Dan Patch elimination favorites HR Sosa and Black Cat Bone will miss all the excitement.
The two second-heat favorites were eliminated from the Sept. 15 Super Night finals when they battled for the front and then faded Thursday night at Balmoral Park.
Heat winners included Broadway Rosemarie, Incredible Tillie and Rain Dance Kim in the Ann Vonian, and Wrist Rocket, Sportswolf and Hopin For A Hit in the Dan Patch. Other Super Night eliminations continue Saturday and Sunday.
Crete mark: My Starchip set a track record for her division in a dominating performance in an American-National elimination for freshman filly trotters Thursday at Balmoral.
The daughter of Pine Chip sat off the pace for three-quarters of a mile before driver Tony Morgan cut her loose. She left her rivals 14 lengths in the dust in a track-record time of 1 minute 57 2/5 seconds. Glide Path took the second division and handed Cartier Hall her first defeat after nine victories.
Along with male trot elimination winner Chip’s Nino, the trio will contest their respective finals Thursday at Balmoral.
Bid stakes: Lunar Bounty stands as the heavy favorite to take Saturday’s $75,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes at Arlington Park. The Ronny Werner trainee followed up his debut victory June 21 at Arlington with a victory in the Grade II Bashford Manor Stakes in July at Churchill Downs.
He will try to get back into the winner’s circle after a fifth-place finish in the Grade II Saratoga Special on Aug. 15.
No hang time: The two steeplechase races scheduled for Sunday at Arlington have been canceled because of too few horses.
