From: Mike Paradise, Director of publicity

MELROSE PARK, IL—A multi stakes champion in 2003, C C Spice started off her new season on a winning note with a 1:56.4 front-end victory in Wednesday night’s $16,500 Open Pace for fillies and mares at Maywood Park.

C C Spice (3) was a neck better than longshot CJR Bogert (1).

Last year’s American National (Balmoral) and Courageous Lady (Northfield) stake champion was a neck better than 55-1 longshot runner-up CJR Bogert (Pat Wolf), who took advantage of a garden trip. Kennan’s Mama (Del Chupp) came on for third, beaten one length.

Dave Magee sent the now 4-year-old mare out from the three-slot and C C Spice was in command midway through the first turn. After taking the field to a :28.3 first quarter, the In The Pocket offspring went unchallenged to a :29 second panel and through most of a slow :30 flat third quarter, before she put away the first-up Letmedoitmyway heading into the final turn. She came home in :29.1 on a bone chilly 17 degrees night.

The $8,250 winner’s share of the purse put C C Spice’s lifetime earnings only $823 below the half-million dollar mark for owner and breeder Chuck Campbell.

“She’s a catch-driver’s delight because she’ll do anything or race anyway the driver asks her too,” said winning trainer Robert Harmon. “Tonight Dave (driver Magee) told me that she almost fell asleep on the front-end. She really prefers to be more in the hunt of the race chasing horses, but will race either way.

“This mare just maintains herself and absolutely loves to race,” continued Harmon. “She basically keeps herself in shape and a very easy horse to work around. I usually train her a slow mile and a half in between starts, and you can train her with two fingers sitting on another guy’s helmet. We plan to keep racing her in this class here in Chicago as long as she’s competitive here.”

C C Spice was a 13-race winner in her sophomore campaign, banking $356,849. She finished a competitive fourth in the Breeders Crown Final at the Meadowlands, beaten two and one-half lengths by the winner Burning Point.