Joe Anderson has developed the 4-year-old Illinois-bred filly pacer Ohyouprettything into North America’s third-ranked harness horse in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown weekly poll.
Now the Chicago circuit’s top trainer is trying to get national attention for another Illinois-bred filly, Our Golden Promise. After winning her last two starts at Balmoral Park impressively against members of her Illinois-bred peer group, Our Golden Promise will compete in the Chicago circuit’s first event of the year of national importance, Friday night’s Cinderella Pace at Maywood Park.
“She showed a lot of promise last year as a 2-year-old (when she won nine of 13 races), but in her race on Super Night she broke stride and fell,” Anderson said. “This year she has come back a lot stronger and I think she is capable of winning in open company.
“Unfortunately, Our Golden Promise drew into the tougher of the two divisions–the horse from the rail is extremely good–and we have the No. 7 post position. At a half-mile track like Maywood, post position means so much.”
“The horse from the rail” Anderson referred to is Bolero Takara, who has a perfect record in 11 races and is the 6-5 favorite on the morning line.
The horse on the outside in the No. 8 post, Walk On The Beach, also has a long winning streak. Although she has won eight in a row and has been worse than second only once in her 10-race career, she is the longest shot on the morning line at odds of 15-1.
“Put Walk On The Beach in the 1-hole or the 2-hole and she’d probably be 2-1,” Anderson said. “That’s how much post position means at Maywood.”
In the second division, the filly on the rail, Dayum Bluegrass, is projected as the 9-5 favorite. The second choice at 5-2, Star Of The Future, is alongside in post No. 2.
