The 2023 Illinois 3-year-old colt pacing champion Fox Valley Landen (Kyle Husted) will be headed out east later this spring for the Graduate Series. (Patricia Fryman Photography) 

By Mike Paradise for the I.H.H.A. 

 After completely dominating the ICF sophomore-old colt pacing division last year, the Amy and Kyle Husted stable’s talented Fox Valley Landen will get an opportunity to take on some of the best open company pacers, age four and up, this season.

 If the son of Somestarsomewhere’s recent qualifier is any indication, the Illinois champ is on the right path to be a significant player down the road against what certainly will be some rugged competition.

 Fox Valley Landen no doubt raised some eyebrows when he rattled off a winning 1:51.4 qualifier with Kyle Husted at the lines, buoyed by a very fast 25.4 third quarter at the Southern Oak Tracing Center in Sorrento, Florida on April 19th.

  Following a modest pacesetting 58.2 first half, Kyle decided to step on the gas, and he got even more than he expected from his muscular prize pacer with a 25.4 quarter. A 27.3 final panel, under a hold, concluded the mile.

 “I didn’t want to go that fast with him in his third quarter,” said Kyle.” I was looking for something like 27 flat, but the horse can accelerate so quickly. He can just explode. I wrapped him up or he would have gone even faster, and I had a hold of him down the stretch.”

 The Husted family left Florida last week with their young horses for their Indiana home. “I’ll probably give “Landen” his first season start this week at Hoosier Park this week,” continued the 32-year-old native of Effingham, Illinois.

 “I’m looking forward to racing Fox Valley Landen against He’zzz A Wise Sky this year and we might just meet up at Springfield this summer. I think “Landen” will reach the same level as John’s (trainer Filomeno’s) good horse.”

 Fox Valley Landen ended his second season going 11 for 14 and hauling in over $140,000 for owners Dave Brigham (Litchfield, Michigan), John Schwarz (Wood Dale, Illinois) and the Husted’s. The horse twice won in 1:50 flat in 2023 and is a cinch to lower that mark this year.

 Fox Valley Landen bulked up with plenty of muscle in the winter between his 2 and 3-year-old seasons. “Actually, he put on even more muscle over this past winter. He grew up some and even got a little taller. He’s what you would call a ‘heavy horse. Fox Valley Landen has the biggest set of lungs of any horse that I have sat behind,” added the slender 170-pound driver.

 The Husted’s had an excellent crop of 2-year-olds last season with Hawthorne’s Super Night champion Chickabell taking the ICF filly pacing division honors and her multi-stakes winning stable-mate Fox Valley Sadie also getting a ample share of votes in the division balloting. “I think Fox Valley Gena has the potential to also do very well as a 3-year-old,” added Kyle.

 As far as tis year’s ICF freshman crop, Kyle says “I believe they’ll be as good as last year’s crop.”