Continuing her early season roll Rocco Ruffolo’s prize acquisition, Aliyah Maria, had no trouble dispatching 10 other Illinois conceived and foaled three-year-old pacing fillies in Sunday’s $12,000 Betzotic Stake as she cruised to a 1 3/4 length victory in 1:53.3 for driver Todd Warren.

Settling into fifth as Dune In Red (Dean Magee) and State Street Liz (Robert Smolin) battled through an opening quarter in 28.3, Warren waited patiently before sending the daughter of Duneside Perch-Maria Maria on a backside brush to the front.

Quickly sweeping by her rivals Aliyah Maria easily overtook Dune In Red and was a 1 1/4 lengths in front as the fillies hit the half-mile mark in 58.1.

Moving effortlessly around the far turn the Roger Welch-trained miss began to put some daylight between herself and the pocket sitting Dune In Red as she sped by the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:26.3.

With plenty left in the tank Aliyah Maria sped home in 27.0, easily keeping her rivals at bay while securing her fourth win in 10 starts this season. State Street Liz re-rallied to finish second while longshot Incredible Filly shook loose late to finish third.

With the win on Sunday night Aliyah Maria now boasts a record of 4-4-0 in 10 starts this year with earnings of $48,686.

Hammered at the betting windows, Aliyah Maria returned just $2.40, $2.20 and $2.10. Trifecta players were rewarded with a nice payout though with 58-1 and 60-1 shots finishing second and third respectively: the triple came back at a healthy $828.60 for a $2 wager.

Tom Kelley, Balmoral Park (reposted with permission)

After a two-year-old campaign in which she finished first or second in 10 of 11 starts, Robert and Donnie Taylor’s Little Ms Chrissy finally found the form which netted her nearly $130,000 in earnings last season as she captured Sunday’s $12,000 Betzotic Stake by one length in a career best of 1:56.4.

Patiently handled by owner-trainer-driver Robert Taylor, the daughter of Southwind Breeze-Fox Valley Shiraz came away second to last in the field of six state-bred trotters as her stablemate Just For Fun (Casey Leonard) led the field through splits of 29.4, 59.4 and 1:28.4.

Moving up second over with live cover from Divination (Mike Oosting) as the field reached the top of the stretch, the bay filly was in perfect striking position as the fillies headed for pay dirt.

After watching the pocket sitting favorite Sara The Spy (Todd Warren) make a costly break, Taylor began to reel in Just For Fun and the hard charging Divination. Rattling off an impressive final split of 27.3, Little Ms Chrissy trotted right by the top pair for her first win in five tries this year. Divination was second while Just For Fun held on for third.

With the win Little Ms Chrissy now owns a record of seven wins, four seconds and one third in 16 starts with earnings of $142,845 for her proud connections.

Tom Kelly, Balmoral Park (reposted with permission)

Fresh off an impressive win in his career debut in last week’s $6,000 Bingo Johnnie Stake, Bart Seales Unlocked continued to impress fans of the Chicago circuit as he rolled to a decisive eight-length victory in Sunday’s $15,000 Wicked Brew Stake. The final time of 1:53.3 was the fastest mile of the year by any two-year-old in North America as of Sunday night.

Placed in mid-pack by driver Kyle Husted, the homebred son of Duneside Perch-Miss Major Power used a huge backside brush to sweep by early leaders Wimpy Doodle (Art Gregory Jr) and Diddy Dune (Jamaica Patton) as those two exchanged stints on the front end through opening splits of 28.3 and 56.3.

Heading around the final bend the Curtis Rice trainee blew right by the pace setters, quickly opening up a five-length advantage while speeding by the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:25.0.

With nothing but the clear crisp Crete air between themselves and a second straight victory, Husted and Unlocked set sail for the wire, finishing off their rivals with an effortless 28.3 final quarter to keep their perfect record intact. Cotton Eyed Joe (Robert Smolin) came on late to finish a strong second while longshot Bloodbath McGrath (John De Long) rallied late to pick up the show dough.

Hammered at the betting windows after that impressive win in his career debut, Unlocked returned $3.60, $2.60 and $2.40 to his legion of backers.

Tom Kelley, Balmoral Park (reposted with permission)

The University of Illinois stallion Southwind Breeze had two dominant winners at the Macon County Fair’s Downstate Classic Stake on June 9^th 2013; siring the filly division winner Divination and colt and gelding division winner Gonnagetya.

In the $6,428 first filly division of the Downstate Classic, trainer/driver Nick Prather made every call a winning one as he rolled Divination, the Southwind Breeze daughter out of Miss Hocus Pocus, right to the front as the gate folded. Divination continued to lead the way through splits of 31.2, 1:01.3 and 1:33.4. At the ¾ mile marker, the fast filly Powerful Goddess moved up beside Divination in a bid for the lead. After Divination rebuffed Powerful Goddess’ bid and began to pull away, her rival broke stride, leaving Divination all alone coming down the stretch. Divination’s final margin of victory was 14 lengths in a time of 2:03.1, the faster of the two Downstate Classic heats for 3 YO filly trotters. Repeated In Red and En Divine were second and third, respectively.

In the $7,684 first colt and gelding division of the Downstate Classic, driver Freddy Patton hustled Manuel Wilson’s good-looking Southwind Breeze colt Gonnagetya out of the gate and never looked back.   He posted fractions of 32.0, 1:02.2 and 1:33.1 enroute to a dominating 4 ½ length win in 2:03.2. Gonnagetya was challenged only once at the quarter mile marker by Mack’s Gold Band, but easily sprinted away as his rival retreated and settled for second position. At the finish, Gonnagetya was on cruise control as Mack’s Gold Band barely held on for second in a photo finish over the determined final bid of Balanced Game who had recovered from an early break in stride.

Kevin H. Kline

Continuing a nice late season surge towards divisional honors, James Bafia and Eugene White’s Bailey’s Wish completely dominated nine rivals in the year’s richest race for Illinois conceived and foaled two-year-old trotting fillies, winning Wednesday’s $105,000 Lady Lincoln Land Stake by 3 1/2 lengths at Balmoral Park. The final time was 1:59.4.

Given a perfect steer by driver Dave Magee, the daughter of Southwind Breeze-Jen was hustled to the front after landing in fourth through an opening quarter in 29.4.

“I knew we had to gain some early position since we were leaving from the eight hole,” explained Magee. “Once they started to slow down just a little bit on the front end I asked her to go and she moved up to the front very easily for me.”

Rolling through middle splits of 59.3 and 1:28.4, the Dirk Simpson trainee began to put daylight between herself and her struggling rivals as the field neared the top of the stretch.

On cruise control the rest of the way, Bailey’s Wish effortlessly trotted under the wire with her third win in her last four starts and her fourth win in 11 lifetime starts. Fox Valley Skylar (Dale Hiteman) rallied up the inside to finish second while Bands Pippa (Casey Leonard) was third.

“She was doing that all on her own,” said the Hall of Famer. “I don’t like to pressure her if I don’t have to. She just trotted right away from them and glided home with no urging from me whatsoever.”

The 8-5 co-favorite in the race returned $5.40, $3.20 and $3.00 while upping her career bankroll to $93,383.

Tom Kelley, Balmoral Park

Little Ms Chrissy captured the $118,000 Lady Lincoln Land Stake for freshman trotting fillies on Oct. 3 at Balmoral Park.

Owned by Robert and Donnie Taylor and driven by trainer Robert, the obscurely-bred daughter of Southwind Breeze-Fox Valley Shiraz posted a 1:58.3 clocking in her fourth win of the season in eight starts. She also has a trio of seconds to her credit in her first year of racing.

Favored Trot Fudge Sundae, with Dave Magee driving, took the early lead and cruised through an opening panel of :29.1, before tripping the timer at the half in :59. Taylor had Little Ms Chrissy out and moving through the final turn, following Trot Fudge Sundae past the 1:28.4 three-quarter mile marker, on the outside behind Powerful Goddess and driver Mike Cox.

“My original plan was to try and leave out of there and sit right on Dave Magee’s helmet since everybody knew she was the one to beat,” Taylor offered. “Fortunately, we wound up with a perfect second over journey, and she really felt good as we went around the turn.”

In the final yards, the hard-trying lass wore down the leader and went on to win by one and ½ lengths.

“She’s been good all year long and we’ve done our best to take care of her,” said Taylor. “She’s a good gaited filly but the trotting hopples that we added a few starts back have helped her get through the first turn a little easier and I think they’ve helped her become a little more patient. We’ll try “open” company in the Hanover for her next start and then we’ll finish out the year in the Violet with her before giving her some time to relax and grow up a little more.”

Little Ms Chrissy was sent off as the second favorite via the wagering public, and pushed her career earnings to $96,410.

Kimberly Rinker, Balmoral Stakes

The action on and off the track was fast and furious on Saturday, July 28, as a big crowd flocked to Balmoral Park for the Chicago Southland Festival of Racing. Along with a taco eating contest, salsa tasting contest, live music and plenty of other giveaways and food and drink specials there was also plenty of action on the track as some of Illinois’ best pacers and trotters battled for more than $300,000 in purse money in five stake finals.

Freshman pacing fillies kicked off the night’s action with a field of 10 going postward in the $64,000 Loyal Opposition Stake. Despite leaving from the outside post, the Stanley Miller-owned and trained Special Rose managed to work out a perfect trip and the daughter of Duneside Perch-Orgami Rose turned that into an impressive 2 ¼ length victory in 1:55.0.

Hustled away from the far outside post by driver John Roberts, the good-looking chestnut landed in third through the early going as Dune In Red (Mike Oosting) led the field through splits of 28.0, 57.1 and 1:25.3.

“Being able to find a good early spot was the entire key to this filly’s chances,” explained winning driver John Roberts. “Once we were lucky enough to land where we did I figured we’d just sit in and save ground the rest of the way and see what happened.”

With some expert reinsemanship from Roberts, Special Rose was able to maneuver her way through traffic, swinging to the outside of horses in the late going, and then rallying sharply to post her first career victory. Thank You Doc (Dean Magee) was second after a tough first over journey while Incredible Filly (Dave Magee) was third.

The win was the first in a six-race career for Special Rose who returned $17.60, $7.20 and $4.60.

In the second of two Loyal Opposition stake eliminations on Saturday, July 21, Michael Einhaus’s Dune In Red continued her impressive first season as she cruised to a three-quarter-length victory in 1:55.4.

Confidently handled by driver Mike Oosting the striking chestnut daughter of Duneside Perch-She Has The Look saved ground early, then moved up outside of horses after splits of 28.3, 57.4 and 1:27.3. The long striding filly then unleashed a 27.4 final quarter to post her fourth win in seven lifetime starts. Debi Dune (Marcus Miller) was a hard fought second while C Roc Party (Dave Magee) finished third. Also making the final were the Duneside Perch daughter Special Rose, and the Sagebrush daughter Incredible Filly, who finished second and third, respectively, in the first elimination. The Duneside Perch daughter Six Easy Hotspur, who was fifth in the second elimination, also moves on to the $64,000 final on July 28, 2012.

Her undefeated streak was on the line June 20th in the $15,000 Incredible Tilly Stakes for Illinois 2-year-old pacing fillies and Mike Einhaus’s Dune In Red remained perfect to start her career by posting her third win in as many tries, knocking off seven rivals by 3-¾ lengths, in 1:56.1.

Forwardly placed throughout the mile by driver Mike Oosting the daughter of Duneside Perch–She Has The Look rushed into the lead after a slow opening quarter of: 30.1.

Shortly after gaining control of the proceedings, Oosting elected to let a hard-charging The Bruzilian Blur (Brian Carpenter) take command as the field rolled by the half-mile mark in: 58.3.

Content to draft along in the pocket Dune In Red was fit and fresh as The Bruzilian Blur tried to fend off a bid from a first-over Fox Valley Ruby (Dean Magee) as the youngsters reached the three-quarter mile mark in 1:28.

Patiently awaiting the passing lane while those two continued to slug it out, Oosting then maneuvered the Robert Einhaus-trained miss down to the pylons and the good-looking chestnut responded like a seasoned veteran as she went cruising by her rivals to remain undefeated. The Bruzilian Blur hung on for second while Incredible Filly (Dave Magee) rallied for third.