by Tom Kelley, publicity director, Balmoral Park

Crete, IL — For the second consecutive night driver Brandon Simpson turned the featured event into nothing more than a battle for minor spoils as he gave owners Tina and Patrick Graham another stakes victory, guiding Spread The Chips to a 5-1/4 length romp in 1:58.4 in the $15,000 Trotting Tilly Stake at Balmoral Park.

Sent off as the 1-5 favorite in her sophomore debut, the daughter of Band’s Gold Chip stormed away from the gate quickly, opening up a seven length lead as she rolled by the opening quarter in :28.4.

Simpson managed to tap the brakes on the backside, giving the Tom Grummel trainee a breather as she trotted through a half-mile in :59.1.

Balmoral Park photo

Spread The Chips and Brandon Simpson destroyed six other sophomore trotting fillies in Wednesday’s $15,000 Trotting Tilly Stake.

“She was doing it so easily and smoothly that I wasn’t worried about letting the field get close to me at that point,” explained Simpson.

It was time to step on the gas again as the field headed around the far turn and Spread The Chips responded splendidly as she quickly opened up a five length advantage on So Sexy (Dave Magee) as she strolled by the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:28.4.

Through the lane Spread The Chips was under wraps as she continued to lead the way by some five lengths en route to her 14th career victory in 21 starts. My Birthday (Ryan Anderson) came on late to edge So Sexy for the place honors.

In the winner’s circle an impressed Simpson said he had a notion his filly would be tough to stop on Wednesday night.

“She was used twice in her qualifier and still wound up only getting beat by three lengths against Speed N The Tunnel who went on to win the Open in her next start,” he explained. “Yeah she probably could have gone a little faster but since this was her first start of the year I didn’t want to use her any harder than I had to.”

After posting an impressive record of 13-2-2 in 20 starts last season, Spread The Chips is one-for-one this year and she now boasts earnings of over $115,000. Bet to the near exclusion of her rivals, Spread The Chips returned $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10.

It didn’t take driver Ryan Anderson long to regain his winning touch as he scored behind Crusader Dream in just his fourth start back after suffering a broken femur on Dec. 23.

Rallying from well off the pace, the 27-year-old Anderson managed to get the 5-year-old trotter up in the final strides to win the night’s third race by a nose in 1:56.4.