Maxter and My Birthday both took advantage of their inside post positions to gain early leads and went on to win the first two of Saturday’s eight Super Night championship races for Illinois-breds at Balmoral Park.
But that’s where the similarity ends.
Maxter was the overwhelming favorite at odds of 1-5 in the $120,000 Su Mac Lad for 3-year-old male trotters, while My Birthday was a 41-1 long shot in the $120,000 Lady Ann Reed for 3-year-old filly trotters.
Maxter’s 1 3/4-length victory over runner-up Chip Marshall was his 12th triumph in his last 13 races for trainer Roger Welch.
With Brent Holland at the reins, Maxter was clocked in 1:56 4/5 and paid $2.40, $2.20 and $2.10.
After finishing fifth in her elimination race last weekend, My Birthday won by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:57 2/5 and kicked back betting returns of $84.40, $30.60 and $11.40.
“She barely made it to the finals,” owner-trainer Herman Wheeler said. “But we knew she had the potential, and she woke up tonight.”
In the first of the championship races for pacers, the $125,000 Ann Vonian for fillies and mares 3 years old and up, 1-5 favorite Martha Maxine stretched her winning streak to 10 races with a compelling 2 3/4-length conquest in 1:50 1/5.
“This is just a special mare,” said trainer Erv Miller, whose brother, Andy Miller, was at the reins. “She gets it done every time.”
Driven by Michael Oosting, Fox Valley Topaz equaled the track record for her age and sex when she won the $260,000 Orange and Blue for 2-year-old filly pacers by a half-length in 1:52 2/5. It was the seventh triumph in the nine-race career of the Ken Rucker trainee who has never been worse than second.
Driver Dave Magee guided 19-1 long shot Towne’s Party Girl to a half-length victory in the $200,000 Grandma Ann for 3-year-old fillies. It was the 25th Super Night victory for Magee.
Towne’s Party Girl went the distance in 1:51 4/5 and paid $40.80, $8.80 and $5.
Arlington Park
Stormy Ballard was an upset winner in Saturday’s inaugural running of the $100,000 Lake Michigan Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong grass-course sprint for 3-year-olds at Arlington Park.
Trained by Tony Granitz and ridden by Junior Alvarado, the 20-1 long shot came from just off the pace to win by one length in 1:04.68 on soft turf. Amazing Results, the 1.10-1 favorite who was boxed in during the stretch run, made a late rally to finish second in a race designed to serve as a prep for next month’s inaugural $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.
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nmilbert@tribune.com
