Booze Cruzin in 1:54

Trainer Joe Seekman and driver Tim Tetrick teamed up once again to win a $37,250 division of the Fox Stake for two-year-old pacers with Booze Cruzin in 1:54. The Art's Conquest gelding wired the field on the way to breaking his maiden in his seventh effort. Wildridge Sam and Steve Waller collected the second division in 1:54.1.

Last year horses from the Seekman barn swept the Fox Stake, with Tetrick handling the driving duties. Sunday morning the Illinois-based driver piloted Booze Cruzin for the first time. Starting from post two he easily made the lead as the rail horse, Clown's Smile broke before the start.

"I've watched him plenty of times," Tetrick said of the winner. "He's like a lot of Joe's other horses; he's pretty versatile. I thought he was the best, and he turned out to be the best."

Booze Cruzin clicked off fractions of :29, :58.1 and 1:26 as the field turned for home. In the stretch Mark Evers and Next Adventure challenged the leader, but the Broekhuis Stables homebred dug in and secured his first win by half a length. Mister Delaware and Andy Miller were third.

"He just hasn't had the draw," Seekman said, pointing out his pupil has started from post position 10 or 8 in his last three starts. "He's a hard-luck horse. He probably deserves this more than any horse has."

In the second division trainer Steve Waller picked up his first drive in the Fox Stake and made the most of it, racing Wildridge Sam from off the pace early to storm home in 1:54.1. The Artiscape colt earned his second career victory for trainer James Redfern. Idealic Life and Jay Cross were second and Tufsun Beach finished third.

"He showed breaks and I didn't know why. He's not a speed gaited horse, so we just needed quick fractions," Waller said. "If there was any tempo at all, we were okay."

Waller got what he wanted as Allamerican Steady and Miller paced the first panel in :28 before Coastal Highway and Tetrick commanded the field to a :58 half. However, Coastal Highway would make a break that scattered the field and forced Wildridge Sam three-wide near the 5/8 pole. In the lane he was able to draw away for the two and one-quarter-length victory.

"He raced real well at The Meadows," Redfern said of his charge, referring to a fourth-place effort in a division of the Arden Downs. "He sat back like he did today. He's just a real nice colt. He's raced real well every place I've taken him."

Johnny Mulligan of Versailles, Ky owns Wildridge Sam.

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