By Mike Paradise

 

Perfection is what we all strive for in most everything we do. While it’s not realistic for a racehorse to be perfect throughout his or her career, staying flawlessness for as long as possible is always the goal.

 

For Curt Grummel’s filly trotter Marvelous Mystery staying unbeaten one more night would do a lot of for youngster’s first season earnings. A $25,000 deposit into her purse account awaits the talented two-year-old if the youngster can win tonight’s $50,000 Fox Valley Flan summer championship.

 

The Curt Grummel trained filly already has $28,222 on her card and thus far her best time of 1:59 flat, recorded in her elimination, is at least one second faster than any other filly in the Fox Valley Flan championship.

 

Early in her racing career, Marvelous Mystery has put up the credentials to come out on top once again. The filly has gone to the starting gate six times and greeted a track photographer for the winner’s circle picture each stint after every race.

 

Last week the daughter of Lou’s Legacy, out of the Tom Ridge broodmare Caitrin Hall, pulled away by more than five lengths at the finish of her Fox Valley Flan elimination for Carrollton, Illinois owners Curt, Craig, and Leo Grummel.

 

Marvelous Mystery will be guided tonight by her regular driver Kyle Wilfong when she scoots away from the five post. She’ll likely be pounded down at the betting windows just as she has been in all her pari-mutuel starts. The filly was sent off at 10 cents on the dollar a week ago and is listed at 4-5 in tonight’s morning line..

 

Among those trying to stop Marvelous Mystery from making it seven straight victories, is the Mike Brink stable’s Dawn Of Creation (pp 1, Casey Leonard), who won her elimination last week and was a strong second a start earlier in a Violet division.

 

Other serious threats appear to be the Roshun Trigg trained El Brae Brea (pp 6, Jamaica Patton), winner of five season starts and runner-up to Marvelous Mystery last week, and Fox Valley Lisbon from the barn of trainer Amy Husted. The latter raced without cover last week and could be a smoother journey away from pulling off an upset win.

 

Lous Lexi Lou (Cordarius Stewart), Trotamileinmyshoes (Richard S Finn), Olympic Champion (Todd Warren), Fox Valley Adira (Gary Rath), Fox Valley Shania (Atlee Bender) and Lou Sangreal (Travis Seekman) are the other Fox Valley Flan finalists.

 

“Tillie” a Competitive Final: The second $50,000 champion on the Saturday card is the seventh race Incredible Tillie final for ICF freshman pacing fillies.

 

Favoritism will probably be divided between the streaking My Daddys Revenge (pp 2, Todd Warren), the always-bet-down The Magical Woman (pp 7, Atlee Bender), and last week’s game elimination victress Rona Mae (Phil Knox).

 

One R Andis Star (pp 1, Kyle Husted), elimination winner South Gate Sally (pp 5. Juan Franco), Dandy’s Showtime (Casey Leonard) and the late-rushing Roan By Design (pp 8, Travis Seekman) could also get good play at the betting windows.

 

U R My Shiningstar (Kyle Wilfong), Rags To Riches (pp 9, Wyatt Avenatti) and Lots Of Sass (pp 10, Archie Buford) are the longshot aspirants.

 

My Daddys Revenge is undefeated in four career starts for trainer Mike Brink and dominated her “Tillie” elimination field and her Violet division a start earlier.

 

The Magical Woman, with 2 wins and 3 seconds in 5 starts, has been a heavy betting favorite in every Hawthorne start, while Rona Mae, a stable mate of My Daddys Revenge, was passed in the lane last week and fought back for a 1:56 flat victory.

 

It took a pair of thrilling late finishs to determine last night’s two $50,000 freshman summer championships.

 

When the dust settled Fox Valley Jasper (Atlee Bender) stayed unbeaten thanks to a strong stretch rally in the Incredible Finale showdown for juvenile male pacers and Goomster (Kyle Wilfong) was the surprise winner of the Kadabra trotting final.

 

The 7-5 co-favorite Fox Valley Jasper was in eighth through the first half (57.4) as the other 7-5 betting choice Fox Valley Langley (Kyle Wilfong) made a bold move on the backstretch and took command before the field was halfway home.

 

Bender had Fox Valley Jasper rolling however the Erv Miller trainee had about seven lengths to make up. Fox Valley Langley looked like he was going to hold on in deep stretch but in the final stride it was Fox Valley Jasper ($4.80) who persevered for Illinois owners Bowie Racing (Shorewood) and Engle Racing of Illinois (Northbrook) and his now four-for-four in his young career.

 

Kage Daniel (Todd Warren) finished third best and Illini Jetset (Marcus Miller), another Erv Miller trained gelding, settled for fourth.

 

Patience Pays Off: Patiently driven by Kyle Wilfong the 7-1 longshot Goomster ($16.60) wore down the 3-5 favorite Nico Man (Kyle Husted) to capture the $50,000 Kadabra summer championship for two-year-old male trotters by three-quarters of a length.

 

Wilfong (pp 3) dropped the Dennis Gardner owned and trainer youngster into fifth on the early going. When Nino Man came out of second to take over command on the backside, Wilfong had Goomster on the move as well.

 

Goomster raced without cover from before the half mile marker, reached in 58.3, and still was about two lengths behind the favorite at the sixteenth pole but put on a late surge to win it in 1:58.1 by three parts of a length for his West Salem, Illinois conditioner and proprietor.

 

Ain’t No Mojo (Atlee Bender) edged Tankmetodennyland (Juan Franco), another Garner owned and trained trotter, for third.

 

Easy Does It: Hidden Assassin ($2.40), nicely rated by Travis Seekman, was an easy front-stepping conqueror of Friday’s $12,300 Open Pace in 1:514. The pocket horse Warrawee Veloce (Todd Warren), at 14-1, was second, beaten three lengths by the Rick Schrock trained winner.

 

Heath Bar (Jamaica Patton) was seventh at the three-quarter pole and still got up in time to capture the $12,300 Open Trot by one and one-half lengths in 1:55 flat at 12-1,

 

The Amy Husted trained 9-5 favorite Fox Valley Landen (Kyle Husted) came flying down the lane to take the $12,000 Incredible Finale Consolation with a 1:55 flat clocking.

 

 

 

By Mike Paradise

 

“Doc” and Pat Walker, owners of Fox Valley Standardbreds in Sherman, Illinois, will be doing a lot of rooting during Friday’s $50,000 Summer Incredible Finale stake championship.

 

The question is what two-year-old ICF colt or gelding pacer will they be rooting for? The answer: About a half-dozen different youngsters.

 

The largest horse farm in Illinois has no less than six finalists in the sixth race going to the gate that they bred, all by their newest sire Somestarsomewhere (1:49.2, $478,435).

 

The Walker’s acquired Somestarsomewhere in January of 2019 with hopes the well-bred horse would be an eventual replacement for their illustrious sire Sportsmaster who nearing at the end of his brilliant stud career.

 

It’s only Somestarsomewhere’s first crop of juveniles but the Walker’s just might have hit the jackpot in the Illinois breeding industry with the son of Somebeachsomewhere out of the Art Major dam Lovely Assistant.

 

Two of Fox Valley’s six starters in the Incredible Finale won their elimination—Fox Valley Langley (Kyle Wilfong), unbeaten in four starts, and Fox Valley Jasper (Atlee Bender), undefeated in three outings.

 

Fox Valley Jasper was an easy three and three-quarter winner in 1:53 flat in his elimination for trainer Erv Miller who also has Somestarsomewhere offspring’s Fox Valley Patriot (Archie Buford) and Fox Valley Auburn (Cordarius Stewart) in the championship, along with Illini Jetset (Marcus Miller), a Cardinal division champion earlier this month for his sire Travel Playlist, bred by the University of Illinois.

 

The Walker’s also have a pair of Tom Simmons trained youngsters–Fox Valley Cayman (Casey Leonard), winner of a division of the Cardinal, and Fox Valley Steeler (Kyle Husted), going to the gate. “Cayman” was only a head behind “Langley” in last Friday’s second Incredible Finale elimination.

 

The “Fox Valley Brigade” could have their hands full with three other non-Walker bred youngsters in the final–Tom Graham’s Kage Daniel (Tom Warren), a 1:54 elim victor last week, and Tim Roach’s Ghost Shark (Travis Seekman) and Mister Sleaze (Juan Franco).another Erv Miller trainee.

 

Another $50,000 Pot: The Incredible Finale showdown shares the Friday spotlight with the $50,000 Kadabra summer championship for state-bred freshman male trotters. It’s headed-up by last week’s elimination champions, Tankmetodennyland (Juan Franco) and Niko Man (Kyle Husted) and will precede the Incredible Finale.

 

Nino Man (Kyle Husted) captured his elimination by five-plus lengths in 1:59 flat for trainer Amy Husted and her owners Bowie Racing (Shorewood, IL) and Anthony Lombardi (Morris, IL).

 

Tankmetodennyland prevailed in his elimination a second slower (2:00 flat) however two weeks ago the University of Illinois bred trotter finished only a neck behind Niko Man in their Cardinal division confrontation for her owner and trainer Dennis Gardner of West Salem, Illinois.

 

Both fillies drew well. Tankmetodennyland landed the two-post and Niko Man got the four. Aint No Mojo, who comes off two game efforts for driver Atlee Bender, is in a good spot with the five.

 

The pole position belongs to the longshot Tequilalittletime. Groomster (Kyle Wilfong) is in a favorable spot with the three. From the six slots out, you’ll find Rosita’s Dream (Marcus Miller), Judge Me Not (Todd Warren), Whatta Year (Charles Arthur), Lous Andiamo (Casey Leonard) and Youain’tnofool (Cordarius Stewart).

 

Two Opens Too Boot: The solid Friday eight-race program is supported by a pair of Opens. The five-horse pace goes as race three with Rick Schrock’s Hidden Assassin (Travis Seekman) the likely post time betting choice. The 10-horse Open trot is a wide-open affair with the streaking Talk About Valor getting a well-deserved week off.

 

Drawn by groups, posts one through seven will be manned by Perlucky (Marcus Miller), Swan Of Dreams (Archie Buford), Latin Lover (Kyle Wilfong), Cash Hit (Travis Seekman), Rockyroad Aldo (Wyatt Avenatti), Heath Bar (Jamaica Patton) and Louscardamon (Kyle Husted).

 

Slots 8, 9 and 10 were also drawn and they went to Annas Lucky Star (Casey Leonard), Jack Vernon (Todd Warren) and Simply Swan (Atlee Bender), in that order.

 

The Incredible Finale Consolation for state-bred freshman pacing colts and geldings will be race five on the program.

 

Did I mention that Fox Valley Standardbreds have five youngsters that they bred in that $12,000 event?

 

Like Old Times: Former Chicago circuit driver Marcus Miller is in town tonight to drive several of his father Erv’s horses, including Illini Jetset in the Incredible Finale Final. Marcus has seven catch-drives on the eight-race program.

By Mike Paradise

 

Two more summer champions were crowned last night at Hawthorne. In one case the winner had to work hard to get the job done, in the other the victorious filly hardly broke out in a sweat to earn a stop in the winner’s circle.

 

The 3-5 favorite Apple Valley, nicely handled by Jordan Ross, wouldn’t be denied in the $50,000 Plum Peachy three-year-old Illinois bred filly championship.

 

It wasn’t easy but the James Molitor trained filly put away bids by Kzzzmelikeumissme and later by Pattycake Moose to win in 1:52.4 by a little more than one length. Pattycake Moose (Casey Leonard) was a game second while the 63-1 longshot Bombay Parkway rallied for the third-place dough with Wyatt Avenatti at her lines.

 

An early first quarter duel saw Pattycake Moose have command with Apple Valley dropping into second at the 28.1 first quarter pole. When Kyle Wilfong took Kzzzsmelikeumissme out of fourth and after the lead on the backside, he flushed out Apple Valley who sprinted to the top and hit the half in 55.4. The winner put away at bid by Kizzzmelikeumissme going into the last turn and then held tough for win number five in nine season starts for Glenwood, Illinois owner Michael Perrin.

 

Funny Wiggle (Kyle Wilfong) dominated the opposition in the $50,000 Beulah Dygert Memorial Championship for second season state-bred trotting fillies.

 

When the dust settled the Curt Grummel trained winner was almost seven lengths better in 1:55.4 than the bridesmaid Ironclad Creation (Atlee Bender), with Creations Dream MV finishing third.

 

Funky Wiggle ($3.40) was taken back at the start and settled in fifth, almost 10 lengths off the earlier pacesetter Ironclad Creation who got to the first quarter in 28.4 and the half in 57.4. Wilfong got the cover he wanted behind Lous Xanadu through the second and third quarters before the Steve Searle trainee went off stride.

 

The 2021 Illinois Two-Year-Old Filly of the Year powered past and drew off in a convincing manner for her third win in five season starts and upped in career earnings to $155,478 for her owner and breeder Dr Patrick Graham of Lockridge, Iowa.

 

“Tillie” Finalists Set: Three divisions of the Incredible Tillie stakes were contested last night to determine next week’s starting field for the $50,000 championship for ICF freshman filly pacers.

 

The first $12,000 division saw South Gate Sally (Atlee Bender) and Dandy’s Showtime (Casey Leonard) put on a torrid stretch duel with South Gate Sally ($7.60) proving best by a neck for trainer Mark Walker.

 

Both fillies came from far back, as did the fourth-place finisher, and the 4-5 favorite, Filly’s Revenge who broke at the start, fell far behind, and made-up ton of ground. The 70-1 longshot Lots Of Sass made the final with a third place finish to join South Gate Sally and Dandy’s Showtime as finalists.

 

South Gate Sally’s initial career victory came in her fifth start for Illinois owners Blake and Geoffrey Driskill and Mark and Karen Sue Walker, all of Carrollton.

 

In the third Incredible Tillie elimination Rona Mae, at 13-1 odds, put on a gutsy wining performance for her driver Phil Knox, beating the prohibitive 1 to 9 favorite The Magical Woman (Atlee Bender) in 1:56 flat.

 

Knox sent Rona Mae out at the start from the outside nine-slot. Bender took The Magical Woman out of fourth on the backside and raced first over to Rona Mae until the stretch and then passed the pacesetter only to have Rona Mae come back later in the lane to grab the victory,

 

Also making the “Tillie” final was the show horse U R My Shiningstar (Kyle Wilfong).

 

Daddys Revenge (Casey Leonard) uncorked a 27 flat last panel and pulled away to five-plus length 1:55 triumph in the last Incredible Tillie grouping. Trainer Mike Brink shares ownership with the $3.40 winner with Lori Searle of Springfield, Illinois.

 

Joining Daddys Revenge in the final are the second and third place fillies Roan By Design (Travis Seekman) and Rags To Riches (Atlee Bender)

 

“Flan” Finalists Secured: Only two divisions of the Fox Valley Flan for two-year-old state bred trotting fillies were needed with the first five finishers going on that championship.

 

In the first “Flan” division, Dawn Of Creation ($5.00) found room on the inside in the lane with driver Atlee Bender and won for the Mike Brink Stable by one length in 2:01.4.

 

Also making the final was the 50-1 longshot runner-up Lou Sangreal. Along with Fox Valley Adira (Gary Rath), Fox Valley Lisbon (Kyle Husted) and Lou Lexi Lou the third through fifth place trotters.

 

The overwhelming one to nine favorite Marvelous Mystery ($2.20) was dominant in the second Fox Valley Flan division winning by more than five lengths for driver Kyle Wilfong and trainer Curt Grummel in 1:59 flat.

 

The daughter of Lou’s Legacy is now unbeaten in six career starts for Carrolton, Illinois owners Curt and Craig Grummel. She’ll be joined in the championship by the second through fifth place finishers El Brea Brea (Jamaica Patton), Fox Valley Shania (Atlee Bender), Trotamileinmyshoes (Richard S. Finn) and Olympic Champion (Casey Leonard

 

  Twice As Much: A double dose of Open paces highlights Sunday’s bigger-then-normal 13-race program. They’ll be contested as races three and four.

 

Two-time Illinois Harness Horse of the Year He’zzz A Wise Sky is back at Hawthorne for a third consecutive week and this time, unlike the last pair, he doesn’t have an easy assignment.

 

Assigned the outside six-slot, the star of the John Filomeno stable faces a much stronger group of pacers in the $12,300 fourth race open and horses and geldings.

 

Awaiting He’zzz A Wise Sky is Gardy’s Legacy A (Atlee Bender), winner of the July 15 local Open for the Erv Miller stable. The six-year-old Australian needed it all to eke out a nose victory over Primo Giovanni (pp 2, Todd Warren) and neck decision over Hidden Assassin (pp 3, Travis Seekman) in last week’s local Open. Gardy’s Legacy was allotted the five slot by the Hawthorne Race Office.

 

The four post went to Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard), second best to He’zzz A Wise Sky in the Molaro events. Unlike those starts, tonight he’ll have help pushing the speedy He’zzz A Wise Sky.

 

Hello Sweetie Boy (pp 1, Kyle Husted), owned and trained by Kimberly Roth, completes the field.

 

A race earlier is the filly and mare open and it’s a wide-open affair according to the morning line and I’ll agree with that assumption. The Erv Miller stable’s Late Night Date A (pp 3, Atlee Bender), makes his Hawthorne debut as the 5-2 first flash favorite. Another Aussie bred, Late Night Date A won 3 of his last 4 starts at Hoosier.

 

Fox Valley Exploit (pp 4, Kyle Husted), Rock It Out (pp 5, Kyle Wilfong) and Live Is Hill (pp 6, Casey Leonard), all will open at 3-1 odds.

 

“Exploit” captured Hawthorne’s July 2nd Open. Rock It Out was a double Open winner recently in Kentucky, while Love I Hill was second in a Hoosier Park Open last week after winning her previous two starts at Hawthorne.

 

Ashlee’s Joy (pp 1, Todd Warren) and Tiamogonedancen (pp 2, Travis Seekman) are the longshot hopefuls in the race.