by Tom Kelley, publicity director, Balmoral Park

Crete, IL — Taking advantage of a miscue by heavily favored Trot Fudge Sundae at the start of Sunday’s $12,600 Monee Stake at Balmoral Park, Jerry Graham and Mystical Marker Farms’ Powerful Goddess trotted to a one length victory in 2:00.3 for driver-trainer Mike Cox.

Balmoral Park photo

Driver-trainer Mike Cox guided Powerful Goddess to a one length victory in Sunday’s $12,600 Monee Stake at Balmoral Park.

With the 1-9 favorite breaking stride and plenty of gamblers’ hearts just as the gate sped away in Sunday’s stake, the complexion of the battle changed immediately, leaving 24-1 shot Just For Fun (Robert Taylor) to grab control of the proceedings heading into the first turn.

Leading the field through splits of :29.1, 1:00.2 and 1:30.4, Just For Fun was just a head in front of a first over Fox Valley Roxy (Mike Oosting) as the field of six 2-year-old trotting fillies turned for the money.

With the top pair battling tooth and nail through the lane, Cox slipped to the outside with Powerful Goddess and the daughter of Powerful Emotion-Venus Di Macho quickly found her best stride. Gobbling up the embattled leaders, Powerful Goddess rattled off a :29.3 final quarter to notch her third win in 11 starts this season. Fox Valley Roxy held on for second while Just For Fun was third. Division leader Trot Fudge Sundae, who had won 10 of 12 career starts, made another break near the top of the stretch and wound up finishing a distant sixth in the race.

Sent off at odds of 11-1, Powerful Goddess returned $24.00 and $19.60 while running her record to 3-1-3 in 11 starts with earnings of $28,285.

Sunday’s 50 cent Pick-5 wager was not hit, thanks in large part to the upset in the Monee Stake, so Wednesday’s (Nov. 7) Pick-5 will have a carryover of $13,112. The Pick-5 starts on race two each night.