The eliminations for this year’s Maxie Lee Memorial were contested on Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Chester Racetrack, and both winners were brought to you by the letter 'L'
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Ron Pierce guided Lanson, the 27-1 winner in this year’s Su Mac Lad Series at The Meadowlands, to a narrow victory in the first $40,000 elimination. The five-year-old son of Self Possessed – M Stewart rallied to win by a neck in a time of 1:53.2.
Sent off as the 3/2 favourite in the six-horse affair, Lanson tucked into the four hole while Starsel and Four Starz Speed sprinted to the quarter pole in :27 seconds. Four Starz Speed eventually cleared to the lead, and once in command he laid down middle splits of :56 and 1:24.3.
Falls For You, the lone mare in the field, applied first over pressure in the middle stages of the mile with Lanson tracking her every move from second over. Pierce pulled the trigger on the Don Swick trainee in the late stages of the mile and the gelding used a :28.2 final frame to eke out the narrow score. Four Starz Speed was second, Falls For You was third and the final cheques went to Michaelrowyourboat and Starsel.
It was the third victory of the season in just eight attempts for Lanson, who is owned by Royal Wire Products Inc. of North Royalton, OH. The lion’s share of the purse lifted Lanson’s lifetime earnings to $260,191.
The white-hot Lucky Jim entered today’s assignment a perfect 10-for-10 in 2009, and he toyed with rivals en route to winning for the eleventh time this season for the husband and wife duo of driver Andy Miller and trainer Julie Miller.
Miller floated off the gate and tucked into an early three hole with Lucky Jim while Prayer I Am rolled the field to the quarter pole in :27.2. Prayer I Am was joined and quickly overtaken by Lucky Jim at the mid-way point in :56.3. Lucky Jim stepped past the three-quarter pole in 1:24.1 before uncorking a :28.1 final quarter to stop the teletimer in 1:52.2. Prayer I Am was second, Green Day finished third and the final cheques went to Vivid Photo and Gift Kronos.
The 1:52.2 clocking equaled Gabby Glide’s track record for older trotting gelding. He set the bar back in 2007. Lucky Jim and Gabby Glide share the overall track trotting record with Buck I St Pat, who turned in a 1:52.2 effort in last year’s final of the Maxie Lee Memorial.
Lucky Jim, who topped the first two installments of this year’s Hambletonian/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll, is owned by David and John Prushnok along with William Gregg. The four-year-old son of S Js Photo has banked $379,028 to date.
The $250,000 final of the Maxie Lee Memorial goes next Sunday, May 31 at Harrah’s Chester Racetrack.