from the USTA Communications Department
Springfield, IL — Sophomore pacing filly Mystical MJ posted the fastest time of six Illinois State Fair Colts Stakes finals on Thursday afternoon (August 18) in Springfield. Each of the stakes went for a purse of $45,000 and all the winners set new lifetime marks with their victories.
Mystical MJ was a 1:51.1 winner in the ISF Colt Stakes Final for 3-year-old pacing fillies.
Owned by Mystical Marker Farms, Kenneth Duffy and Michael Anderson, Mystical MJ crossed the finish line in 1:51.1 in her ISF Colt Stakes final. Marcus Miller was in the bike for trainer Erv Miller as the Sportsmaster-Pacific Sister K filly defeated Just By Design (Brandon Simpson) by two lengths, with Pardon (Dave Magee) finishing third.
Mystical MJ’s clocking of 1:51.1 was her fourth win in 13 season’s starts. She improved her 2011 bankroll to $38,114 and $128,093 lifetime.
The Marcus Miller-Erv Miller tandem also combined their skills in the $45,000 2-year-old colt/gelding pace final as Crime Of Passion came home a winner in 1:51.2, thanks to a blazing last quarter of :26.4. Owned by Erv Miller Stable, Omer Miller and Leland Mathias, the Armbro Mackintosh-Broadway Passion gelding was a 2-1/2 length winner over Fox Valley Mahalo (Todd Warren) with Get A Little Crazy (Brandon Simpson) grabbing the show dough.
Crime Of Passion’s ISF score was his third win in six lifetime starts. He has now banked $60,900.
Marcus Miller won three ISF finals on Thursday, including a 1:58.3 score with Fox Valley Velvet.
Marcus Miller also won a third ISF race on Thursday as he guided Redbud Stable and James Eaton’s Fox Valley Velvet to a 1:58.3 score in the $45,000 2-year-old filly trot final. Trained by co-owner Eaton, the Vaporize-Vics Flag filly scored by 1-1/4 lengths over Fox Valley Helen (Todd Warren), with Powerful Star (Casey Leonard) third.
For Fox Valley Velvet, the win was her second in five career starts, lowered her lifetime mark by more than three seconds, and increased her 2011 bankroll to $34,100.
The $45,000 2-year-old colt/gelding trot final went to heavily favored Mucho Bueno in a time of 1:59. Owned by Kent Schenk and Taylor And Dixon Racing, the Band’s Gold Chip-Fox Valley Shiraz colt is trained by Kevin Dixon and was driven to victory by Robert Taylor. Mucho Bueno was a 4-3/4 length winner over Commander Dan (Todd Warren), also trained by Dixon. Vaporstar (Brian Carpenter) was third.
The victory ws the third in five career starts for Mucho Bueno and improved his bankroll to $51,650.
Timothy M. Jones photos
Maplegrove Shaelyn crossed the finish line in 1:55 for driver Jamaica Patton.
In the $45,000 3-year-old filly trot final, Maplegrove Shaelyn rallied from fifth place at the three-quarter pole to score in a time of 1:55 for owner/trainer Joseph Mullins and driver Jamaica Patton. The American Native-Maple Grove Glide miss stopped Fox Valley Ruffian (Kyle Husted) by 1-1/4 lengths with Look At That Chick (Kyle Wilfong) third.
Maplegrove Shaelyn posted her second win in five 2011 starts and lifted her season’s earnings to $26,250 and $28,691 lifetime.
The final ISF Colt Stakes event was the $45,000 2-year-old filly pace and the winner was Sleazy Does It and driver Casey Leonard in a time of 1:53. Trained by Nelson Willis for owner Engel Stable of Il LLC, the Sagebrush-Da Sleazy One lass overcame road trouble at the three-quarter pole to score by 3-3/4 lengths over Fancy Creek Iris (Dave Magee). Fox Valley Vista was third for Dale Hiteman.
The 4-5 favorite was in victory lane for the third time in seven career efforts and improved her winnings to $54,959.