246,633 bankroll.
“Aries Conquest just loves Maywood Park track and though the draw for post for the final will be a concern, I think she’ll be well-placed to be pretty solid with these horses,” said Andy after her 1:54.4 elimination triumph a week ago with his brother’s Erv latest star state-bred filly.
Looking to knock off Team Miller in the final are Kan Wheel (8-1, Ross Leonard), Kitty’s Jone’s (Tony Morgan), Thatswherethefunis) 10-1, Ryan Anderson), Jenny’s Picnic (12-1, Ron Marsh), Sports Ball (15-1, Tony Morgan) and Lexus Gram (8-1, Dave Magee).
FFA Also On Tap
The combination of driver Andy Miller and training brother Erv will also be a force in Friday night’s $22,000 Free For All Pace seventh race. Making her Maywood Park debut is Gregg Pistochini’s Silver D Moon, a recent acquisition for the Miller Stable.
Silver D Moon is the 3-1 early second choice in the FFA event that lured six popular Chicago circuit. The 5-2-morning line favorite is Whispers Spy (Dave Magee), who will leave from the one-slot. They’ll be challenged by Abouttolosecontrol (7-2, Brent Holland), Maywood Park track record holder (1:51) Michael’s Western (4-1, Ryan Anderson), Roland John N (10-1, Dale Hiteman) and Wrist Rocket (9-2, Mike Oosting)
Silver D Moon closed with a sizzling :26.1 to be second behind Taser Gun in last Saturday’s FFA at Balmoral Park, his first start on the Chicago circuit. The 5-year-old son of Run The Table had a career best 1:51.1 winning at the Meadowlands on April 17, his first start for his new California owner.