by Mike Paradise, publicity director, Maywood Park

Melrose Park, IL — Big track or small track, right now it doesn’t much matter to Go Warrior Go (Dave Magee). The four-year-old gelding swept both ends of the Chicago circuit’s $12,000 Ideal Society series when he posted a game victory at Maywood Park on Friday night.

Despite a first over trip, Go Warrior Go ($7.20) overtook both betting favorites in the lane, gaining a neck decision in 1:56⁴ for Howe, Indiana owners Par II. Six nights earlier The Darcy Pletcher trained colt came from far back when he rallied and took a new lifetime mark of 1:54² in the state-bred series showdown at Balmoral Park.

Maywood Park Photo

Go Warrior Go (Dave Magee) rallied in the lane to capture the $12,000 Ideal Society Final on Friday at Maywood Park.

In his fourth career start at Maywood Park, driver Dave Magee ducked the free-legged pacer, settling into fifth in the seven horse third race field. Meanwhile, the 7-5 public’s choice Global Village (Tony Morgan) left from the six slot and had to battle the 2-1 second favorite First Away (number one, Ross Leonard) in the early going.

Once on top, Global Village pretty much had it his own way, pacing consecutive quarters of :29 flat, :29³ and :29¹ with Go Warrior Go racing first over from the half-mile pole on. Global Village looked like he was home free at the top of the lane but the winner still had another gear left, sweeping past for his first win on a half-mile track.

“We claimed this horse out of the non-winners of one class just before Hawthorne last spring for $9,000,” trainer Darcy Pletcher said. “He didn’t make very much money for us in the beginning and it took us a long time to get him figured out. But now that we did, he’s been racing very strong –especially for a free-legged pacer.

“Actually, we had only had him a few starts and were racing him in non-winners of two when he got claimed from us. But those folks only had him two starts and didn’t do any good with him at all, so we claimed him right back out of a non-winners of three class,” continued the 43-year-old LaGrange, Indiana conditioner.

“We train the horse at my dad’s (Del Pletcher) farm in Indiana, over a half-mile track and thought it would help his attitude to take the hobbles off,” Darcy explained. “It really seemed to make a difference with him mentally, but he doesn’t pace any faster with or without them. He’s turned out to be a pretty nice little horse for us.”

Last season Go Warrior Go earned $17,115 in 23 starts. This year the dark roan gelding already has banked $14,400 in his first four outings.

Second round series winner Buy At The Market was pulled up near the half by driver Ledford and did not finish the race after the horse’s sulky came up with a flat tire.

In the co-featured $13,100 ninth race conditioned pace, the 7-10 favorite Papa Deck (Mike Oosting) took advantage of the one slot and led from start to finish in 1:54³.

Maywood Park Photo

Papa Deck (number one, Mike Oosting) held off The Force Of Magic (number two, Tony Morgan) in Maywood Park’s $13,100 conditioned pace on Friday.

Papa Deck ($3.80) left hard enough to grab the lead as the six horse field fell in line behind him. The five-year-old Illinois bred gelding jogged to slow quarters of :29⁴ and :29³ before Tony Morgan took The Force Of Magic out of the two hole at the three-quarter pole and went after the leader.

The pair battled through the last turn in what turned out to be a dash to the wire with Papa Deck prevailing by a head. Victory Sport came up the open stretch to be a fast closing third (:27¹), beaten one and one-quarter lengths.

“He’s a very gutsy little horse that just can go some, and he’s very quick off the gate, although I don’t often take advantage of that aspect of him,” said winning driver Mike Oosting. “He’s kind of an under-achiever in the free for all ranks over at Balmoral, and is much better here at Maywood.

“Tonight he wasn’t quite getting a hold of the track and around the last turn it appeared that Tony’s horse (The Force Of Magic) was getting by us. I sort of turned his head so he could get sight of Tony’s horse and once he saw him, he dug right back in.”

Papa Deck has now posted victories in two of his first three season’s starts at Maywood Park for trainer Bob Decker of Atwater, Illinois, who shares ownership of the five-year-old state bred gelding with William Brown III of New Douglas, Illinois.