Illinois conceived and foaled filly and mare pacers took center stage on Saturday night at Balmoral Park as a total of 13 distaffers met in a pair of $12,500 Sue Fee Stake splits. When the smoke cleared both races had produced double digit win mutuels
as Native Hotspur ($20.20) captured the first division in a career best of 1:51.2 while Reillys Daughter ($18.40) toted home top honours in the second split while tripping the timer in a career best of 1:52.1.
In the opening division, the Nelson Willis-trained Native Hotspur shook off a two month layoff as she sped right to the top and made every call a winning one while posting a half-length decision.
Whisked away from post position four by driver Todd Warren, the daughter of Ft Apache Hanover-Broadway Charisma blew through splits of :26.2, :54.1 and 1:22.3 while keeping her rivals at bay. After opening up a three-length lead at the mid-stretch call, the bay four-year-old then dug in gamely to fend off a big late rush from Townes Party Girl (Casey Leonard), who came steaming up the passing lane to finish second. Dee Dee Sage (Mike Oosting) rallied from far back to pick up the show dough.
The victory was the second in 12 starts this year for the Richard Beere and Kay Willis owned mare, who now boasts more than $265,000 in career earnings.
The nightcap also produced a thrilling finish as driver Dale Hiteman snatched victory from the jaws of defeat expertly maneuvering the Roger Welch-trained Reillys Daughter, who appeared to be hopelessly locked in at the top of the stretch, off the pylons with an eighth of a mile to go and then thundering home to win by a head in the final strides. My Heart Was True (Jamaica Patton) turned in a big effort to just miss while early leader Startrix Gram (Todd Warren) finished third.
The three-year-old daughter of Sportsmaster-Independence Ball has been a model of consistency in her second season for owner Patrick Quaid putting together a record of six wins, five seconds and one third in 15 starts with earnings of just over $30,000.
Fans will have a chance to play into some very nice exotic pools on Sunday night at Balmoral Park as both the Pick 5 and the Pick 4 will have carryover pools after not being hit on Saturday night. The Pick 5 will start with a carryover of $3,067.69 and is expected to end up around the $15,000 mark while the Pick 4 will have a carryover of $5,196.56 and is expected to be in excess of $22,000. Post time for Sunday’s card is 6:30 p.m. (central).
(Balmoral Park)