LOS ALAMITOS : Midwest Attracts Two Top Pacers

Mercury and Vance Lobell, two of the top pacers at Los Alamitos, have taken their winning acts on the road.

Both horses flew Monday to Ohio for upcoming stakes races. Mercury, who won last Saturday’s $11,000 Invitational Handicap for pacers, is expected to enter the $100,000 Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield Park near Cleveland this Saturday. The 6-year-old Vance Hanover gelding has won three of his past four starts and seven of 12 starts in 1991.

Marc Aubin, Mercury’s driver and trainer, co-owns the gelding with Carol and W.D. Whitlock and says the Lake Erie will be a tough race. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed,” said Aubin, who will drive the gelding. “He won’t do us any shame.”

Mercury was winless in 12 starts last year in New Zealand, but has not been worse than third for Aubin this year at Los Alamitos. Saturday, he took the lead after a quarter-mile and beat four other horses in 1:54 2/5 for the mile, including a last half-mile in 56 seconds

“He was awesome,” said Aubin, who was the leading percentage driver at Los Alamitos in 1977, ‘78, ’79 and ’81 and is the eighth-leading driver at the current meet. “It’s a strong last half. On a five-eighths-mile track, that’s about as good as they come.”

Vance Lobell was fourth in Saturday’s Invitational and was originally scheduled to race in the Lake Erie, but trainer Bob Johnson has decided to ship the gelding to Hazel Park near Detroit for the $100,000 Lake Superior Invitational Pace later this month.

“I want to give him a race over the track,” said Johnson. “I’d rather give him an easier race than go with the bears. This way he can freshen up a bit for the big race.

Johnson said he will probably give the 7-year-old gelding some time off after the Lake Superior, which along with the Battle of Lake Erie, should attract Dorunun Bluegrass and Jake And Elwood, two of the nation’s top older pacers.

Vance Lobell has won eight of 15 starts and has earned more than $50,000 this year.