Illinois Harness
Horsemen's Association
Illinois Harness
Horsemen's Association
Mike Paradise
Recent Stories
The idiomatic phase “the best-laid plans often go awry” held true last year concerning one highly regarded state-bred youngster for Illinois horseman Jamaica Patton, then again, the season played out almost perfectly for another who showed early potential in his barn.
The Mike Brink stable’s young ICF filly Stand By Your Man, was an inconsistent trotter as a freshman. It was basically all or nothing at the end of a start., winning a trio of significant state-bred stake races, but not hitting the board in her other four-season outings.
Three-time consecutive ICF Harness Horse of the Year Fox Valley Gemini began training this week for the upcoming Illinois racing season.
Harness racing horsemen have long realized that their love of labor can at times be a roller coaster ride. The ups and downs can fluctuate from year-to-year, sometimes drastically, as it did for Illinois trainer Curt Grummel.
By Mike Paradise for the IHHA
With a very productive racing season behind them, the Amy and Kyle Husted stable are in good place for another successful campaign in 2024, buoyed by several talented state-bred horses, two of which were honored recently as the best in their respective divisions.
Long-time Illinois Trotting Queen Annas Lucky Star as
abdicated her throne at the age of ten.
Everybody enjoys a “feel good” story and the Illinois bred filly trotter Bell Boots certainly provided one in her three-year-old season.
The adage “It’s Not Important How You Start, But How You Finish” has been around for ages but it still holds true nowadays, and a perfect example is the state-bred pacer Gorgeous Big Guy, the recipient of the 2023 Illinois 2-Year-Old Colt Pacer of the Year award at last week’s Horsemen’s Banquet in Springfield.
Brother or sister comparisons have been an integral part of harness racing since the sport has been around. Sometimes a horse reaches or exceeds the lofty credentials of an older sibling, more often they don’t.
Like any small horse racing owner and trainer Dennis Gardner fantasized of one day having “a good horse” as an Illinois horseman. After almost four decades at his craft, his dream became a reality, thanks to his very talented trotter Goomster.
Perlucky, flawlessly handled by driver Kyle Wilfong, took advantage of a pocket trip, and pulled off a mild upset in Monday’s featured $11,100 Open Trot on closing night of Hawthorne’s winter.
Hawthorne’s winter harness racing meeting concludes Monday night but not before it’s reinging champion in the Open Trot is decided.