Warm Up to Two-Year-Olds Racing (06/06/10)

Posted Sunday June 6, 2010

                                                     By Mike Paradise

  A sure sign that summer is near is the arrival of the first ICF stake of the season for two-year-olds. Sunday’s Jimmy Sunshine for state-bred pacing colts and geldings carries a smallish $5,000 second race purse but perhaps some of these green freshmen will go on to compete for the winner’s share of a $250,000 pot on Super Night.

  Taking their first baby steps for their anxious and nervous owners are (in post position order): Toll Free Cole (Casey Leonard), Eggroll (Marcus Miller), Remossionofsins (Bob Smolin), David (Dale Hiteman), Dr Alfonzo (Mike Oosting), Little Pauli (Art Gregory, Jr.), AJ Get’s The Money (Del Chupp), Winchesters Hero (Mike Rogers), Blackwater Creek (Brian Carpenter) and Open Outcry (Todd Warren).

  The first four youngsters are all home breds.  

  Toll Free Cole is a son of Cole Muffler out of the dam Fox Valley Moochie, making him a full brother to the 3-year-old Moochiesmoneymaker (1:55). Eggroll is by Sportsmaster and is a half brother to Matt’s Wolfey (1:54.4). The Final Cheers offspring Remissionofsins has a 1:55 brother (Yermanos), while Davis, a son of Goya Blue Chip, is the first foal of Reginald Winters’ broodmare Annie’s Way.

  Dr Alfonzo, one of two Roger Welch trainees in the field, sold for $6,000 at the 2009 Walker Sale under the name Fox Valley Digby.  This son of Sportsmaster is the ninth foal of Dodger Girl. Her first back in 1997 was Bootsy (1:51). Later she also produced such pacers as Baby Jeremy (1:52.1), Dr Lon (1:52) and Dr Munoz (1:53.4).

 Little Pauli was a $15,000 buy at the 2009 Illini Classic Sale. This son of Park Place is a full brother to the Bruce Pacitti stable’s Little Pedro (1:50.4).

 The Sportsmaster offspring AJ Gets The Money, the third Bob Phillips trained horse in the field (Eggroll and Remissionofsins are the others), is the stable-mate and brother of Charlie Beans (1:56.3).

  Winchesters Hero is a son of Cole Muffler out of Gary and Larry Northrop’s Beach Towel mare Desert Rose, making him a half brother to Winchesters Best (1:50.4), $325,486).

  Blackwater Creek sold under the name Fox Valley Salute for $18,000 at the Walker sale and is the 15th foal from She’s An Original and 12, including the last 10, were sired by Sportsmaster. Among Blackwater Creek’s brothers are the 65-time winner Black Cat Bone (1:51.3, $840,640) and 54-time winner Fox Valley Michael (1:52, $505,506), along with Lipstick Don’t Lie (1:52), Fox Valley Jammin (1:52) and Fox Valley Glitz (1:51.3).

  The second Welch trainee Open Outcry, the third Cole Muffler in the field, went for $14,000 at the Walker auction when his name was Steel Beam. His dam Duchess Hallie had 10 other foals including Rich N Flashy (1:54.3).

   Still The Champ: When Power Of A Moment captured Saturday’s $56,700 Cardinal Final it was the Erv Miller trainee’s twelfth consecutive victory, all with Marcus Miller at his lines. The son of Cole Muffler won his last 10 as a freshman when he was named the 2009 Illinois Horse of the Year.

  The third choice in the wagering, Power Of A Moment paid a generous $8.40 with his 1:51.1 front-end victory on a sloppy track in the Cardinal. You have to go all the way back to his Mini Me stake triumph last August when he started his incredible streak for the previous time Power Of A Moment wasn’t the betting favorite.

  Power Of A Moment was a half-length better than his stable-mate Iam Bonsera when he boosted his career earnings to $323,450 in 17 career starts. The 7-5 Cardinal favorite, a first-over Delco Willobee, was beaten by two lengths and took third.

    To view Archived Notes and Quotes click here.