Contact: Tom Kelley

BALMORAL READY TO SPRING INTO STAKES ACTION

Although the temperatures make it feel more like fall or winter things will be heating up at Balmoral Park as the 2007 stake season gets underway on Saturday, April 7.

Leading off a big Easter weekend of action are Illinois conceived and foaled three-year-old pacing colts. A field of seven are set to do battle in Saturday’s co-featured $15,000 Taurus Bomber Stake.

Michael Polansky’s Y Z Two Fifty has been installed as the 8-5 favorite for this affair after drawing the inside starting spot. The highly regarded son of Park Place comes into this race off back-to-back scores at Balmoral with the latest triumph coming in a speedy 1:54.0. Lightly raced with just 14 starts under his belt this colt has put together a record of five wins, four seconds and two thirds in his career.

Others who figure to merit plenty of attention are Joseph Costa & Joseph Desapio’s Saratoga John, who captured the $46,500 final of the Hopeful Series at Yonkers back on February 24, John Krasnican’s Hes A Big Star, who banked almost $50,000 as a freshman, and Donald Wright & William Famularo’s One Park Place, who was one of the state’s fastest two-year-olds with a mark of 1:51.4.

Saturday’s card will also feature the return of a “favorite son” as Shirley Le Vin’s My Boy David returns from the Meadowlands to face seven rivals in the $21,500 Three Olives Free For All. Now a four-year-old, this son of Cole Muffler is zeroing in on $900,000 in career earnings.

The Easter Sunday program which gets underway at 6:30 p.m. is chock full of stakes action for state-bred pacers and trotters.

First up on the docket are sophomore trotting fillies as a field of five head postward in the $15,000 Trotting Tilly Stake.

This race appears to be a showdown between Blackfoot Farms Mogo On The Gogogo, one of Illinois’ top two-year-old trotting fillies who banked nearly $95,000 in her first season, and Erv Miller Stables Scarlet Valley, who boasts three wins in six starts this year including a victory at the Meadowlands back on February 25.

Pacing fillies will step to the plate in the next event as a field of 10 sophomores meet in the $15,000 Direct Balance Stake.

As to be expected with these early season tests, this looks to be a wide open affair. Lloyd Arnold’s Audacity, a runner-up in two of her first three career starts, is the lukewarm choice at 7-2 in the morning line. William Johnston III & Redbud Stables Heart of Trust, who won her last start in 1:59.1, is next in the wagering at 4-1. Others to consider include Rattlesnake Ranch’s Mrs. Grant Seven, a 15-time winner in her two-year-old season and Chevie Chic who was victorious in 1:56.4 here last week.

Rounding out the weekend action is the $15,000 Speedy Rodney Stake for Illinois bred three-year-old trotting colts.

Sam Bowie, of Kentucky basketball fame, will send out his promising youngster Before He Cheats who is fresh off a convincing win in 1:58.2 here last week. The Dirk Simpson-trained son of Valley Victor was unraced as a two-year-old but he’s quickly making up for lost time with three wins and two seconds in his first six career starts.

The first two months of the season will mainly feature Illinois conceived and foaled events. The first “open” stakes of the season will be on the weekend of June 16 & 17 when Balmoral Park will play host to six big $50,000 Hanover Stakes for two and three-year-old pacers and trotters.

The first American Nationals of the season will take place on Saturday, August 25 as sophomore colt and filly trotters battle for $200,000 & $180,000 respectively.

Illinois' biggest night of racing, Super Night, takes place on Sept. 15. The showcase for the Prairie State's breeding program will put more than $1.5 million in purse money up for grabs as the top pacers and trotters in the state slug it out.

November 3 is also a night to circle on your calendars with six big American Nationals on tap that night. More than $1.2 million in purses will be on the line as North America’s top pacers and trotters visit the Crete oval.

Here is a complete list of the 2007 stake schedule at Balmoral and Maywood:

Date	Day	Track	A-S-G	ICF	Name	Est. Purse
04/07	Sat	Bal	3cp	ICF	Taurus Bomber	15,000
04/08	Sun	Bal	3fp	ICF	Direct Balance	15,000
04/08	Sun	Bal	3ct	ICF	Speedy Rodney	15,000
04/08	Sun	Bal	3ft	ICF	Trotting Tilly	15,000
04/14	Sat	Bal	3+p	ICF	Song Cycle	20,000
04/20	Fri	May	3fp	ICF	Desperate Lady	20,000
04/22	Sun	Bal	3ct	ICF	Iggy Magoo	15,000
04/24	Tues	Bal	3ft	ICF	Fox Valley Flan	15,000
04/27	Fri	May	3cp	ICF	Taser Gun	20,000
05/05	Sat	Bal	3cp	ICF	ISOBA	22,000
05/06	Sun	Bal	3fp	ICF	ISOBA	22,000
05/12	Sat	Bal	3+p	ICF	Rambling Willie	20,000
05/13	Sun	Bal	3ct	ICF	ISOBA	20,000
05/13	Sun	Bal	3ft	ICF	ISOBA	20,000
05/19	Sat	Bal	3cp	ICF	Cardinal Eliminations	7,500
05/19	Sat	Bal	3fp	ICF	Violet Eliminations	7,500
05/20	Sun	Bal	3ct	ICF	Cardinal Eliminations	7,500
05/20	Sun	Bal	3ft	ICF	Violet Eliminations	7,500
05/26	Sat	Bal	3cp	ICF	Cardinal	50,000
05/26	Sat	Bal	3fp	ICF	Violet	50,000
05/26	Sat	Bal	3ct	ICF	Cardinal	50,000
05/26	Sat	Bal	3ft	ICF	Violet	50,000
05/26	Sat	Bal	ap	ICF	Big Tom	40,000
05/26	Sat	Bal	fmp	ICF	Loyal Opposition	25,000
06/01	Fri	May	3cp	ICF	Maywood Pace Elim	10,000
06/01	Fri	May	3fp	ICF	Filly Maywood Pace Elim	10,000
06/03	Sun	Bal	2cp	ICF	Jimmy Sunshine	5,000
06/05	Tues	Bal	3ft	ICF	Fox Valley Diva	12,000
06/06	Wed	Bal	2fp	ICF	Egyptian Grande	5,000
06/08	Fri	May	3cp	ICF	Maywood Pace	100,000
06/08	Fri	May	3fp	ICF	Filly Maywood Pace	10,000
06/08	Fri	May	ap	ICF	Cook County	40,000
06/10	Sun	Bal	2cp	ICF	Bingo Johnnie	5,000
06/10	Sun	Bal	3ct	ICF	Kadabra	12,000
06/13	Wed	Bal	2fp	ICF	Misty Misty Misty	5,000
06/16	Sat	Bal	2cp		Hanover	50,000
06/16	Sat	Bal	2fp		Hanover	50,000
06/16	Sat	Bal	3cp		Hanover	50,000
06/16	Sat	Bal	3fp		Hanover	50,000
06/16	Sat	Bal	3ct		Hanover	50,000
06/17	Sun	Bal	3ft		Hanover	50,000
06/17	Sun	Bal	2cp	ICF	Mini Me	15,000
06/17	Sun	Bal	2ft	ICF	Fox Valley Evita	5,000
06/19	Tues	Bal	2ct	ICF	Plesac	5,000
06/20	Wed	Bal	2fp	ICF	Incredible Tillie	15,000
08/25	Sat	Bal	3ct		American National	200,000
08/25	Sat	Bal	3ft		American National	180,000
09/08	Sat	Bal	2cp	ICF	Orange & Blue Elim	12,500
09/08	Sat	Bal	2fp	ICF	Filly O&B Eliminations	12,500
09/08	Sat	Bal	3cp	ICF	Pete Langley Mem Elim	12,500
09/08	Sat	Bal	3fp	ICF	Grandma Ann Elim	12,500
09/09	Sun	Bal	3+p	ICF	Dan Patch Elim	12,500
09/09	Sun	Bal	f&m p	ICF	Ann Vonian Elim	12,500
09/09	Sun	Bal	3ct	ICF	Su Mac Lad Elim	12,500
09/09	Sun	Bal	3ft	ICF	Lady Ann Reed Elim	12,500
09/09	Sun	Bal	2ct		American National Elim	15,000
09/11	Tues	Bal	2ft		American National Elim	15,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	2cp	ICF	Orange & Blue	300,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	2cp	ICF	Orange & Blue Cons	30,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	2fp	ICF	Filly O&B	300,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	2cp	ICF	Filly O&B Cons	30,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	3cp	ICF	Pete Langley Mem	200,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	3cp	ICF	Pete Langley Mem Cons	25,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	3fp	ICF	Grandma Ann	200,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	3fp	ICF	Grandma Ann Cons	25,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	3+p	ICF	Dan Patch	125,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	3+p	ICF	Dan Patch Cons	25,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	fm p	ICF	Ann Vonian	125,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	fm p	ICF	Ann Vonian Cons	25,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	3ct	ICF	Su Mac Lad	100,000
09/15	Sat	Bal	fm p	ICF	Lady Ann Reed	100,000
09/16	Sun	Bal	3ct	ICF	Su Mac Lad Cons	20,000
09/16	Sun	Bal	3ft	ICF	Lady Ann Reed Cons	20,000
09/16	Sun	Bal	2ct		American National	125,000
09/18	Tues	Bal	2ft		American National	125,000
09/22	Sat	Bal	2cp	ICF	Yates Eagle	12,500
09/23	Sun	Bal	2fp	ICF	Thrifty Way	12,500
09/23	Sun	Bal	2ct	ICF	Lincoln Land Elim	12,500
09/25	Tues	Bal	2ft	ICF	Lady Lincoln Land Elim	12,500
09/28	Fri	May	2cp	ICF	Cardinal	60,000
09/29	Sat	Bal	3cp	ICF	Bye Bye Byrd	12,500
09/30	Sun	Bal	3fp	ICF	Direct Dottie	12,500
09/30	Sun	Bal	2ct	ICF	Lincoln Land	125,000
09/30	Sun	Bal	2ct	ICF	Lincoln Land Cons	20,000
10/02	Tues	Bal	2ft	ICF	Lady Lincoln Land	125,000
10/02	Sun	Bal	2ft	ICF	Lady Lincoln Land Cons	20,000
10/03	Wed	Bal	3ft	ICF	ISOBA	23,000
10/04	Thur	May	2fp	ICF	Violet Elim	7,500
10/05	Fri	May	2cp	ICF	Cardinal Elim	7,500
10/05	Fri	May	3+p	ICF	Egyptian	40,000
10/07	Sun	Bal	3ct	ICF	ISOBA	20,000
10/09	Tues	Bal	2ct	ICF	Cardinal Elim	7,500
10/10	Wed	Bal	2ft	ICF	Violet Elim	7,500
10/12	Fri	May	2fp	ICF	Violet	60,000
10/12	Fri	May	3cp		Windy City Pace	300,000
10/12	Fri	May	3fp		Cinderella	100,000
10/12	Fri	May	3ct		Galt	110,000
10/12	Fri	May	2cp		Abe Lincoln	120,000
10/16	Tues	Bal	2ct	ICF	Cardinal	50,000
10/17	Wed	Bal	2ft	ICF	Violet	50,000
10/19	Fri	May	3cp	ICF	ISOBA	23,000
10/19	Fri	May	3fp	ICF	ISOBA	22,000
10/25	Thur	May	3ft	ICF	BG's Abbe	15,000
10/27	Sat	Bal	2cp		Am Nat Elim	20,000
10/27	Sat	Bal	2fp		Am Nat Elim	20,000
10/28	Sun	Bal	2ct		Hanover	60,000
10/28	Sun	Bal	2ft		Hanover	60,000
11/01	Thur	May	3ct	ICF	Lifes A Holiday	15,000
11/03	Sat	Bal	ap		American National	225,000
11/03	Sat	Bal	at		American National	225,000
11/03	Sat	Bal	3cp		American National	300,000
11/03	Sat	Bal	3fp		American National	225,000
11/03	Sat	Bal	2cp		American National	125,000
11/03	Sat	Bal	2fp		American National	125,000
11/04	Sun	Bal	2ct	ICF	Sarah Myers	50,000
11/04	Sun	Bal	2ft	ICF	Sarah Myers	50,000
11/10	Sat	Bal	2cp	ICF	Sarah Myers	60,000
11/11	Sun	Bal	2fp	ICF	Sarah Myers	60,000
11/13	Tues	Bal	2ft	ICF	ISOBA Sales	20,000
11/14	Wed	Bal	2ct	ICF	ISOBA Sales	20,000
11/16	Fri	May	3+p	ICF	Associates	40,000
11/16	Fri	May	3fp	ICF	Giggles The Clown	15,000
11/18	Sat	Bal	2cp	ICF	ISOBA Sales	30,000
11/19	Sun	Bal	2fp	ICF	ISOBA Sales	30,000
11/30	Fri	May	3cp	ICF	Cole Muffler	15,000
12/02	Sun	Bal	f&m p	ICF	Fox Valley Memory	15,000

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