by Tom Kelley, publicity director, Balmoral Park
Crete, IL — The last three “major” stakes of the 2004 Balmoral Park racing season will be contested on Saturday night (November 27) as sophomore trotters and pacers are featured in a trio of Hanover Stakes.
A compact field of five three-year-old trotting colts will get the action underway in race three as they battle for a purse of $70,000.
Mary Katz, Kevin Thomas, Berto Stable and Nathan Fink’s Justice Hall figures to be a huge favorite in this tussle. This Garland Lobell colt had a very tough trip before making a break in the Matron Final at Dover last week, eventually finishing a disappointing seventh. The Kevin Thomas-trainee had been on a roll prior to that race, posting wins in his Matron and American-National eliminations and a second place finish behind Cantab Hall in the American-National final here at Balmoral on November 6. Eric Ledford gets the call to drive as Justice Hall leaves from post position three.
Rounding out the field are Double Helix, Uncle Vernon, Two Weeks Notice, and Confederateofficer.
Trotters are also featured in the fifth race as a big field of 11 diagonally gaited distaffers slug it out for a purse of $67,200.
This race figures to be a toss-up because of the post positions, but one of the main contenders has to be James Jesk’s Bramasole. This gorgeous Muscles Yankee miss has been on a roll in her second season, putting together a record of 3-4-2 in 10 starts while earning over $230,000. Some of her biggest efforts have come in defeat as she finished third in 1:53.3 in the Kentucky Filly Futurity Final and second in 1:53.4 in the Breeders Crown Final last month at Woodbine. The Seldon Ledford-trainee will have the service of reinsman Eric Ledford and she will have to put her speed to good use in order to overcome post position 10 in this match-up.
Rounding out this field of fillies are Winning Missbrenda, Lady Sierra K, R Royal Belle, Blue Tag, Southwind Rose, Tady Strikes Again, Royal Vic, American Graffiti, Whispering Spring, and Olympics.
A field of 11 pacing fillies will close out the action as they battle for a purse of $62,700 in the seventh race.
Fresh off a sparkling win in last week’s $100,000 Cinderella Stake at Maywood Park, Shirley and Arthur Le Vin’s Nu-Diamond Star looks to be the one to beat in here. The bay daughter of Artiscape overcame a tough outside trip in her last score, rolling to a three-quarter length triumph in 1:55.3 on a sloppy track. The Homer Hochstetler trained sophomore equaled her career mark of 1:51.2 while taking a conditioned event here at Balmoral two starts back and she comes into this test sporting a record of 7-4-3 in 17 starts this year, with earnings of over $252,000. As usual Ron Marsh will be at the controls behind this filly and they will start from post position three.
Female Champs, Lady’s Portrait, Princess Justice, Sheryl’s Beach Gal, Shakeitupamy, Fox Valley Mickala, Aries Conquest, Yeahyou’reright, Odds On Color, and R Burning Desire make up the rest of this overflow field.