by Mike Paradise, publicity director, Maywood Park

Crete, IL — Two $15,000 American-National stake elimination races for two-year-old pacing colts, a pair of $15,000 Poplar Byrd stakes for second season state-bred pacers, and the Chicago circuit’s $21,000 Free For All Pace are dispersed throughout Saturday night’s 12 race Balmoral Park program.

First up are the American-National elims carded as races two and three. The first five finishers in each elimination will earn a starting berth in next Saturday’s (July 16) $88,000 freshman colt pace championship.

Joe To Go, a dominant winner of his July 9 Hanover Stake division, is the 7-5 first elimination favorite. The Joe Seekman-trained colt breezed in 1:54.1 in his very first start and was under a hold by driver Tim Tetrick, who will again guide the Jenna’s Beach Boy offspring in the first of two nine horse elimination fields.

“Joe To Go is a real fast young horse,” said Tetrick after the July 9 victory. “I never even pulled the earplugs and he just drew away from that field.”

Joe To Go will take on Nifty Fellow (Brent Holland), a 1:56.1 victor in his Hanover Stake split a week ago, who will team up with Full Of Luck, another Ken Rucker-trained youngster owned by the Rucker Stable and the Engle Stable. The entry is the 4-1 morning line second choice.

The General (9-2, Dave Magee), Jate Daniels (15-1, Mark O’Mara), Roll Bar Hanover (5-1, Dale Hiteman), Intendto’s Majesty (6-1, Sam Widger), Robin’s Ponderosa (15-1, Mike Oosting) and Winbak Bini (15-1, Andy Miller) complete the first American-National elim.

Early favoritism in the third race second elim is divided between Keystone Resident (3-1, Dave Magee) from the Tim Pinske Stable, Winslow Gambler (7-2, Andy Miller), who posted a 1:55 flat victory in his July 10 bow at Hawthorne for trainer Erv Miller, and Yourtheluckyone (4-1), conditioned by Joel Smith.

While Keystone Resident broke on the lead in his July 9 Hanover division, the Western Hanover colt did make up 10 lengths on the field when he finished third, five lengths behind Yourtheluckyone’s 1:56.1 triumph.

“In all honestly I thought we had a good shot even if Dave’s horse didn’t make a break,” said Yourtheluckyone’s driver Tim Tetrick after the race. “My horse raced really well in his first (July 3) start. He got home in :26 and change and I kind of used him twice. Tonight (July 9) I had a ton of horse and Ronnie (Marsh), who was first up, was yelling at his horse (Life Guard On Duty) and that was getting my horse all fired up. When he found daylight, he was gone.

“He acts like an old horse and drives like one but all of Joel’s young horses drive well. He teaches them the right way from day one. He’s a good trainer who does very well with babies,” added the 23-year-old Tetrick.

AB’s Beach Boy (8-1, Tony Morgan), Life Guard On Duty (6-1, Ron Marsh), Jandj Art (8-1, Mike Oosting), Bunk (8-1, Dale Hiteman), Fox Valley Alexai (15-1, Brent Holland) and Icouldonlyimagine (12-1, Joe Anderson) are the other American-National final hopefuls in the second elimination.

Anderon Racing’s Canine Divine puts his three-race winning streak on the line in the fourth race first $15,000 Poplar Bred stake division. Trainer Joe Anderson will again be at the lines when he faces the Tom Harmer-trained entry of Y Z Onetwentyfive (Dave Magee) and Murcielago (Tony Morgan), as well as Mandala Quest (Andy Miller), Bangkok Cruiser (Tim Tetrick), Iron Courage (Ron Marsh), Art’s Mouse (Dale Hiteman), Mystical Tenor (Brent Holland) and Fox Valley Emerald (Mike Oosting).

The seventh race second Poplar Byrd division is headed by Maywood Pace champion Perdition (Andy Miller) and recent Hanover Stake runner-up Cheyenne Bodie (Joe Anderson). Blue Apache (Dave Magee), Danny’s Showboy (Dale Hiteman), Chevie Nitrous (Mike Oosting), Hasty B Skipalong (Dean Magee), Johns My Buddy (Jason Dillander), I Can Only Imagine (Tony Morgan) and Kashitin (Tim Tetrick) are the challengers.

The compact six horse Albatross Free For All Pace boasts four starters with at least one sub-1:50 winning mile to their credit — Fox Valley Gallant (1:48.3), Foxy Maneuver (1:49.2), Art Maker (1:49.4) and Johnny Be Cool N (1:49.4). Black Cat Bone has been assigned the one post in the ninth race confrontation. Pacific Playboy, a June FFA winner (1:50.4) at Balmoral Park, rounds out the talented field.