For Saturday, February 28
Hall of Famer Dave Magee will go into tonight’s (Saturday) program just one winner away from 11,000 dash winners, a plateau only achieved by five other drivers in harness racing history.
The 55-year-old Green Bay, Wisconsin native picked up victory No. 10,999 in Wednesday night’s last race at Balmoral Park when he steered home 15-1 longshot Lemon Marengo to the pacer’s first triumph since December of 2006.
Magee, who was inducted into the National Hall ofhame in 2001, has nine drives on Saturday’s Balmoral program and most are programmed longshots: Rich N Flashy (8-1, race 2), Notorious Bigslick (8-1, third race), Lawgy Dawg (9-2, fourth race), Jesse’s trigger (10-1, fifth race), Above The Starz (10-1, sixth race), Day Boy (10-1, eighth race), Steve N Harvey (10-1, 10th race), Jo Pa’s Bench Mark (6-1, 11th race), and Capture The Magic (12-1, 13th race).
Good luck Dave!
The $18,000 Free For All filled for the first time this season when trainer Homer Hochstetler entered the Illinois millionaire My Boy David. “I was going to give him one more qualifier but I dropped him the entry box because I expected there would be a small field. Instead there are nine horses and he got assigned the eight-post despite being off since the American National (last November 1), said Hochstetler.”
Now six, the son of Cole Muffler, has amassed $1,227,077 in his career for Schaumburg, Illinois owner Shirley Le Vin.
“My Boy David got a little heavy over the winter but he likes his work and he’ll be all right,” continued Hochstetler, who was inducted into the Illinois Hall of Fame in January. “The horse does get better when the weather gets warmer. I’ve staked him to another American National and to Super Night (Tony Maurello Pace). If he gets real sharp I guess I’ll have to take him where the money is at.”
Homer will drive the 7-2 morning line second choice from post eight in the ninth race feature. My Boy David’s last two drivers Ryan Anderson and Brent Holland left for the east coast in the latter part of last year
“I don’t often drive him in a qualifier,” but he’s so smart . . . he doesn’t need a driver,” said his tariner laughing. “I put him on the gate and I knew I was going to duck him. He was like ‘two fingers’ the rest of the way. He just needs somebody to hold the lines and keep him out of trouble.”
The 3-1 morning line choice is Sawgrass Farm’s Fox Valley Gambler who was assigned the outside nine-slot after breezing in his first two starts in conditioned paces, the last a 1:52 flat clocking well in hand to driver Tyler Buter on February 7.
