Who'll Click in Violet Filly Trot Final? (05/30/10)

Posted Sunday May 30, 2010
         
                                                                      By Mike Paradise

   Sunday night’s Violet championship is the first major test for state-bred sophomore filly trotters. The $43,000 eighth race feature at Balmoral Park features three fillies each with a stakes triumph already on their season card—Merry High, Powerful Bella and Fox Valley Click.

  Merry High (Mike Oosting) took the $9,000 Trotting Tilly on April 21 for Fairfield, Illinois owners Trenton and Brenda Watson. Then it was Sawgrass Farms’ Powerful Bella (Marcus Miller) edging her out in the $9,000 Koochie on May 2. A week later Fox Valley Click and driver Dale Hiteman powered past in the lane to grab the $14,450 ISOBA for her owners Paula Smith and James Runyan.

  Merry High (3-1 morning line) landed the five-slot for the Violet Final while her entry-mate and last week’s Violet elimination winner St Louis Holiday (Dean Magee) drew the rail. Powerful Bella (4-1 programmed) is to her right with the six-post, while Fox Valley Click (5-1) has the eight-hole in the 10 horse field.

  Despite an outside post Fox Valley Click’s driver believes the filly will be a strong contender tonight and throughout the season.

  “She should do very well in her division and while we drew an outside post in the Violet final Fox Valley Click is good enough to overcome it” said Hiteman.
   
  “She’s a very handy filly and she’s consistent. She has steadily improved in her three-year-old season,” added Dale. “Fox Valley Click is very easy to drive. I can leave with her when I want to and she’s shown she can also race from behind when I ask to perform that way.

  Through the years the Joel Smith-Dale Hiteman trainer-driver combination has done very well in the ICF trotting ranks.

  “Joel is a very good trainer and we’ve had consistent success together with his trotters for the last 4 or 5 years,” continued the Ohio native who is now less than 100 winning drives away from 8,000. “Fox Valley Lover kind of spoiled us last year. It seemed like every time we went for big money she really performed.

  “Maybe Fox Valley Click can do the same for us this year. She really came on well in the ISOBA when she exploded half-way down the stretch. It showed me I can do anything with her. Last week I raced her easy off the back-end getting her ready for this stake. I wanted to finish strong with her and we did.”

  Also looking for a big payday in Sunday’s Violet Final is Claire’s Rose (7-2, Homer Hochstetler), Awesome Dream (25-1, Scott Foster), Fox Valley Sienna (12-1, David Avenatti), KF’sperfectpicture (9-2, Leroy Miller), Tropicana Key (John De Long) and Miss Brody (Sam Widger).

   To view Archived Notes and Quotes click here. 

                                                                                        Balmoral Park Photo

    Violet elimination winner St. Louis Holiday (No. 5 Dean Magee) and runner-up Claire's Rose (Homer Hochstetler) return for the championship Sunday night.