Balmoral hosts Super Night

Balmoral Park hosted its annual Illinois Super Night Saturday and a crowd of more than 9,500 turned out to watch the championship card with more than $1.7 million in purses. Ryan Anderson won the opening event and then closed out the card with a splendid victory behind the undefeated 2 year old Home Bed Advantage.

Home Bed Advantage shook loose late in the stretch and drew off to win the $285,000 Orange & Blue Colt Championship Pace, stopping the timer in 1:51 with driver Ryan Anderson at the lines. It was the fifth win in as many tries for the freshman son of Cole Muffler. Dave McCaffrey trains the youngster for the MJGB Racing Stable of New York. The Quiet Mon (Jason Dillander) was second and Fox Valley Barzgar (Dave Magee) third. The victory for Home Bed Advantage was his fifth in as many lifetime starts and pushed his career earnings to $157,825. The colt was bred by Alan Kirschenbaum of California.

Despite being saddled with post ten, My Boy David proved he was up to the task as he broke loose in the stretch and paced to a 1:49.3 victory in the $180,000 Pete Langley Memorial Championship. The altered son of Cole Muffler is trained by Homer Hochstetler for owner Shirley LeVin of Illinois, and the win gave driiver Andy Miller his third winner of the night. Fox Valley Tribal (RJ Anderson) was second with Thisbigdogwilfight (Brent Holland) third. The time of 1:49.3 equaled the track record for three-year-old pacing geldings. My Boy David--who won by one and three-quarter lengths, picked up his third win of the year in 18 tries and pushed his seasonal earnings to $508,920 and his career bankroll to $764,919.

King Johnny kept his crown intact by winning the $125,000 Dan Patch Championship by open lengths in 1:50.1. Tim Tetrick piloted the eight-year-old son of Kingston for trainer and co-owner Clark Fairly, who owns the gelding in partnership with his mother, Marlene. Go Warrior Go (Dave Magee) was second with Fox Valley Snaffle (Mike Oosting) third. King Johnny pushed his seasonal earnings to $101,895 with the win, his sixth of the year in 13 trips postward. His lifetime bank account stands at $267,461. It was the second consecutive year that King Johnny has captured the Dan Patch for these same connections.

Longshot (30-1) Orgami Rose captured the $280,000 Orange & Blue Filly Championship for freshman pacing fillies in a lifetime mark of 1:53.3. THe daughter of Armbro Mackintosh--Rosemont Lady was piloted by Sam Widger for trainer-owner Stanley Miller of Etna Green, Indiana, nailing down her third career victory in just nine tries. The win pushed the freshman filly's career earnings to $160,641. Kiss Of Heaven (Brent Holland) was a close second, with Trendy L (Mike Oosting) third and Faith Leigh (Jamaica Patton) fourth. A blanket could have covered the first four finishers. The victory gave driver Sam Widger his third Super Night Championship win and his second for trainer Stanley Miller.

As expected, it was a battle down to the wire for the two favorites in the $180,000 Grandma Ann Championship between Free (Sam Widger) and Street Dancer (Dale Hiteman). I the final strides, Street Dancer prevailed in 1:52.1 by a head over Free. Sherrie On Ice (Dave Magee) nailed down show honors.Street Dancer pushed her seasonal earnings to $212,005 with the win, her 15th of the year in 19 tries. The daughter of Richess Hanover is owned by Jim Edgar, Terry Rathgeber, Ted Lock and Jim Reynolds of Illinois and Indiana. Street Dancer now has $272,005 in career earnings.

Loyal Opposition stormed to an impressive, first-over victory in the $120,000 Ann Vonian Championship for driver Andy Miller and trainer Erv Miller. It was the sixth straight victory for the winner of over $2.8 million, who races for owner Daniel Waxman of Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. The six-year-old daughter of Cole Muffler stopped the timer in 1:51.3 for the one mile test and the win was her third Super Night Championship. She won this same event last year and also won the Grandma Ann in 2003 for these same connections. Loyal Opposition finished two and three-quarter lengths ahead of Bob's Minute Maid (Mike Oosting) and Oneineamilliongirl (Tim Tetrick). Loyal Opposition is the richest Illinois-bred of all time.

The $117,000 Lady Ann Reed Championship was captured by Hi-Tri (Lavern Hostetler) for trainer Jason Van Winkle. The three-year-old High Falls filly stopped the timer in 1:57, and after a lengthy inquiry she was declared the winner. In the late stretch Hi-Tri had pushed rival Go Go Gabby (Dave Magee) to the inside and a ten-minute inquiry was called. Fox Valley Shimmy (Dale Hiteman) was second with Miss Imperial (Andy Miller) third.
Hi-Tri is owned by Jason Van Winkle and Cynthia Demarlie of Illinois. She now has $88,182 in seasonal earnings and $104,305 in career earnings. The Lady Ann Reed win was her fifth

« Back