Harness racing: Maywood Pace favorites must overcome outside posts

Maywood Park

Uncle Smoothie may be able to get the jump on favored NJ's Big Deal in the Maywood Pace.

Maywood Park steals a piece of the standardbred spotlight on Friday night when they host the $123,000 Maywood Pace for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers. Eight will line up behind the gate of the half-mile track in hopes of taking home the winner’s share of the purse.

Elimination winners NJ’s Big Deal and Uncle Smoothie are listed as the 2-1 and 3-1 morning line favorites after each went wire to wire last week. Uncle Smoothie posted sizzling fractions on the engine in his elimination with a 27 1/5-second opening panel and a 55 3/5 half. Meanwhile NJ’s Big Deal was able to rate a soft 57 3/5 half after a 27 4/5 first quarter.

Their tasks are sure to be made more difficult having drawn outside posts 5 and 7. Of the pair, the draw clearly favored Uncle Smoothie, who was the recipient of the five-hole and should be able to get the jump on his rival.

In the event a speed duel develops between the favorites, Crime of Passion could be the one picking up the pieces. Trained by top conditioner Erv Miller, Crime of Passion scored in the $50,800 Cardinal final at Balmoral Park on June 2 and had no chance of gaining ground from third-over in his elimination.

From post 3 driver Marcus Miller is expecting the pace scenario to go his way.

“I love the way the draw shook out,” said Miller, who won the $112,000 filly division of the Maywood Pace last Friday. “It should be a crazy half and with a little luck I'll be picking up the pieces late.”

Although 8-1 on the morning line, Crime f Passion’s $210,147 in career earnings tops the field by a sizable margin. The Armbro Mackintosh-sired roan gelding has 7 wins in 19 starts and has only missed the board four times in his life.

The Maywood Pace, the richest race to date in 2012 at the Illinois oval, is carded as race 10 on the 14-race program. The $38,135 Cardinal for older Illinois bred pacers is also featured on the card.

Post time is 8:10 p.m. Eastern.