by Mike Paradise, publicity director, Maywood Park

Melrose Park, IL — It’s round two of the Pacific Series for fillies and mares and for a pair of the first leg winners, the draw for Wednesday night’s Maywood Park leg wasn’t very kind.

Both Balmoral Park first round winners Lets Hurry On (1:57⁴) and Heldin (1:56⁴) drew eight posts in two of the three nine-horse series fields. Meanwhile, first round victor and early series favorite Diamond Star Halo (5-2, Ryan Anderson) landed a favorable three slot in her series event.

Diamond Star Halo won for fun in the February 3 opening series leg for the Joe Anderson Stable. The three-year-old Jate Lobell filly was six-plus lengths the best in her 1:56¹ front-end victory. Her driver Ryan Anderson believes she has the size and breeding to be a potential moneymaker for Illinois owners John Leahy and Anderson Racing Inc.

“She just romped last week at Balmoral,” Ryan said. “She’s still really green and we raced her lightly last season, and then gave her a little rest to get her ready for this series. She’s a big, powerful filly who can handle herself well over both tracks, but can get a little hotheaded leaving the gate. Once she’s rolling she’s ok. She’s very well-bred and if she stays sound she’ll be heading off to New Jersey and eventually race in some of the bigger races out there.”

In three career starts at Maywood Park, Diamond Star Halo has posted two victories, including a 1:56³ clocking.

First round winner Heldin (6-1, Nick Clegg) makes her Maywood Park debut against Diamond Star Halo in the eighth race, the third of three series leg races on the card. She was a surprise first round winner at 31-1 odds for trainer Betty Jo Clegg. Drawing outside has been the norm thus far for her Muskegon, Michigan owner Virgil Foster. She drew the six, nine and eight posts in her first three local outings at Balmoral.

Rounding out the eighth race field is NJ’s Diva Lady (12-1), Camifiwanto (15-1), Rainy Day Tish (8-1), I’m The Master (15-1), Nightwatch Vixen (3-1), Constant Sorrow (9-2) and Tra Vigne (20-1).

Amy Welch and Dawn Samson’s Lets Hurry On (5-2, Dave Magee) will have her work cut out for her in the fourth race with seven horses starting inside of her and Fox Valley Athena behind in the second tier with the nine post.

However, the black three-year-old Sportsmaster filly is coming along nicely for trainer Roger Welch. She has posted come-from-behind victories in two of her last three starts and finished third after racing first up in her only Maywood Park outing on December 8.

In addition to Fox Valley Athena (6-1), she’ll also be challenged in race four by Increda Broad (4-1), Fancy Cat (12-1), Broadway Grace Lee (15-1), Duchess Hotspur (12-1), Somethin Hot (7-2), Grandette (8-1) and Momentous Meg (15-1).

The first Pacific series division will open the 11-race card and it’s also a jammed packed nine-horse field. Early favoritism is divided between Bad Lady (5-2, Dave Magee), another Roger Welch trained filly, and Odds On L Jo (3-1, Tim Tetrick), another well-bred youngster trained by Robin Schadt for Odds On Racing of Crete, Illinois.

Bad Lady’s 1:56⁴ lifetime best win came at Maywood Park last season and on January 26 she proved best again on this track with a 1:58¹ mile for owners Roger Welch, Mark Mc Donald and Patricia Miller.

Odds On J Lo obviously needed her first round series venture at Balmoral. It was the Jate Lobell filly’s first race since last September. The $87,000 yearling purchase competed in open stakes in five of her six freshman starts, winning her only Maywood Park race handily in 1:58 flat.

Completing the first race division is Bobs Minute Maid (9-1), Lyrics Delite (8-1), Ponytail Kim (12-1), One Fancy Chick (15-1), Barus Tradition (15-1), Whatsmy Name Again (12-1) and Fashion Fanny (8-1).

A $10,000 Pacific Series Final will be raced on Maywood Park’s Wednesday, February 25 card.