It’s A Certainty: Catch He’zzz A Wise Sky

By Mike Paradise

 

There are two certainties for this evening—the sun will set some time tonight, and He’zzz A Wise Sky will be on the front-end in the $50,000 Robert S. Molaro Memorial Summer Final.

 

The two-time Illinois Horse of the Year is having another banner season and will be a heavy favorite to show his heels to only three Illinois bred challengers like he did in last week’s prep.

 

If you’re curious why He’zzz A Wise Sky will motor out at the start and go as fast as he needs to be in command, his trainer John Filomeno will reply: “The horse races more relaxed on the front end. He really doesn’t like to race out of a hole.”

 

With over $420,000 banked in three and one-half years of racing, it makes sense to race He’zzz A Wise Sky where he’s best and that’s on the lead for Triple ZZZ Stable of Beecher, Illinois.

 

The Yankee Skyscraper pacer out of the homebred dam Gimmeazzmooch made $117,004 last season and the $25,000 winner’s share of tonight’s $50,000 pot would see He’zzz A Wise Sky surpass that figure ($127,080), and its only early July with another $50,000 Molaro Final to be raced in mid-September on the Night of Champions.

 

“I want to race He’zzz A Wise Sky in Illinois as much as I can. The horse is not a good “shipper.” He ships better if I have another horse with him. I try to pick a time where I can avoid traffic and make the trip as short as I can.”

 

Sometime this year “Illinois best” will head back to Ohio.

 

“He likes it there with one more turn and a shorter stretch than in Indiana. He loves the turns. He probably can go as fast in a turn than he can on a straightaway.”

 

Too bad Maywood Park isn’t around anymore. He’d be a terror there.

 

With just four horses in the Molaro He’zzz A Wise Sky and driver Kyle Wilfong will be leaving from a strange place tonight—inside with the two hole. It’s been a long time since the horse sprinted out from the left of center behind the gate.

 

I Am Will (Archie Buford) has the rail, Holden Steady (Juan Franco) has thee and Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard) the four.

 

Catch Him: The Molaro isn’t the only $50,000 championship on the line tonight. Two events later (race six) it’s the $50,000 Plesac championship for older male trotters.

 

 

The draw couldn’t have gone any better for last week’s prep winner Talk About Valor (Tavis Seekman). He’ll power out from the one-slot in search of his sixth win in his last seven starts and will be a heavy public’s choice to provide a big boost to his purse earnings for Monee, Illinois owner Shelley Steele.

 

From the two post through the seven-slot you’ll find Lou Paschal (Wyatt Avenatti), Lousraptor (Casey Leonard), Rndmnunpredictable (Juan Franco), Frontier Manard (Freddie Patton Jr.), Heath Bar (Jamaica Patton) and Louscardamon (Kyle Husted), runner-up to Talk About Valor in last week’s prep.

 

Trot Stake Prep Finales: Also on Friday’s card are a couple of “Dygert” preps for next week’s three-year-old finals.

 

The Erwin F. Dygert Memorial prep for colts and geldings goes as race eight. They’ll line up thusly: Hot To Trot Sparky (Jamaica Patton), Mr Mizzou (Juan Franco), Lou’s Di Nomite (Kyle Wilfong), the likely post time favorite Lousdobb (Casey Leonard), followed by Romantic Warrior (Gary Rath), Good Boy (Atlee Bender), Fox Valley Cairo (Mike Brink), Lous Lancelot (Travis Seekman) and First And Goal (Kyle Husted).

 

The very competitive $12,00 Robert F. Carey Jr. Memorial is next and it’s a wide-open affair. Take-your-pick from Josie Rocksmyworld (Travis Seekman), Kingofmyheart (Atlee Bender), Frontier Bombay (Kyle Wilfong), Likely Blue Bayou (Richard S. Finn), Fox Valley Crete (Juan Franco), Get E Up (Kyle Husted), Fox Valley Ozzy (Casey Leonard), Hondo (Wyatt Avenatti), Spoken For (Phil Knox) and Major Grin (Cordarius Stewart).

 

That final race on the program is worth the wait.