Dog fights to Maywood mark

With Hall of Fame driver Dave Magee at his lines, Thisbigdogwilfight became the second-fastest horse in Maywood Park's long, 61-year history when he sped to a 1:50.3 clocking in the $40,000 Cook County Stakes for Illinois conceived and foaled pacers, age three and up, on Friday night. The winning time was a new track record for a 4-year-old pacing gelding.

Thisbigdogwilfight, sent off at compelling 1-9 odds with his stablemate, Third Day, also a Maywood track record holder, let his entrymate battle Fox Valley Snaffle though most of the first quarter before Magee took the Jim Eaton trainee out of third, and with a burst of speed swept past Fox Valley Snaffle right before a snappy :26.2 first quarter.

Thisbigdogwilfight ($2.20) then paced back-to-back :28 quarters to maintain the lead. Brown Bottle Flu (Todd Warren) kept coming during most of the last quarter, but the winner still had plenty left and was in hand at the wire, one-half length the best. It was 2 1/2 lengths back to the third place finisher, Go Warrior Go.

"This horse just went around this track very casually tonight," winning driver Dave Magee said. "He did it very easily and I knew we were kind of smoking out there, but it just didn't matter to him. He just kept grinding it out."

Thisbigdogwilfight now sports a season’s record of eight wins and two thirds in 12 starts, with earnings of $99,068 for his owners Redbud Stable and Michael McNeely. (Maywood Park)

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