Maxter, Mucho Sleazy impressive in finals

Maxter extended his winning streak to 10 and Mucho Sleazy also turned in an impressive victory as the two 3 year olds won their respective $50,000 Illinois State Fair Colt Stakes finals at Springfield Wednesday evening.

Driver Brent Holland tucked Maxter in fifth through the first three-eighths of the mile in the colt and gelding trot before moving first-over down the backstretch. After a :56 half the Valley Victor gelding moved into the lead, eased to the three quarters in 1:26.3 and then needed only a 29-second final panel to easily defeat  Mr. C Becker and Mike Brink in 1:55.3.

Trained by Roger Welch for Turndorf Racing, Maxter won for the 17^th time in 31 career starts (10 of 14 this year) and increased his lifetime earnings to $304,690.

In his elimination races Friday, Aug. 9, Mucho Sleazy went wire to wire in 1:48, one-fifth of a second off the world record for sophomore pacing geldings on a mile track. In Wednesday’s final King Of Kings and Andy Miller appeared to be setting up another attack on the record when they went to the opening quarter in :25.2.

Mucho Sleazy, with Michael Oosting in the bike, then swooped into the lead before the :53.2 half and continued on top past the three quarters in 1:22.3. King Of Kings took a shot at the leader at the head of the stretch, but Mucho Sleazy’s :26.1 final quarter was too much and he scored easily in 1:48.4.

The victory, his fifth in 15 starts this year, gave the Sportsmaster gelding $501,182 for the Engle Stable and trainer Ken Rucker.

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