by Mike Paradise, director of publicity, Maywood Park

Melrose Park, IL — Given a garden trip from driver Mike Oosting, Fox Valley Snaffle pulled off a mild upset in Friday night’s $35,000 Associates Stake, the third and final leg of Maywood Park Pacing Series, with a 1:53.2 victory.

Sent off as the third choice of five betting interests in the eleventh race feature, Oosting took advantage of leaving from the pole position with Fox Valley Snaffle ($8.20) and grabbed the pocket when Constant Change (Dale Hiteman) sprinted out hard from the three-post and into a quick lead.

Maywood Park photo

Fox Valley Snaffle (Mike Oosting) came on in the lane to post a neck victory in 1:53.2 in Friday night’s $35,000 Associates Stake at Maywood Park.

Constant Change took the seven horse field to a :27.2 first quarter but was soon backed down by Hiteman. Constant Change had a one and one-quarter length lead over the first up Go Warrior Go (Dave Magee) at the :57 flat half-mile marker. The leader had to pick the pace up to keep Go Warrior Go, the even-money favorite with entry mate Blue Apache on his outside. However by the time Constant Change hit the three-quarter pole in 1:24.4, and he had put away public’s choice with Fox Valley Snaffle looming in the pocket.

Oosting had plenty of horse and was able to swing Fox Valley Snaffle to the outside coming out of the last turn and the six-year-old son of Sportsmaster responded, zipping past the leader and posting a neck victory.

No Hassle rallied for third and the 2-1 second choice Doggone Incredible took fourth in the state bred stake for pacing colts and geldings, age three and up.

“This horse is a Cadillac to drive,” said Fox Valley Snaffle’s driver Mike Oosting. “You can leave with him if you want to but we usually don’t with him because we’ve wanted to have a lot left for the stretch drive. Fox Valley Snaffle is just getting better and better as the year progresses. I was hoping to have a two-hole trip and with the rail it was an easy try to get there. Constant Change is a tough horse and he had a lot left in the tank, but we got a perfect trip and were able to overtake him pretty easily.”

Go Warrior Go held for fifth and successfully defended his Maywood Pacing Championship. The series $20,000 bonus awarded to the owners of the horse with the most points accumulated in the series three legs again went to Par II of Howe, Indiana. Go Warrior Go picked up 25 points with his second place finish in the opening Cook County stake leg in June. He grabbed 50 more by winning the Egyptian one month later.

Go Warrior Go’s fifth place finish was worth 5 points giving him 80 for the series. Live Out Loud, who was not entered for the Associates leg, had 75.

The Associates victory ended a nine-race losing streak for Fox Valley Snaffle and put the pacer’s season record at 4 wins, 5 seconds and 8 thirds in 31 starts for the Ken Rucker Stable. The $17,500 winner’s share of the purse boosted his 2006 earnings to $76,927 for Illinois owners Rucker Stable LLC and Engle Stable LLC.