The 3-year-old season for a trotter doesn’t always mirror his or her harness racing freshman campaign.
“It’s a new ball game. You never know how the second season will play out,” said veteran downstate trainer Mike Brink who sends out half of the six starters in Sunday’s Iggy Magoo at Balmoral Park on Sunday, the initial stake for 2015 for ICF male sophomore trotters.
With the elimination of entries on the Chicago circuit instead of getting “three for the price of one,” Brink’s trio of Broadway Emption (12-1), Fox Valley Theboss (9-2, Casey Leonard) and Vick Valor (9-2, Scot Banks) will go their separate ways in the wagering, likely as longshots.
Between them the Brink threesome only went 1 for 26 as 2-year-olds and the 1 win, by Vick Valor, was only a 2:08.2 mile on the Jerseyville Fair Track.
“Broadway Emotion, a brother to Tour Hall trained the best of the three for this race,” said Brink who will guide the Powerful Emotion gelding away from the one-slot. “I made some changes on him and I think he could be a much better.”
Standing in the way of Brink’s triad are Captain Greedy (2-1, J D Finn), Southern Special (15-1, Dean Magee) and last year’s ICF freshman colt trotting champion Fox Valley Qatar, winning of his first 7 career starts that included both State Fair titles and Plesac Final.
Sunday’s Iggy Magoo will be the first outing for Fox Valley Qatar since early October when he was second best in the Lincoln Land Final to RT Habenro. Owned by trained by Herman Wheeler, “Qatar” put almost $85,000 on his first season card.
The son of Pizzazzed trotted in 1:59.2 in last Tuesday’s qualifier, finished over 14 lengths behind the 1:56.3 winner Cant’s Catch K, a pacer. The fact that Fox Valley Qatar’s qualifier, like 3 other on Tuesday, had both pacers and trotters competing in a race makes it difficult for a handicapper to analyze.
“I was happy with it,” said Wheeler, a native of Louisiana. “They went faster than I thought they would. I was expecting my trotter would be going in 2:00 or 2:01, so I’m pleased with 59.2.
“We had a lot of rain this spring back home so I couldn’t get him on the track as much as I liked but when I did he trained well. I didn’t want to rush him back. It’ll take him a few starts to round into form.”
Sharing the Sunday spotlight with the Iggy Magoo is the third race Betzotic, headed-up by Mr Leland’s Filly (3-1, Casey Leonard) and Lex (7-2, Kyle Wilfong) along with the “Winner’s Over” trot where the early 7-5 favorite Justice Jet (Ryan Welch) tries to grab his 7th win in 9 season starts.
Well-Prepared: Sportsmuffler, last year’s Filly Orange and Blue runner-upon Super Night, had a dominating 1:58.1 winning qualifier with regular driver John Delong Thursday night before the Maywood Park.
Owned by trainer Jesse De Long of Wisconsin and the Hamm Family Trust of Missouri, the Sportsmaster filly is expected to make her first 3-year-old start in next Sunday’s Violet elimination, a stake she won as a freshman.
Mike Paradise