Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Violet & Cardinal Finals Contested At Maywood Park
October 15, 2004
By Kimberly Rinker

Kennans Josh won the $64,000 Cardinal Stake for freshman pacing colts & geldings in 1:53.3 at Maywood on Friday night, October 15, pacing in a wire-to-wire effort from start to finish.

Tim Tetrick hurried Kennans Josh away from starting gate in the seventh race co-feature and the Ken Spurlock owned winner ripped off fractions of :27.2, :55.3 and 1:24.1, drawing off in the last turn while coasting to a 1:53.3 mile.

“Kennans Josh was really a handful tonight and very grabby,” said Tetrick. “I left hard enough out of the gate because I wanted to make the top. The colt dragged me out of there and I wanted to set a stiff pace so that no one would make an attempt at coming after me. It was very windy tonight and he still got home well (:29.2 into a headwind).

“This horse has never been off the board,” continued Tetrick. “He’s a real nice colt that hasn’t had the greatest luck all season long.”

The $32,000 winner’s share of the Cardinal championship boosted the Richest Hanover gelding’s bankroll to $117,595 for his Cedarlake, Indiana owner. Kennan’s Josh has posted five season victories and a trio came in his only three Maywood Park outings.

Brianna Joy took the $60,000 Violet Stake for freshman pacing filles in 1:54.2 that same night, pacing within a tick of the world record for a two-year-old pacing fillies when she led at every pole with driver Eric Ledford. Sent off at 10-1 odds, Brianna Joy captured the freshmen filly stake for state-breds despite leaving from the outside eight-slot Illinois owners James Jesk (Lemont) and Ledford Racing Stable (Crete).

“She just flew off the gate and had no trouble making the lead or maintaining it throughout the mile,” said Brianna’s driver Eric Ledford. “We got to the half a little smarter than I would have liked (:56.1), but there was really no slowing her down.”

Brianna ($22.80) chalked up her second consecutive triumph by cutting fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:25.3, coming home in :28.4 and she likely could have gone faster. “Her ear plugs are still in her ears—I never pulled them,” added Eric in the winner’s circle.

The world record of 1:54.1 for a first season pacing filly on a half-mile oval was set by Aries Conquest last October 10, also in a Violet championship at Maywood Park.

Brianna Joy was scratched from her Orange and Blue filly elimination on September 11, and then went off stride 15 nights later in the Thrifty Way stake at Balmoral Park. However, the Sportsmaster filly rebounded with two convincing front-end victories in her Violet elim and Friday’s final and from the seven and eight posts, respectively.

“Going into her Super Night elimination this mare had a slight temperature and it was a call that we had to make,” Eric said. “Thankfully Jim (owner Jesk) is the type of person who considers the horse’s best interest first and foremost, and so we scratched her. And the result is that it’s paid off because she recouped very well and has become a monster.”

Bred and raised at Freedom Hill Farms near Watseka, IL, Brianna Joy has now won 4 of her 9 career starts and $44,439 in her first season with trainer Seldon Ledford.

“Brianna Joy has gotten very aggressive and is kind of a one-way horse. I’m hoping that will change next year after she’s had time to mature a little bit,” continued Eric. “Right now if you put an open bridle on her she won’t race, and if you put a blind bridle on her she’s extremely aggressive. That’s just how she is at this point in her life.”

Arcola--named for the town where she was born-- won her eighth race of the season by capturing the $53,000 Violet Final for freshman trotting fillies at Maywood Park on Wednesday night, October 13. With Tim Tetrick at the lines the Valley Victor lass trotted to a 2:01 clocking in easy fashion. Owned by Morton and Michael Turndorf of California, Arcola is conditioned by
Roger Welch.

Victrola took the $50,000 Cardinal Final for freshman trotting colts and geldings with Andy Miller at the lines for owner Carol Graham of Salem, Illinois. It was the 11th victory of the year in 17 tries for the son of Valley Victor, who is trained by Tom Graham Sr.