Fox Valley Summit climbs to the top in ISOBA Stake

Crete, IL — The 2008 Illinois conceived and foaled stakes season continued to wind down on Sunday night as a field of seven 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters met in a $15,000 Illinois Standardbred Owners and Breeders Association Stake.

Balmoral Park photo

Fox Valley Summit rallied in the final sixteenth of a mile to beat Supreme Victor in Sunday’s $15,000 ISOBA Stake.

Division leader Maxter was sent off as the overwhelming 1-2 choice of the betting public as he looked to continue his two-year dominance of the state-bred set but the “champ” came up woefully short on this night as the Joel Smith trained Fox Valley Summit rolled to a three-quarter length victory in 1:58.

Placed in mid-pack by driver Mike Oosting, the gelded son of Vaporize-Top Balanced was able to save ground as Maxter led the field through an opening quarter in :29.4. Continuing his pylon skimming trip down the backside, Fox Valley Summit was still trotting along in fourth as Valley Speed (Henry Lunsford) swept up to take over the lead as the field reached the halfway station in :58.

Oosting then maneuvered his charge into the outer flow as the field raced around the final turn. Following the “live” cover of Supreme Victor (Sam Widger), Fox Valley Summit was still fourth as the field hit the three-quarter mark in 1:28, but he was less than two lengths from the lead and looking fit and fresh as the field turned for home.

Determinedly chewing up ground as the trotters raced through the lane, Fox Valley Summit pulled alongside Supreme Victor with an eighth of a mile to race. Continuing to grind it out Oosting and Fox Valley Summit grabbed command with a sixteenth of a mile to go and gradually drew clear for the victory. Supreme Victor held on for second while 33-1 outsider Mr C Becker finished third. Maxter was obviously not himself on this night, fading all the way to sixth, some 17 lengths behind the winner.

Owned by the partnership of Paula Smith, James Runyan and Ken Spurlock, Fox Valley Summit now sports a record of four wins, five seconds and three thirds in 26 starts this season after going winless in seven starts last year. The second choice in the wagering returned $7.40, $4.40 and $7.60.

— Tom Kelley

That’s Justice wins second straight at Colonial

New Kent, VA — Timothy N. Lancaster’s That’s Justice scored his second straight victory Sunday in a $10,000 winners over handicap at Colonial Downs.

That’s Justice went off as the 2-1 favorite on the strength of a conditioned pace win over several of Sunday’s rivals in 1:49.4 last week.

Trainer-driver Mark Gingrich sent That’s Justice right to the lead, fighting through a headwind to set opening fractions of :27 and :55.4. Boss Outlaw tracked in the pocket and Tattler’s Jet raced third down the long Colonial backstretch.

That’s Justice continued to lead the single-file field around the turn and turned for home with 1-1/4 length lead after three-quarters in 1:24.

Boss Outlaw stayed at the rail to launch his rally as That’s Justice began to drift out in upper stretch. Tattler’s Jet closed well in the middle of the track as the frontsteppers all proved to have plenty left.

That’s Justice kept drifting out throughout the 1300-foot stretch but still managed to pace the strongest final quarter to draw off to a 2-3/4 length victory over Tattler’s Jet, who just edged Boss Outlaw in a very tight place photo.

That’s Justice covered the mile in 1:51.

Sunday’s win was the fourth of the season and 12th overall for That’s Justice. The 5-year-old Village Jove gelding pushed his lifetime bankroll to $99,352 with the win.

— Kyle Fitzgerald

Verruso, Williams are Billings winners

Monticello, NY — Tony “the Capo” Verruso scored his fifth Billings triumph of the season when he reined his own Super Cat Begonia to a solid 2:03 victory in an eastern region Billings trot at Harrington Raceway on Sunday afternoon.

With that triumph Verruso moves closer to Todd “the Downeaster” Whitney, the point leader in the eastern region who was without a drive that afternoon, and with five venues left in the Billings regular season Verruso now trails Whitney by just 13 points, 132-119.

After starting from post position six Verruso made the front-end past the quarter and then braced for Highmaker and driver Eric “Cowboy” Taddeo, a New York City fireman who moved his trotter out to challenge at the half. The two then raced head-to-head around the clubhouse turn and up the backstretch the final time before Super Cat Begonia drew off in the lane and notched a one length victory over Taddeo’s trotter. Third in the mile was Double Strength, driven by Dave “Yes It’s True” Offenberg.

On Saturday evening, October 18, at Lebanon Raceway in a midwest region Billings contest, “Tar Heel Tom” Williams moved up on that region’s leaderboard with a triumph with the German-bred trotter De Niro G.

Sent to the lead from post position nine, Williams and De Niro G went down the road but were stalked by Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford, who was aboard Quikmaster. They raced one-two until the top of the stretch when Oldford moved his trotter out to challenge, but De Niro G was up to that challenge and kept Quikmaster at bay to score a neck victory in a 2:03.3 clocking. Zorgwijk Fatal finished third for Dale “the Big Boss” Zahn.

Oldford’s 145 points still leads the Midwest region, some 50 points better than runner-up Todd Whitney, and it appears it will take a minor miracle for anyone to overtake Oldford in the battle for that region’s points championship, especially since only four more venues remain until Midwest Regional Finals.

— John Manzi