by Tom Kelley, publicity director, Balmoral Park

Crete, IL — State-bred pacers were front and center on Saturday (Sept. 21) at Balmoral Park as a pair of 2-year-old events shared top billing on the 13-race program.

Mike Oosting teamed up with Molly Go Lightly for a late rushing win in Saturday’s Thrifty Way Stake.

An overflow field of 12 freshman pacing fillies was sent postward in the $14,200 Thrifty Way Stake to kick off the Saturday action. When the dust settled it was Sawgrass Farms’ Molly Go Lightly who emerged with a 2-1/2 length victory in a career best of 1:54.4 with Mike Oosting at the controls.

The Nelson Willis trained daughter of Lexington Legend-Waggle was reserved in the early going as Party Hangover Two (John De Long) and Western Dame (Dale Hiteman) led the field through splits of :28, :56.1 and 1:25.2.

Tipping three and then four deep off excess cover at the top of the stretch, Molly Go Lightly then rattled home in :28.2, going from fifth to first to notch her third win in nine career starts. Party Hangover Two, the even-money favorite in the race, finished second while Ms Solongbyebye (Casey Leonard) overcame a starting spot in the second tier as she staged a long rally to salvage the show dough.

A field of 11 2-year-old pacing colts was sent postward in the $14,100 Yates Eagle to complete the stakes action.

Balmoral Park photos

Ringo’s Z Tam picked up his second career victory in Saturday’s Yates Eagle Stake.

After managing to avoid traffic problems that were caused by a breaking horse just after the half-mile mark, driver Dave Magee guided Z Tam Racing, Mike Polansky, Joseph McCaffrey and David McCaffrey’s Ringo’s Z Tam to a three-quarter length victory in 1:54.

Aggressively handled by the Hall of Fame reinsman, Ringo’s Z Tam stormed to the front from post three, leading the field by an opening quarter in :27.2. After working a give and go on the backside the striking chestnut was still in command as the field reached the half in :55.4.

With the confusion in the back of the pack caused by the breaker, Fox Valley Deuce (Dale Hiteman) swept up on the far turn to lead the field by the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:24.4.

Magee then went to work on the gelded son of Yankee Skyscaper-Rons Girl through the stretch and the Dave McCaffrey trainee responded beautifully, reeling in a tiring Fox Valley Deuce and holding firm for his second win in six lifetime starts. One Sure Apache (Mike Oosting) rallied to be second while longshot Dunside Art (John De Long) worked his way around the traffic problems to rally for third.