by Tom Kelley, publicity director, Maywood Park

Melrose Park, IL — The countdown to the first six-figure stake of the season for Illinois conceived and foaled pacers started on Thursday night (June 6) at Maywood Park as a total of 13 3-year-old fillies squared off in a pair of $10,000 Filly Maywood Pace eliminations.

The top four finishers in each of the two divisions will return on Friday (June 14) for the $122,000 (est.) finale.

Big Zipper (#1) and Feel Like Dancing (#7) hit the wire on even terms in the first of two Filly Maywood Pace eliminations on Thursday night.

The opening split provided a thrilling finish and when the results were posted it was too close to split as favored Big Zipper and second choice Feel Like Dancing hit the finish line on even terms. The final time was 1:55.4.

Big Zipper (Robert Smolin) was sent right to the front from her inside starting spot and the daughter of Big Green Machine-Secret Dial proceeded to rattle off splits of :27.3, :57 and 1:26.1.

With the Violet Stake elimination winner Feel Like Dancing (Kyle Wilfong) sitting right on her back after finding a great early spot from post position seven, the two fillies hooked up in a spirited stretch duel.

Battling tooth and nail down to the wire, the two fillies hit the tape on even terms with Mystical Danica (Mike Oosting) rallying for the show dough. Zumba (Casey Leonard) finished fourth.

The win was the seventh in 16 starts for Big Zipper, who is owned and trained by Robert Phillips.

Feel Like Dancing (Skydancer Hanover-Fox Valley Funny) now boasts six wins and two seconds in nine starts this year for the partnership of Roy Drevs and Brett and Candice Wilfong.

In the second division, John Carver’s Auniqueaquistion left no doubt as to who was the best in this division as the good looking daughter of Cole Muffler-Shessoluvabull romped to a 5-1/2 length victory in 1:55.1 for driver Mike Oosting.

Maywood Park photos

Mike Oosting guided Auniqueaquistion to an easy victory in the second Filly Maywood Pace elimination.

Moving first over for the final five-eighths of the mile the Donna Lee Ozment trainee engaged the pacesetting Five Stars Queen (Brian Carpenter) as that filly sped through splits of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:25.4.

Overpowering the leader on the far turn, Auniqueaquistion rolled right by the tiring leader and continued to widen her margin through the lane as she reported home with her third win in five tries this year. State Street Liz (Robert Smolin) moved up three wide on the far turn and rallied nicely for the place money while Five Stars Queen was a distant third. R Ciao Baby (Casey Leonard) was fourth.

Auniqueaquistion now sports a career record of six wins and five seconds in 13 starts with earnings of $131,835.

A pair of carryovers from Thursday’s card will give fans a chance to play for some big cash on Friday night at Maywood Park. Thursday’s Pick-4 was not hit so a total of $8,480 will be added to the jackpot and the Pick-4 guarantee will be raised to $25,000. The 10 cent Pick-6 also went unclaimed on Thursday night so there will be a carryover of $1,113 in that pool.

Post time for Friday’s opener at Maywood Park is 7:10 p.m. (CDT).