JC Josie is the diva

The Illinois-bred sophomore trotting set were back in action on Tuesday night as a field of nine fillies lined up behind the gate for the $12,000 Fox Valley Diva Stake. Named in honor of one of the top trotting fillies ever bred here in the Prairie State this test featured a quartet of 2007 stakes winning fillies in JC Josie, Mogo On The Gogogo, Victor’s Phantom and Scarlet Valley.

The successful foursome did not disappoint on this night taking home the top four checks with Rose Between 2 Thorns JC Josie getting up in the final strides for top honors.

Fresh off her score in last week’s $45,300 Violet Stake the daughter of American Native sat patiently in third as Mogo On The Gogogo(Dave Magee) led the field through an opening quarter in :29.1.

With Magee trying to slow things down on the backstretch driver Ryan Anderson elected to move Victor’s Phantom from her spot in sixth. The ISOBA stake winner was moving like a freight train sticking her head in front of the pace setter as they moved past the half-mile station in 1:00.4.

Quickly sweeping into command as the ladies moved around the final turn Victor’s Phantom opened up a 1 1/4-length lead over the pocket-sitting Mogo On The Gogogo. Brandon Simpson then pulled longshot Vapor Rises from third giving driver-trainer Homer Hochstetler cover and dead aim on the top three as they moved by the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:29.3.

Through the lane a game Victor’s Phantom continued to hold firm on the front end. Mogo On The Gogogo was anxiously awaiting the passing lane while JC Josie blew by her cover and was chewing up ground on the far outside.  

With less than a sixteenth of a mile to go it appeared as though Victor’s Phantom was going to be unstoppable but a determined JC Josie found something extra digging down deep to get a neck in front as they crossed the wire in 1:58.2. Mogo On The Gogogo was third just three-quarters of a length back while Scarlet Valley (Brent Holland) rallied for fourth after getting shuffled back in the early going.

« Back