By Mike Paradise There are few out-and-out “locks” in harness racing however when it came to naming the 2022 Illinois Pacing Sire of the Year it looked to be “slam dunk” decision last month for USTA District 5 member voters. They awarded the honor to the Fox Valley Standardbred’s sire Somestarsomewhere, producer of […]
By Mike Paradise The Illinois bred three-year-old filly trotter with the funny name and overflowing with talent will be Indiana bound later this month. The Curt Grummel stable’s record-breaking champion Funky Wiggle will compete in a trio Hoosier Park stake races sponsored by the Hambletonian Society. “She deserves a chance to race against […]
By Mike Paradise When USTA District 5 members make their upcoming selections for the 2022 year’s Illinois harness racing division honors they won’t have an easy task in the ICF two-year-old colt and gelding pacing category. It seemed that when one state-bred freshman pacer would power his way to the top spot, another […]
By Mike Paradise When the Merv Chupp Stable’s veteran trotter Pine Dream was retired prior to the 2022 racing season, his owner and conditioner faced a tough assignment replacing who I called the barn’s “money-making machine.” Acquired for $27,000 at the 2018 Blood Horse Sale, the now 10-year-old Pine Dream raked-in over $300,000 […]
By Mike Paradise A horse’s four-year-old campaign is often a pivotal one. Many horses don’t do as well the first go around against older horses as they did as a three-year-old. Some do. Rarely are they even better. Gregory Kain’ Scorecard Dandy is one of those rare exceptions. If consistency is a virtue, […]
By Mike Paradise Two-time defending Illinois Harness Horse of the Year He’zzz A Wise Sky returns to the races Thursday afternoon at Springfield after a two-week layoff to make his second start in the last five weeks and his first since he was upset in the $62,000 Robert F. Carey Jr Memorial on Hawthorne’s […]
By Mike Paradise It’s “D-Day” for Illinois horsemen. That “D” is for decision time by the Illinois Racing Board for allocation of both the Standardbred and thoroughbred racing dates for 2023. Unlike some of the past years when rival in-state racetracks provided some rambunctious, and at times entertaining Race Date Hearings arguing over […]