by Mike Paradise, publicity director, Maywood Park

Melrose Park, IL — Midnight Jewel stayed perfect for the season, winning for the fifth time and it was another dominating performance. The eight-year-old Michigan-bred mare drew off with driver Dave Magee in Maywood Park’s co-featured $15,250 Mares Open Handicap Pace on Friday night.

Being handicapped with the outside six slot in the fifth race Open Pace made little difference to Midnight Jewel, who burst away from the gate and into a quick lead before the first turn. The daughter of Keystone Raider made every pole a winning one in 1:54.3 on a “good” racing surface, chalking up her 73rd career victory and 44th over the past 27 months.

Midnight Jewel (Dave Magee) stayed unbeaten for the season by winning Friday night’s $15,250 co-feature at Maywood Park.

The 4-5 favorite Midnight Jewel out-sprinted Joliet Jean and Giggles The Clown for the lead, pacing a :27.2 first quarter. Driver Dale Hiteman sent “Giggles” after the Michigan invader and it appeared the Roger Welch-trained mare was going to clear midway through the second turn, however Magee asked Midnight Jewel for a little more and she responded, putting away “Giggles” and later Stormies Girl (Tim Tetrick) with consecutive :28.3 middle quarters.

Midnight Jewel ($3.60) was ahead by four lengths at the top of the lane and ended up two and one-half lengths ahead of runner-up Joliet Jean (Sam Widger) without any urging from Magee. CJR Bogert (Ross Leonard) took third, another length back.

“She left like a bullet last week at Northville and did the same thing tonight,” said Midnight Jewel’s trainer and co-owner Martin Rudicil. “This is a very nice group of mares that she beat tonight, and anytime you can compete against these types, let alone beat them, you know you have a special horse.”

Midnight Jewel was making her first Maywood Park start. Her first four season’s wins also came on half-mile tracks — Northville (Michigan) and Northfield (Ohio) — for Rudicil, who shares ownership of the talented mare with Linda Marckel of Ottawa Lake, Michigan. Midnight Jewel now has lifetime earnings of $589,521.

“Midnight Jewel is a very uncomplicated mare to take care of and to handle,” Rudicil continued. “I train her lightly in between starts and that seems to suit her fine. We go wherever there’s a race for her, and this week, it just happened to be Chicago.”

It was a disappointing sixth place finish for Giggles The Clown, who made her final lifetime start in a six-plus season career that saw her win 45 races and earn $657,536.

In the co-featured $20,750 Free For All Handicap Pace, Thank Me Later, at 14-1 the second longest priced horse in the seven horse field, ripped off a surprising 1:53.1 victory in his first career start in the circuit’s top-level overnight event.

Maywood Park Photos

Thank Me Later (Andy Miller) surprised at 14-1 odds in Friday night’s $20,750 Free For All Handicap Pace at Maywood.

Constant Change (Dale Hiteman) won the early battle for control, overcoming the outside seven slot and overtaking the even-money Its Randell N on the backstretch while taking the field to a :27 flat first panel, but that lead was short lived.

Thank Me Later came first up and brushed past Constant Change before the :56.1 half-mile marker. The Carl Porcelli, Jr.-trained five-year-old pacer sped through a :28.2 third quarter, keeping Mattygonne and the three-wide Dashing Diplomat from gaining any ground.

Thank Me Later ($30.80) was much the best this night, finishing two lengths ahead of Mattygonne (Dave Magee). Constant Change held on for third, another half length behind. Its Randell, the surprising favorite despite making his first start since December 27 in New Zealand, was seventh and last in the co-feature.

“Thank Me Later raced flat last week, but tonight he was much sharper,” said winning driver Andy Miller. “He’s a great horse to drive, but just wasn’t up to snuff last week when Mattygonne beat us. I think things would have been different had my horse been a little more himself. Tonight I was hoping for a good early pace, and that’s just what happened. When I asked him to move at the half, he really took off, and was strong all the way to the wire.”

Both of Thank Me Later’s two wins, coming in eight season’s starts, have been picked up at Maywood Park for owners Harvey Kahn (Chicago, IL) and Ralph Katz (Burr Ridge, IL). The $10,375 winner’s share of tenth race purse boosted the gelding’s 2005 earnings to $23,640.