by Tom Kelley, publicity director, Maywood Park

Melrose Park, IL — Friday’s (Nov. 20) $130,000 Abe Lincoln Stake looks to be the one of the most wide open of the four major stakes on the Windy City Pace Night card at Maywood Park. The morning line for this affair certainly reflects that as American-National Stake winner OK Commander is just a lukewarm 3-1 choice of the track handicapper among the field of nine 2-year-old pacing colts.

Balmoral Park photo

OK Commander will be seeking his second straight stakes victory in Friday’s Abe Lincoln at Maywood Park.

Coming off his maiden victory in last Saturday’s $180,000 American-National at Balmoral Park the $72,000 son of Art Major-Double Crème will have to put the speed he flashed in that victory to good use if he’s going to overcome the outside starting spot in a field which includes a trailer.

In his American-National score OK Commander left quickly to get to the front and after giving way to a pair of hard charging rivals he was then sent back to the top by Brian Sears who was handling the driving duties for trainer Gregg McNair.

“This horse has been victimized by some tough trips this season but he has very good speed and he can be tough to pass once he gets on top,” said Sears after last week’s victory. “He showed that here by digging in gamely and holding off the big late charge of that horse on the outside.”

That “horse on the outside” was Victory Hill Farm’s Allthatgltrsisgold who is the third choice in the morning line after drawing the advantageous inside starting spot for Friday night’s battle.

The homebred son of Cam’s Card Shark-Glitter N Glitz uncorked a wicked :26.2 final quarter as he rallied from seventh to second in the American-National. The Bobby Brower trained colt has shown a great deal of versatility in his 12-race career, winning a late closer at The Red Mile from well off the early pace in 1:52.1 and then following that victory up with a front stepping score in another late closer the following week in 1:54.2 over a sloppy track. A model of consistency, Allthatgltrsisgold has been on the board in 10 of 12 starts while earning over $75,000.

The Joe Seekman trained Morgan Shark will start from the second tier in Friday night’s battle and with a little racing luck the 7-2 second choice is more than capable of making amends for his loss as the favorite in the American-National.

Forced to make two moves and then stuck on the outside when he could not clear OK Commander going to the three-quarter-mile mark the son of Four Starzzz Shark faded in the late going and wound up sixth that night.

With first or second place finishes in eight of his nine career starts and more than $90,000 in earnings for Jim Jesk’s Sawgrass Farms, Morgan Shark owns a mark of 1:52.3 which was taken in a Keystone Classic Stake at the Meadows this summer.