David's song at Balmoral

Shirley Le Vin’s state-bred pacing star My Boy David continued his dominance of the Illinois-bred set with a very impressive wire to wire score in Saturday’s $20,000 Song Cycle Stake at Balmoral Park.

Confidently handled by driver Ryan Anderson, the gelded son of Sportsmaster shot right to the top from post position five. “We really didn’t have to work that hard to make the lead, which was a relief,” said Anderson.

After pacing the opening split in :28, Anderson was able to get away with a very easy second quarter of :29.2 which got him to the halfway station in :57.2. “I really couldn’t believe with how slow we were going that nobody came after us,” he explained.

In complete command heading around the final turn the Homer Hochstetler trainee picked up the pace just a bit, hitting the three-quarter mile mark in 1:25.4. With his five rivals battling for the minor honors behind them Anderson and My Boy David strolled through the lane with an effortless :26.2 final split to win by a deceptively easy 1 ¼ lengths in 1:52.1. Apache Hotspur (Dale Hiteman) sat on the winner’s back the entire time to earn the place money while Hot N Sporty (Brent Holland) came on late to finish third.

The win was the second straight for My Boy David since shipping back from the Meadowlands and his pilot seemed awfully impressed when asked to sum up the geldings performance. “He paced this mile all on his own,” he said. “I never even asked him to work hard and he showed once again that he is as tough as nails.”

Sporting more than $910,000 in career earnings after his win, trainer Hochstetler is plotting out his strategy with his star pupil. “We’ve been invited to the Battle Of Lake Erie (at Northfield Park) which we are excited about because he gets around a half-mile oval so well,” said Hochstetler. “After that it looks like we’ll be going to Indiana for the Dan Patch (at Hoosier Park) with him.”

One of last season’s top 2 year olds in the state, The Quiet Mon, made his sophomore debut a winning as he cruised to an impressive score in 1:52. The John Butenschoen trainee who earned over $215,000 last season was schedule to take on the 2-Year-Old Horse of the Year in the Prairie State, Home Bed Advantage, but the showdown never materialized after Home Bed Advantage was a late judges' scratch.

Speaking of Illinois' finest pacers, Redbud Stable and Michael McNeely’s 3-year-old champion Thisbigdogwillfight returned from the Meadowlands in top form taking a conditioned event in blazing 1:51.3 for driver Dave Magee.

In the $21,500 Free For All, Odds On Breeding’s Make It Brief shipped back into town after competing in the Spring Championship at Woodbine and the 7 year old certainly was impressive as he knocked off six rivals in 1:50.2 for the red-hot Anderson. (Balmoral Park)

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