by Mike Paradise, publicity director, Maywood Park

Crete, IL — CC Stacy drew off to a new stakes record in Tuesday night’s $90,000 American-National Final for two-year-old pacing fillies with a 1:52.4 clocking at Balmoral Park for driver Tony Morgan.

Chrissy Koeppen Photo

CC Stacy bested the favored Halle Go Lightly in Tuesday’s American-National Final for freshman pacing fillies.

CC Stacy’s winning time eclipsed the prior record of 1:53.2 set by Loyal Opposition and gave Morgan his first freshman American-National stake victory. The daughter of Matt’s Scooter, who is conditioned by Robert Harmon for owner Chuck Campbell of Blissfield, Michigan, was sent off as the 5-2 second choice after her elimination triumph a week earlier with Morgan.

Morgan had CC Stacy ($7.60) off the gate quickly from the seven slot in the field of 10 fillies and battled Spanish Rosey to a :28.1 opening panel, before taking the lead. Things remained unchanged to the :56.4 half (:28.3), but going to the three-quarter marker Dale Hiteman had the 4-5 favorite Halle Go Lightly out and moving first over, and then quickly cleared the leaders in 1:24.3 (:27.4).

Morgan was content to sit behind the hard-trying Halle Go Lightly through the lane, but when the pair reached the open stretch, he simply spoke to his filly and CC Stacy exploded, besting Halle Go Lightly by a length. Spanish Rosey (Brent Holland) finished third, while Lady N Diamonds (Joe Anderson) nailed down fourth place honors.

“I was a little bit disappointed going into the race tonight,” Morgan said. “When I was scoring her down she was on one line pretty good and had some discharge coming out of her nose. She didn’t really feel as peppy as she had the week before.

“She’s a bit aggressive leaving the gate, and I wish she was a little quieter leaving than she is,” Morgan added. “She goes out of there really hard and you have to be careful with her for the first couple of steps. After that, she settles right down.

“My intent was to be up close throughout the mile to control the pace a little bit,” Morgan said. “I wanted to make (Joe) Seekman’s mare (Halle Go Lightly) have to work hard. I think that my mare would have been just as good if I had kept her on the front end. We probably wouldn’t have set those kind of fractions, but she still would have been fine.

“I knew we were going pretty sporty out there,” Morgan added. “It was good to follow Dale (Hiteman, driving Halle Go Lightly) through the stretch and my horse just sat there, and relaxed pretty well. It gave her a good breather.”

This victory helped CC Stacy push her career earnings to $59,300.