Series finals highlight Balmoral action
February 16, 2005,by Tom Kelley, publicity director, Balmoral Park
Crete, IL — A pair of series finals headlined another busy week of action at Balmoral Park. Trotters were the featured attraction on Sunday, February 13 as a field of eight squared off in the $12,300 Crete Trotting Series Final. Their pacing counterparts took center stage on Tuesday, February 15, as a field of nine fillies met in the $10,000 Pacific Series Final. Million Dollar Bye and driver-trainer Joe Anderson destroyed their rivals in Sunday’s Crete Trotting Series Final at Balmoral Park. After two very easy wins during the preliminary legs of the Crete Trotting Series, John Leahy, Tom Lewandowski and Anderson Racing Inc.’s Million Dollar Bye was dispatched as the overwhelming 2-5 favorite of the betting public. The classy nine-year-old’s legion of backers never had to break a sweat as this son of Armbro Charger rolled right to the front and made every call a winning one en route to an eight and one-quarter length romp. After getting away with very soft splits of :30.4, 1:00.1 and 1:31 over the sloppy strip, driver-trainer Joe Anderson had the classy millionaire under wraps as he trotted home in :27.3 to stop the clock in 1:58.3. Flawless (Anthony Morgan) shook loose late to wind up in the runner-up role while Royal Vic (Dave Magee) rallied late to finish a distant third. After making only five starts and recording one win in 2004 due to injury problems, Million Dollar Bye has returned with a flourish and now sports a perfect five-for-five record in 2005. His career earnings of $1,076,523 make him one of the richest Illinois bred trotters of all time. Tuesday night’s Pacific Pacing Series Final was also contested over a very sloppy racetrack but that did not slow Monique Bernardi and Max Hansen’s I’mgonnagetchagood as she splashed home with a one and one-quarter length triumph in 1:57. Chrissy Koeppen Photos I’mgonnagetchagood made it two-for-two in her brief career as she splashed home a winner for driver Andy Miller in Tuesday night’s Pacific Pacing Series Final. Given a confident steer by Andy Miller, this royally bred daughter of Jenna’s Beach Boy was sent off as the 4-5 favorite by the betting public off the strength of an impressive win in her career debut at Maywood Park in leg two of this series. The Gerald Hansen-trained miss made a sharp first over move to the lead just after a hotly contested half mile of :58.3 and never looked back as she paced her final half in :58 to keep her record perfect. Booty Boo (Mike Oosting), another promising filly from the barn of conditioner Ken Rucker, continued her rapid improvement, rallying from seventh to be the bridesmaid. Saratoga Rose (Anthony Morgan) was a game third after enduring a grueling parked out journey for the final five-eighths of the mile.
