Balmoral Park (11/8/12)
Contact: Tom Kelley
(708) 672-1414
MAVEN LOOKS TO KEEP MOMENTUM ROLLING
Hoping to capitalize off a big come-from-behind victory in the Breeders Crown, William J. Donovan’s Maven will look to continue a big second season when she takes on six other three-year-old trotting fillies in Saturday’s $130,000 American National.
After staging some knock down drag out wars with Check Me Out the No. 2 rated horse in North America all summer long, Maven got the best of her main rival on a chilly night at Woodbine, overtaking her in the lane to win the Breeders Crown by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:54.0. The Breeders Crown title was the first for trainer Jonas Czernyson who seemed a bit surprised that his filly was able to overcome a difficult first over journey in tough conditions.
“She raced very big tonight. When she went first up I thought it wasn’t going to work,” he said.
The daughter of Glidemaster has been a model of consistency in each of her first two seasons on the track, putting together a record of 14-6-1 in 25 starts with earnings of $847,149. Among her biggest wins this year are the $191,500 Moni Maker at the Meadowlands where she took her career best of 1:52.3 and her Hambletonian Oaks elimination in which she stopped the clock in 1:52.4.
Despite the big numbers she has put up Maven has not been without her fair share of bad racing luck this season. In the Hambletonian Oaks final she was on the move to challenge Check Me Out when that filly went off stride, causing Maven to make a break which took her out of contention. She also ran into a World Record setting mile by Bluff while finishing second in the Buckette at the Delaware County Fair and was nipped at the wire by Delicious at the Red Mile despite trotting a mile in 1:52.2 with a final quarter of 27.3.
The filly has been a handful for Czernyson from the time she showed up at his barn as a $27,000 yearling purchase. At times he often wondered whether the filly would ever shed her attitude of entitlement and display her true talents when it came to getting on the track.
“When she trained down she showed us she had talent, but she just never put it together in a good way,” Czernyson explained. “We thought why should we really stake her to anything when anytime you looked at her she would make a break?
“She is tough around the barn and thinks she is Queen Maven,” he continued. “If she doesn’t want to go in the bath stall, there’s no way she’s going to, but the next day she’ll walk in like she’s never had a problem. We can live with it though as long as she does good and when she’s on the track she is good. That’s when she seems to get over it all.”
American National 3yo Filly Trot winners
| Year |
Horse |
(Driver) |
Time |
| 1985 |
Armbro Devona |
(Joe Marsh, Jr.) |
1:58.1
|
| 1986 |
JEF’s Spice |
(Bill O’Donnell) |
1:58.2
|
| 1987 |
Free Token |
(Joe Pavia, Jr.) |
1:59.2
|
| 1988 |
Tarport Bridget |
(Berndt Lindstedt) |
2:01
|
| 1989 |
Peace Corps |
(John Campbell) |
1:58.4
|
| 1990 |
Spreadsheet |
(Bill O’Donnell) |
1:59.2
|
| 1991 |
Ebonita Hanover |
(John Simpson, Jr.) |
2:00
|
| 1992 |
Imperfection |
(Michel Lachance) |
1:59.3
|
| 1993 |
My Goal |
(Jan Johnson) |
1:58.1
|
| 1994 |
Royal Band |
(Joe Putnam) |
1:59.2
|
| 1995 |
Divine Victory |
(Michel Lachance) |
1:57.2
|
| 1996 |
Continentalvictory |
(Dave Magee) |
1:56.4
|
| 1997 |
Flowing Jody |
(Charles Myrick) |
1:57.1
|
| 1998 |
Latest Lover |
(John Patterson, Jr.) |
1:57.4
|
| 1999 |
Bit O Candy |
(Dave Magee) |
1:54.3
|
| 2000 |
Armbro Temple |
(Tony Kerwood) |
R 1:54
|
| 2001 |
Fiery Chip |
(Brent Holland) |
1:54.2
|
| 2002 |
My Starchip |
(Dave Magee) |
1:54.4
|
| 2003 |
Southwind Flanders |
(Eric Ledford) |
1:54.2
|
| 2004 |
Fox Valley Flan |
(Andy Miller) |
1:57.4
|
| 2005 |
Just Like Dream |
(Joe Anderson) |
1:56.1
|
| 2006 |
Hidden Viggorish |
(Brian Zendt) |
1:54.2
|
| 2007 |
Danae |
(Ryan Anderson) |
1:55.3
|
| 2008 |
Lantern Kronos |
(Jimmy Takter) |
1:54.4
|
| 2009 |
Southwind Wasabi |
(Tyler Buter) |
1:54.3
|
| 2010 |
Springtime Volo |
(Dave Magee) |
R 1:54
|
| 2011 |
Iron Lady |
(Dave Magee) |
1:54.1 |
R=Designates Stakes Record Time
*Raced at Sportsman’s Park, 1959 through 1997; and at Balmoral Park 1998 to present.
For more information visit www.balmoralpark.com or call (708) 672-1414.
About Balmoral Park: Located in Crete, IL just 12 miles south of 80/94; Balmoral Park has been one of the nation's premier horse racing facilities since 1926. Balmoral Park features live racing every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission and parking is always free.
