by Tom Kelley, publicity director, Maywood Park

Melrose Park, IL — Freshman pacing fillies grabbed the spotlight on Thursday night (July 2) at Maywood Park as a total of 12 Illinois conceived and foaled youngsters battled in a pair of $7,500 Juxtaposition Stake splits.

In the first division Jackie Butenschoen’s promising young filly Fox Valley Angie had no trouble disposing of five rivals in 1:59.1.

Maywood Park photo

Fox Valley Angie and driver Dave Magee made every call a winning one while taking the first division of the Juxtaposition Stake.

Handled like she was much the best in this field of 2-year-olds Hall of Famer Dave Magee sent the daughter of Sportsmaster-Assailed right to the front from her inside starting spot.

Pacing comfortably through splits of :29.2, 1:00.3 and 1:30.2 while unchallenged on the front end, the John Butenschoen trained miss then sealed the deal with a :28.4 final quarter to notch her first career victory. Vegas Date (Travis Seekman) rallied while first over to finish second and Whistle A Tune (Robert Smolin) was third, seven lengths behind the winner.

In the second division John Carver’s Lyfslykaboxachoclt continued to impress as she held on gamely for a head decision in 1:59.4.

Intent on calling the shots with this $24,000 yearling purchase, driver Marcus Miller had the daughter of Park Place-Box Car Girl out and rolling as Wiley Temtpress led the field through an opening split of :29.

Grabbing command of the proceedings as the field entered the stretch for the first time the Ervin Miller trained miss then went on to rattle off middle splits of 1:00 and 1:30.

With the easy fractions under her belt Lyfslykaboxachoclt managed to hold off a hard charging Rolldownthehiway (Brandon Simpson) despite a slight miscue in the late going. Echoes In My Soul (Todd Warren) wound up a hard fought third after making a first over bid heading for the half-mile mark.

State bred stakes action continues on Friday night at Maywood with the $40,000 Cook County Stake and the $10,000 Enzo The Baker Stake drawing the attention of some of the Prairie State’s top older pacers and 2-year-old pacing colts on the 14-race program.