by Mike Paradise, director of publicity, Maywood Park

MELROSE PARK, IL—A pair of $65,000 divisions of the Cinderella stake on Friday’s star-studded program at Maywood Park drew some of the best three-year-old pacing fillies in North America. The second race seven-horse field is particularly strong.

The early favoritism is divided among a trio of distaffers—the Bob McIntosh trainee Belovedangel (2-1, John Campbell), last season Dan Patch freshman filly winner Restive Hanover (5-2, Andy Miller) from the powerhouse Erv Miller Stable, and Illinois champion Brianna Joy (3-1, Eric Ledford), already an 11-time season winner for the Seldon Ledford barn.

The first division also lured Sleazebiscuit (10-1, Mike Oosting), Prisoner Of Love (30-1, Dave Miller), Latte Lady (6-1, Tony Morgan) and Fox Valley Zena (6-1, Tim Tetrick).

The ninth race second Cinderella division is also loaded. The co-favorites are Virgil Morgan’s Mistletoe Shalee champion Chotat Milk (2-1, Brent Holland) and Vandalay Racing’s streaking Maytime Hall (5-2, John Campbell), winner of four of her last six starts including stakes triumphs in a Hayes (DuQuoin) and a Review (Springfield).

Red Hot Dame (8-1, Brian Sears), Digga Digga (9-2, Pat Berry), Calling Card (6-1, Tim Tetrick), Life’s Omen (8-1, Andy Miller), She Likes It All (15-1, Dave Magee) and Filly’s Victory (20-1, Jason Dillander) are the challengers.

Chotat Milk arrived in the windy city with a gaudy $359,655 season bankroll for owners Jay H. Corey of Morgantown, WV, and Ohio’s Virgil Morgan Jr. Stables and David Habeger with $178,500 of her earnings coming in her Mistletoe Shalee triumph in early August at The Meadowlands.

Chotat Milk, a daughter of Jate Lobell, earlier posted victories in a Hanover (Balmoral) and a division of the Geers (Scioto Downs), and in mid-August captured her division of the Adioo Volo (The Meadows), where she won a nose decision over Belovedangel in 1:52.2 on the five-eighths Pennsylvania track. She also picked-up purse checks in the Fan Hanover (fourth), Nadia Lobell (third), and Jugette (fourth) championships.

In her freshman season Chotat Milk’s four wins in seven starts included a Hanover (Balmoral) and a division of the Arden Downs (The Meadows). She was also second in the Lexington Breeders Final at The Red Mile.