Power Of A Moment has staying power

Proving once again that he is just too much for the rest of the 2-year-old colt pacing set here in the Prairie State, Leland Mathias, Bert Hochsprung and Ervin Miller Stables’ Power Of A Moment made it 10-straight victories, as he cruised to a deceptively easy one-half length triumph, in1:53.4, while taking Saturday’s $27,000 Illinois Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association Sale Stakes at Balmoral Park.

Given a patient steer by driver Marcus Miller, the son of Cole Muffler--Panfastic came away in sixth as Fox Valley Barbosa led the field through an opening quarter timed in :28.2.

“Ducking off the gate was our game plan going in,” Marcus Miller said. “I had left out of there with him in a few of his most recent starts, and I wanted to make sure he still knew what it was like to race off a helmet.”

Heading down the backstretch, driver Josh Sutton moved Voomerang out of fourth and sent him to the top. That prompted Miller to get underway with Power Of A Moment, and this year’s Orange and Blue Stakes winner was on the move in fourth as the field reached the half-mile mark, in :57.

Continuing a steady, first-over grind to the leader, Power Of A Moment had moved into third, just 1-¼ lengths behind the pacesetting Voomerang, as the field hit the three-quarter mile mark in 1:25.3.

Racing well within himself, the Ervin Miller-trained gelding swallowed up the leader at the seven-eighths pole, and then proceeded to draw away from his rivals with a :27.4 final quarter to notch his 12th win in 15 lifetime starts. Voomerang held on for second, while Fox Valley Barbosa was third.

After yet another victory with this year’s division champion and Illinois Horse of the Year candidate, Marcus Miller was quite impressed with his pacers effort.

“He really takes care of himself and does only what he needs to do in order to win,” a beaming Miller said. “He’s the toughest horse I’ve driven in my career and he’s as good as he’s been all season long. I’m looking forward to going into the upcoming American-National (eliminations on Nov. 7) with him.”

With Saturday’s victory Power Of A Moment now boasts $291,600 in career earnings.(Balmoral)

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