An Interesting Cardinal Trot Final (06/01/10)

Posted Tuesday, June 1, 2010

                                                       By Mike Paradise

   As was evident in last week’s Cardinal eliminations when six of the 10 starters went off stride, you just never know what’s going to happen with a field of young trotters. With that in mind it certainly appears Wednesday night’s $48,500 Championship has a number of three-year-old state breds with genuine shots to take the top prize.

  The Jerald Viviani entry of Showmeyourtstuff (Marcus Miller) and Leaveitonthetrack (Bob Smolin) are the 5-5 morning line favorites. They each have stakes triumph this season and the latter may be the sharpest youngster in the field off his 27.2 last panel when he won the May 12 ISOBA stake at Balmoral, his second victory in his last three starts..

  Last year’s Plesac and Cardinal Stake champion Showmeyourstuff, drew inside (the three slot) and wasn’t at his best when he was the runner-up to his entry-mate in the ISOBA.
 
  “Showmeyourstuff is running out a bit in the lane lately because right now he has something in his mouth that’s bugging him, so he’s not as good as he can be and yet he’s still trotting in 56,” said his driver Marcus Miller.

  “Vinnie (trainer Jerald Viviani) will get him better and then he’ll be awfully tough in his division. He’s a nice horse. I think he can get it done either way but he’s probably best off the helmet. He wants to pass horses. The horse is always right there regardless how I drive him. Showmetourstuff has got gate speed but he’s manageable now so I can take him back if I want to.”

  Last season’s Illinois Two-Year-Old Colt Trotter of the Year Run And Tell Pap went off-stride before the start and fell back out of contention in the Cardinal elimination however the Leo Grummel trainee did make up a ton of ground (:27.1 last quarter) to end up seventh and gain Wednesday’s final.

  A winner of $100,445 as a freshman, Run And Tell Pap (programmed at 3-1) had been off since mid-October so he needed his outing anyway.

  “Run And Tell Pap is a horse that tries all the time, that’s biggest asset,” noted his driver Mike Cox. “When he’s out on the racetrack he isn’t loafing around, he’s racing. He doesn’t quit . . . he doesn’t know how to quit. It’s a great feeling driving a horse that is always trying. When he goes forward you don’t have to worry about it, he has a good a heart as there is.”

  Wolf Creek Pass (at 5-1 in the morning line) , who took the Speedy Rodney stake at Balmoral back in mid-April, drew the outside 10-slot for Beecher, Illinois owner Steve Poore nonetheless the Gerald Hansen trainee has shown good gate speed and is a major contender. The colt gave up more than a dozen lengths to a field on May 12 prepping for the Cardinal stake and still rallied for the victory with driver Brian Carpenter.

  Muscatine (4-1) took last week’s Cardinal elim in 1:58.3 for driver Dale Hiteman, trotting a: 27.2 final quarter.

  “Muscatine is another Joel Smith horse that is very consistent, always trots and he’s a very flexible horse to drive,” said Dale. “If the favorites make any mistakes we’re going to get ‘em. This horse is good gaited, consistent and like I said flexible, and you can’t say that about every trotter in the final.”

  The Cardinal Championship will go as race six and is completed with Dutch Commander (15-1, Dean Magee), Fox Valley Solomon (12-1, Todd Warren), Hokey Pokey (20-1, Mike Oosting), Powerful Speed (10-1, Dave Magee) and Somore Set (10-1, Lance Scurlock).

   To view Archived Notes and Quotes click here. 

                                                                                               Balmoral Park Photo

   Recent ISOBA stake winner Leaveitonthetrack (Bob Smolin) eyes Wednesday night's $46,500 Cardinal Trot Championship at Balmoral Park.