Maywood Pace elminations to Determine This, Froggy Turner

Determine This and Froggy Turner won the respective elimination races Friday night and established themselves as the likely favorites for next Friday (June 13) night’s $100,000 Maywood Pace for Illinois bred three-year-old colts and geldings

Determine This (Brent Holland) got the job done in front-end fashion in 1:54.4 while Froggy Turner (Ryan Anderson), making his season debut, came from out of it to post a 1:53 season best clocking for any second season pacer on a half-mile track.

Determine This was gunned out from the pole position and when No. 3 Lets Getit Started broke leaving, the 13-10 favorite had command in rather easy fashion as the rest of the field dropped into line with the 34-1 longshot Not Quite Forty in the pocket and the 2-1 second choice Chevie Classic Rod taking the three-hole.

Holland was able to take Determine This through rather comfortable first half fractions of :28.4 and :29.4, hitting the half-mile marker in :58.3 with Chevie Classic racing first up, only three-quarters of a lengths off the leader and Jolly Lester (Dave Magee) second over.

Holland asked Determine This for more to hold off Chevie Classic Rod and the Erv Miller trainee responded with a: 28.1 third quarter and a three-quarter time of 1:26.4. Meanwhile Jolly Lester made a break on the backstretch and eliminated himself and Mike Oosting had King of Kings, another Erv Miller trained youngster, on the move three-wide on the backside.

However Determine This ($4.60) had plenty in reserve, zipping home with a :27.4 final panel and proving best by two and one-quarter lengths over Not Quite Forty. It was another half-length back to the third place finisher Chevie Classic Rod. King of Kings took the fourth and last starting berth spot for next Friday’s final, beaten less than four lengths.

“My plan was to go out of there hard and take advantage of the rail, said Holland. “My goal was to make the final and hopefully, win this race. My horse was much sharper tonight than he has been previously.”

Determine This made only four starts as a two-year-old for Chicago owners Rock And Roll Stables and Donald Meersman, winning his first two outings in 1:55.1 and 1:54.4 at Hawthorne. After two poor efforts in August Miller gave the first foal of former Illinois champion Determination Plus plenty of time off and didn’t bring him back until early May. The Richess Hanover gelding has had four season starts, all at Maywood Park against older horses, prepping for the Maywood Pace, picking up one win, a second and a third before Friday night’s victory.

“Sammy (driver Widger) told me Lets Get It Started just didn’t get out of the gate on the right foot,” said trainer Roger Welch. “I don’t know what happened but it’s a shame we couldn’t even make the final.  Even if we got a first-over trip and finished fourth, we’d still be in the final next week.”

The 8-5 favorite Omaha Survivor dictated the fractions in the second elimination but the Tom Harmer trained had to work hard to gain control. Choros C (Del Chupp) sprinted to the lead however Dave Magee had Omaha Survivor out and rolling from the three-slot coming out of the first turn and on the front end at the :27.2 first quarter and he didn’t let up, taking the field to a :55.1 half with a :27.4 second panel.

Froggy Turner, who had the outside six-slot, raced fifth through the first half and when Anderson saw Omaha Survivor start to pull away on the backside, Ryan took his colt three wide to clear three horses and dropped into the pocket behind the leader who was at the three-quarter pole in 1:24 flat with Three Five Seven racing in third.

Froggy Turner ($11.40) then used the open stretch to power past in time gain a one-length decision. Omaha Survivor won the photo for the place spot over Three Five Seven (Mike Oosting) and Big John C (Brent Holland) came on to be fourth. Those four also moved on to next Friday’s Maywood Pace Championship.

“He was really strong all the way to the wire,” said winning driver Ryan Anderson. “I was glad to have the opportunity to drive him.” (Maywood)

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