Some Interesting Facts from NOC

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By Mike Paradise

They say figures don’t lie so here are some facts and figures from last weekend’s Night of Champions that may surprise you.

***The total handle on the Night of Champions was $1,163,938 with 13 races. In 2017 the handle was $1,210,346 with only 12 races. That’s a net decline this year of $48,408 despite having one more race.

***This year’s added two $25,000 Invitational races saw the trot event handle $59,318 while the pace brought in $57,846. That’s counting win-place-slow, exacta, trifecta and superfecta on each. Other than a $50 starting fee, totally only $1,000, the $50,000 in purse money for the invites came from the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Purse Account.

The Beulah Dygert sophomore filly trot final, along with the three other ICF trotting championships for either two or three state-bred 3-year-olds, out-handled the open Invitational Trot on the Night of Champions. (Four Footed Fotos)

The Beulah Dygert sophomore filly trot final, along with the three other ICF trotting championships for either two or three state-bred 3-year-olds, out-handled the open Invitational Trot on the Night of Champions. (Four Footed Fotos)

***The Beulah Dygert final for ICF 3-year-old filly trotters that preceded the Invitational Trot handled 70,335 or $11,017 more.

***The Incredible Tillie 2-year-old filly trot that went a couple of races earlier brought in $95,123 or $35,809 more than the Invite trot.

***The Erwin Dygert 3-year-old male trot, the last race on the card, had $75,657 bet on win-place-show and its gimmicks, about $20,000 higher.

***The Robert Molaro Pace that went before the Invitational Pace raked-in $90,779, almost $33,000 more than the Invite. The Robert Carey 3-year-old colt pace that followed the two Invites had $92,667 bet on it, nearly $35,000 larger.

***In 2017 a $10,000 six horse field Open Pace was the initial event on the NOC and it had $42,694 wagered on it. This time round the $136,142 Incredible Finale championship for 2-year-old male pacers went first and it handled $58,992. Last Saturday’s Daily Double pool was only about $2,000 more than last year.

The Robert Molaro for older ICF pacers colts and geldings that preceded the Invitational Pace on the NOC and the pictured Robert Carey for state-bred 3-year-old male pacers that followed each had more than $33,000 bet on them than the open company Invite. (Four Footed Fotos)

The Robert Molaro for older ICF pacers colts and geldings that preceded the Invitational Pace on the NOC and the pictured Robert Carey for state-bred 3-year-old male pacers that followed each had more than $33,000 bet on them than the open company Invite. (Four Footed Fotos)

***On the other hand, the first NOC Pick Five in 2017 saw $11,053 bet into the pool while the first Pick Five pool this year was almost 2 and 1/2 times greater with $28,639 wagered on it.

***While there were some nice horses in the NOC’S $25,000 Invites the previous night Hoosier Park lured the country’s cream of the crop of older horses with its $200,000 Caesars Trot and the $177,000 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby when it hosted Grand Circuit Night, the Indiana facility’s annual blockbuster evening of racing held at this same time every year.

Fall Classic Today: Harness racing in Illinois for 2018 isn’t quite over for many ICF paces and trotters. Saturday is the Fall Classic at the Springfield Fairgrounds.

A total of 18 non-wagering races will be contested with the first event going off at 11:00 in the morning. The first 14 Springfield races, all with $3,751 purses, are for state-bred two or three-year-olds horses. Four IHHA sponsored affairs for older Illinois breds will then follow.

Springfield Fall Classic a Hit for Horsemen

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By Mike Paradise

Saturday’s Fall Classic at the Springfield Fairgrounds got a ringing indorsement from Illinois harness horsemen when 75 Illinois conceived and foaled 2 and 3-year-olds were entered, enabling 14 races to be carded for either two or three-year-olds of both gaits and sexes.

With $50,000 available in purse money funded by the Illinois Depart of Agriculture, the 14 Fall Classic purses were distributed equally making each race worth $3,571.

The IIHA make available the purse money for a quartet of races for older ICF events for pacers and trotters that will follow.

The 18 race program will get away at 11 o’clock in the morning and will be run off in 15 minute intervals with the final race projected to go off at 3:15 in the afternoon.

Several interesting battles shape up on the Fall Classic card.

They’ll be coming down the stretch 18 different times Saturday when the Fall Classic is contested at the Springfield Fairgrounds. First post is 11 o’clock in the morning. (Four Footed Fotos)

They’ll be coming down the stretch 18 different times Saturday when the Fall Classic is contested at the Springfield Fairgrounds. First post is 11 o’clock in the morning. (Four Footed Fotos)

For instance the fourth race second division of the 2-year-old filly trot will have Steve Renard’s Loussolataire, the winningest freshman trotter in the country with 16 victories, take on E L Game On and Puddin Cheeks, the one-two finishers in the $25,000 Shawnee stake at the Du Quin State Fair and both of those fillies also nailed down wins in legs of Hawthorne’s Fox Valley Flan stake series,

The sixth race second split of the 3-year-old filly pace will be headed up by the Mike Brink Stable’s Allbeastnobeauty who posted a four race winning streak earlier when she annexed both the Springfield crown and Du Quoin’s Time Dancer. The Sportsmaster filly finished fourth, beaten 2 and 1 /2 lengths in the $125,140 Plum Peachy Final on the Night of Champions.

Allbeastnobeaurty (pp 1, Mike Brink) has two-season earnings of $119,675, just $258 more than Hosea Williams’ Rollin Coal (Robert Smolin), who starts from post two Saturday. Among their challengers is The Sis Master (Michele Morgan), victorious in two legs of the Fox Valley Flan while Allbeastnobeauty and Rollin Coal both won at Fox Valley Flan leg at the summer Hawthorne meet.

The second division of the sophomore pace for colts and geldings consists of Herecomesdmagotta, Al’s Briefs, Flying Marvin, Song Cycle Senese and the ultra-consistent Backstreet Lawyer from the barn of Tom Simmons.

Backstreet Lawyer, a Sagebush gelding, had competed all season long against NOC winner Fox Vale Gemini, the 2017 Illinois Harness Horse of the Year, and Springfield champ You’remyhearthrob, twice successful in 1:50.3, and Backstreet Lawyer still was able to finish third or better in all 17 of his second season starts.

A four-time season winner, Backstreet Lawyer boasts a 1:50.1 victory this summer at Hawthorne, to go along with eight second place finishers and five thirds, banking just under $70,000 for the Illinois partnership of Engel Stables Buffalo Grove), Jerry Graham (Salem) and Benita Simmons (Springfield).

Another ultra-consistent ICF horse racing Saturday is the ICF 3-year-old filly trotter Maui Mama, trained by Mike Brink for Morton, Illinois owner Bill Wright. The Cassis filly has gone to the gate 19 times in her first two campaigns and has never finished worse than third while hauling in almost $128,000.

Maui Mama won her first two legs of the Beulah Dygert Memorial Series and was third on the Night of Champions. The filly was third in the Springfield Final and runner-up to division leader Trotting Grace in the Windy Skeeter at Du Quoin.

The second 3-year-old colt trot event, race 14 on the card, will see division rivals Illinimight, from the barn of Mike Brink, and Majistic Caprice, trained by Roshin Trigg slug it out. Illinimight captured the Springfield championship and Majistic Caprice got revenge when he took Du Quoin’s Pronto Don stake.

Illinimight was the victim of an interference break as the even-money choice in the Erwin F. Dygert Championship, trailing by more than 15 lengths at the half and still got third on the Night of Champions, making up 10 lengths on the field.

That’s All Folks!

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By Mike Paradise

It doesn’t seem that long ago that Hawthorne’s summer harness racing meet got under way and the start of summer was still on the on the horizon.

Sadly summer officially came to an end last Friday and even more sadly for those of us in the Illinois Standardbred history tonight is the final evening of racing on the Chicago circuit eight long months.

They’ll be coming down the Hawthorne stretch tonight for the last time of year. (Four Footed Fotos)

They’ll be coming down the Hawthorne stretch tonight for the last time of year. (Four Footed Fotos)

With Hawthorne deciding it didn’t want a winter harness meet in 2019, and with no other all-weather Illinois horse racing track now available to conduct pari-mutuel meeting, it won’t be until the first week of next May that harness horsemen will be back to try and eke out a living in a state woefully in debt and with residents leaving year after year by the tens of thousands.

It wasn’t that many past years when harness racing in Illinois was a nightly happening with over 360 nights of racing a year. However in 2019 the number of racing opportunities for Illinois horsemen has now dropped down to an unsightly 71 racing days. That’s 41 racing nights less than 2018 and that was only a sparse 112 dates.

The lack of a winter meet next year chopped off 27 dates off the harness racing calendar. The other 14 days were clipped when Hawthorne’s request to race only three nights a week (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from May 3 through June 15, and those same three nights the entire month of August, was approved by the Illinois Racing Board.

The four day a week format with Thursdays added to the schedule will be from June 16 through July 31 with the exception of being dark on Thursday July 4, and from September 1st through the 22nd, the last night of the 2019 meeting.

With last Saturday’s much anticipated Night of Champions in the rear view mirror and after six ICF stake Consolations and an Open Pace were contested last night, the meet will end this Monday evening with a whimper. It’s a nine-race card with every wagering event offering a sub $6,000 pot.

Driver Casey Leonard held gave a triumphant salute when Fox Valley Gemini captured the Robert F. Carey Jr. Memorial Championship on Saturday’s Night of Champions. (Four Footed Fotos)

Driver Casey Leonard held gave a triumphant salute when Fox Valley Gemini captured the Robert F. Carey Jr. Memorial Championship on Saturday’s Night of Champions. (Four Footed Fotos)

Sunday’s Recap: The last Sunday card of the meeting saw six ICF consolation stake events worth $18,750 each contested for either 2 or 3-year-olds.

The Fox Valley Flan Consolation for 2-year-old filly trotters turned out to be an easy win for Ivanka ($8.60), driven by Travis Seekman for trainer Angela Coleman. The Cassis filly drew off by four lengths in the 2:00.2 mile.

Next up was the first of a pair of Incredible Tillie consolation divisions for freshman filly pacers.

Despite coming off a victory in her last start at Hoosier Park Queens Of Tens (Kyle Husted) was overlooked by the betting pubic and popped 30-1 odds. Trained by Jace Sundeen Queens Of Tens won rather easily by 3 and 1/2 lengths in her first season best time of 1:53.4 and paid a healthy $64.80.

Hammered down to 1 to 5 odds in the second Incredible Tillie consolation Lilly Von Shtupp ($2.40) didn’t disappoint her many supporters. Jim Pantaleano guided the Nelson Willis freshman trained filly to nearly a two-length triumph with a season best time of 1:56.3 for the Megan Rogers Stable of Chicago.

The first division of the Incredible Finale consolation was strictly no contest as the 1-2 favorite Sporty McGrew ($3.00) stayed in the pocket through the first three quarters if the mile before being popped out by driver Kyle Wilfong. The Rick Schrock trained freshman proceeded to pull away and dominated by almost 10 lengths with his 1:57.2 mile.

The Mike Brink stable’s juvenile male trotters Super Betcha (Casey Leonard) and For Trots Sakes (Mike Brink) finished one-two in the Kababra consolation that went in 2:02.4.

Sheriff Coffey (Ridge Warren), from the barn of trainer Shaw Nessa, came thundering down the stretch and won the Robert F. Carey Jr. Memorial 3-year-old colt consolation by two and one-half lengths in 1:53.2 while Juan Franco rallied Fox Valley Catwalk to a half-length win in the Plum Peachy consolation for second season pacing fillies. The Rodney Freese trained winner covered the mile in 1:55.3.

A Unforgettable Night of Champions for Searle

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By Mike Paradise

Long-time Illinois horseman Steve Searle has been in the business for 40-plus years and some were lean ones at that however the 59-year-old Grant Park, Illinois resident had his night to bask in the limelight when he sent out three winning trotters on Hawthorne’s 2018 Night of Champions.

The 59-year-old Searle was also at the lines of the biggest upset winner of the gala evening when he drove Spirit O’Mar to a $108.80 winning payoff in the $45,000 Plesac Trot.

Spirit OMar-NOC 2018Here’s how this year’s Night of Champions unfolded:

Hawthorne’s showcase night of racing got off with a heated battle and a very close finish with the 3-5 favorite Meyer On Fire (Mike Oosting) getting his nose in front at the wire to capture the $136,142 Incredible Finale 2-year-old colt and gelding final.

The front-stepping Maximus (Kyle Wilfong) grabbed command on the backside and took the field to a modest 58.3 first half with Meyer On Fire in fourth and The Bucket in great shape with the two-hole.

Oosting took after the leader in the last turn and when Maximus got to the three-quarters in 1:27 flat didn’t appear the Erv Miller trained Meter On Fire would get up in time but the Sagebrush gelding he did just that, prevailing in 1:55.2 for his owner and breeder (Marty) Engel Stable of Buffalo Grove, Illinois. The Bucket (Casey Leonard) was third best.

Meyer On Fire ($3.20) named after Engel’s grandson Meyer, finished his Illinois campaign with four consecutive victories and boosted his first season earnings to over $122,000.

Next up was the $45,000 Plesac Championship for ICF 3-year-old trotters of either sex and it was supposed to be a skirmish between the even-money favorite Picky Picky Valor and the 6-5 second choice Anna’s Lucky Star however the 50-1 longshot Spirit O’Mar, driven by his trainer Steve Searle, pulled off a studding victory and awarded his backers a $108.80 winning mutuel.

Anna’s Lucky Star, beaten one-plus lengths, won the photo for second over Picky Picky Valor.

Searle gave Spirit O’Mar a ground-saving trip middle of the pack trip and when the stretch drive came around the 6-year-old gelding, bred by his owner Jeanne Marquis of Dane, Wisconsin simply out-closed his foes (28 flat) and more than doubled his season earnings with his fifth season win.

Casey Leonard gave the 6-5 favorite Fox Valley Torrid a picture-perfect second over journey and the Rodney Freese trained freshman filly pacer rallied past to nail down the victory in the $122,874 Incredible Tillie showdown.

The pace-setting Valar Morghulis raced game down the lane before giving way in deep stretch and settling for the bridesmaid role in the 1:54.3 mile, a new mark for Fox Valley Torrid, owned and bred by Fox Valley Standardbreds of Sherman, Illinois.

The third place finisher Perch raced first over a good portion of the way and provided the live cover to Fox Valley Torrid. ($4.40)

Three-year-old ICF trotting colts and geldings took over the spotlight in the $119,470 Kadabra Final with Trixie’s Turbo overcoming the 10-hole with a front-stepping mile time of 2:00.1.

Meyer On Fire-NOCJohn D Finn hustled the Charles Doehring right from the get-go and the Cassis filly got to the top before the 29.2 first quarter with the help of both the Nos 1 and 2 trotters, Foxvalleyrushhour and Big Garcia Vega, going off stride before the start.

When the 2-1 favorite Louscardamon, fourth on the backside, also starting running it became a two-horse race between Trixie’s Turbo and (No.9 Fox Valley Cruise, nicely steered into the two-hole by driver Kyle Husted.

Nevertheless Trixie’s Turbo dug in to win by three-quarters of a length for the seventh time in 10 first season starts for her Brownstown, Illinois owner and breeder while Louscardamon made up about a dozen lengths to be a fast closing third.

Owner Peter Karras couldn’t have asked for a better journey for his mare Fox Valley Charm ($4.80) then the one provided by driver Mike Oosting in the $45,000 Tony Maurello Memorial Championships for state bred pacing mares ages three and up.

Oosting had the 7-5 favorite Fox Valley Charm right behind Bucklegirl Bobette who cut fractions of 28.3, 56.3 and 1:24.2 through three-quarters. Oosting then his 6-year-old mare out for the stretch drive and Fox Valley Charm caught and then passed Bucklegirl Bobette, grabbing her tenth season win by almost three lengths with a 1:52 flat mile for trainer Dirk Simpson and Sherman, Illinois owner Peter Karras.

The 17-1 longshot Fox Valley Aubry finished third.

Trainer Steve Searle had his second Night of Champions winner when his 2-year-old filly trotter Louzotic (Kyle Husted) turned out to be much the best in the $122,504 Fox Valley Flan Championship.

Husted took Louzotic away well from the pole position but let others battle it out early and settled his 4 to 5 favorite inside as Heidi High and EL Game On traded leads before the half. Husted then took Louzotic out and rolling and the Lous Legacy filly powered to the front and eventually drew off by almost six lengths when the second betting choice Encantado went off stride in the lane.

Longshots Notanangel (44-1, Travis Seekman) and Lou’s Paramour (65-1, Steve Searle) were second and third, respectively.

The $45,000 Robert S. Molaro Championship turned out to be a terrific stretch duel between the two favorites Unlocked (3-2, Jim Pantaleano) and Stonedust (even-money, Casey Leonard) with Unlocked refusing to be passed.

The 2016 Molaro champion had more than his share of health issues for trainer Norm Parker this year but Unlocked ($5.00) wouldn’t be denied from also capturing the 2018 Molaro as well with a snappy 1:51.1 clocking for the Megan Rogers Racing Stable of Chicago.

Unlocked took over the lead on the backside and went to a 55.2 first half. Stonedust got live cover from Fox Valle Rebel and had dead-aim in the lane on Unlocked but the striking gray pacer simply couldn’t overtake the 7-year-old Duneside Perch winner of over $560,000 in career earnings.

A determined Trixie’s Turbo (John D Finn) rolled to her third straight win when she captured the $119,470 Kadabra Championship for ICF 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings. (Four Footed Fotos)

A determined Trixie’s Turbo (John D Finn) rolled to her third straight win when she captured the $119,470 Kadabra Championship for ICF 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings. (Four Footed Fotos)

The $99,030 Beulah Dygert Memorial 3-year-old filly trot final followed and it saw the even-money choice, Trotting Grace given a heady drive by Kyle Husted, rewarded trainer Steve Searle with his third champion of the night. It was also Husted’s second visit to Hawthorne’s winner circle.

Husted had Trotting Grace right behind the pacesetting White Pants Fever through the 58 first half. New Queen made a bold move to go head-to-head with White Pants Fever in the final turn and took over the lead down the lane but Husted ducked his filly to the inside in the late going and Trotting Grace zipped past to post her fifth victory in a row for the partnership of Bill Wright (Morton, IL), Mystical Marker Farms (Valparaiso, ID) and Searle (Grant Park, IL).

The expected battle between Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard) and You’remyheartrob (Kyle Wilfong) developed as good as advertised in the $160,080 Robert F. Carey Jr. Memorial Championship with Fox Valley Gemini wearing down his rival in the lane and finish unbeaten at Hawthorne in his two seasons of racing.

You’remyhearthrob had to work hard in the early going to wrestle away the lead from Dandy Dune after a 27.3 first quarter while Leonard had Fox Valley Gemini ($2.60) comfortably in fourth. Casey was able to flush-out the third place horse Backstreet Lawyer after a 55.3 half and Terry Leonard trainee went on to deliver the good, winning by one length in a 1:53 flat mile for owner Jim Ballinger of Atwater, Illinois.

Kyle Husted drove his third champion of the night when The New Americana ($7.80) “wired” her field in the $123,140 Plum Peachy Final for trainer Harold Guerra and Illinois owners Dave Falzone (Chicago), Jim Molitor (Oak Lawn) and Steve Leita (Rockford).

The 3-year-old Yankee Skyscraper filly sped to a 55.2 first half with the eventual runner-up JB’s Shooting Star right behind her. The winning margin was only a neck.

In the finale Big Lou (Kyle Wilfong) proved fastest in the lane for trainer Curt Grummel as the 3-year-old gelding rolled past in the $83,696 Erwin S. Dygert Memorial trot. Cruzen Cassi was second, beaten two-plus lengths in the 1:59.1 mile that saw a number of trotters impeded soon after the start when Talk About Valor and Illinimight hooked wheels. On the backside Big Lou’s stablemate True Detective was on top when he started running.

Illinimight made up 10 lengths on the field to grab third place.

It’s the Night of Champions with a Twist

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By Mike Paradise

The most anticipated Illinois harness racing program of the year has arrived. It’s Hawthorne’s Night of Champions with eleven ICF championships on the line and over $1.16 million in purse money up for grabs.

The 13-race card is Hawthorne’s version of Super Night, inaugurated back in 1987 at Sportsman’s Park and in 1998 passed on to Balmoral Park for 19 memorable years at its far south suburban facility

Hawthorne took over the baton in 2016 and has done some tweeting to this year’s Night of Champions racing format in an effort to boost the mutuel handle. Will it work? Who knows? I do applaud the endeavors, though. For too many years (make those decades) the same old, same old Super Night racing format was presented:

They’ll be off and racing for over $1.16 million in purse money on Saturday’s Night of Champions at Hawthorne. The13-race lucrative card has an earlier-than-normal 7 o’clock first post. (Four Footed Fotos)

They’ll be off and racing for over $1.16 million in purse money on Saturday’s Night of Champions at Hawthorne. The13-race lucrative card has an earlier-than-normal 7 o’clock first post. (Four Footed Fotos)

No ICF 2-year-old trotting championships. Get the 3-year-old finals out of the way early with races 1, 2 and 3. Sprinkle in some Consolation stakes. And then place the richest event, the Orange and Blue Colt Championship, on the last race that always went off after midnight. By that time of the night about 80 per cent of the on-track patrons were on their way home or already there asleep

Management couldn’t, or stubbornly wouldn’t, comprehend the fact that when people run out of betting money, they leave.

In years past the first race had a 6:30 pm first post, and some five and one-half hours later when the O&B finally came around, most patrons were tapped out. A high percentage of the sparse crowd that still left for the final stake race were horsemen, their owners, and employees.

The richest race of the night, the 2-year-old colt championship, never was the one with the greatness handle. The highest betting races usually occurred in the middle of the card when the maximum about of patrons were on hand still with moola in their pockets.

Tonight the $136,142 Incredible Finale 2-year-old colt and gelding final is the very first race of the night. It’s an effort to jump-start the card and maybe attract some left-over thoroughbred players to stick around and bet on one of the most prime races of the night.

It might work but again it might not. We’ won’t have to wait long to fimd out.

Champions Night LogoManagement also has added a pair of $25,000 Invitational races to this year’s Night of Champions. Both pace and trot invites lured some very good horses to Hawthorne where they’ll be confronted by some of the better open company local horses who participated throughout the summer long meet.

To try and maintain those patrons still with money in the pockets to stay on, and hopefully entice players from all around the country to the Hawthorne wagering pools, both of the awaited 3-year-old pacing championships will go as races 11 and 12, with the Invites preceding them.

The $160,080 Robert F. Carey Jr. Memorial final is race 11 and it is headed by 2017 Illinois Horse of the Year Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard), winner of his first 16 career races, and You’remyhearthrob (Kyle Wilfong), the Brett Wilfong home-bred who bested his rival with a sweep at Springfield.

Among their challengers are Du Quoin’s Dudley Hanover champ Dandy Dune (Ridge Warren), Backstreet Lawyer (Mike Oosting), a 1:50.4 winner at Hawthorne, and Al’s Briefs (Travis Seekman), an earlier Carey leg victor.

Yougotitfiguredout (Robert Smolin), Fox Valley Hinjix (Kyle Husted), Frontier Frank (Brandon Bates), M T Gunslinger (Randy Crisler) and Molina (Juan Franco, complete the 10-horse field.

Kyle Wilfong is hoping he’ll be able to give another “thumbs up” to the Hawthorne patrons at the end of one or more of his championship drives. (Four Footed Fotos)

Kyle Wilfong is hoping he’ll be able to give another “thumbs up” to the Hawthorne patrons at the end of one or more of his championship drives. (Four Footed Fotos)

Next up is the unpredictable $125,140 Plum Peachy Championship for second season gals. There have been eight series legs raced and they’ve been won by six different fillies.

The Sister Master (pp 6, Michele Morgan) and Party Belle (pp 10, Travis Seekman) did it twice while Skeeter Machine (pp 1, Kyle Wilfong), Allbeastnobeauty (pp 5, Mike Oosting), The New Americana (pp 8, Kyle Husted) and Rollin Coal (pp 9, Robert Smolin) have notched one each.

They’ll be challenged by the 2017 Illinois Two-Year-Old Filly Pacer of the Year Fox Valley Jazzy (Ridge Warren), along with Frontier Cuzin (Gary Rath), Shooting Star (Casey Leonard) and Fox Valley Miranda (Jamaica Patton).

The final twist on the placement of the 2018 Night of Champions races finds the 3-year-old colt and gelding trot final, always raced for years and years on Super Nights before the sun went down, the nightcap this time around.

The $83,696 Erwin F. Dygert Memorial championship has a scheduled 11:19 post time but don’t try to hold your breath between that predicted post time and the actually time the race goes off. The Mike Brink Stable’s Illinimight (Casey Leonard) and Majistic Caprice (Tyler Shehan) from the barn of Roshun Trigg are the likely post time favorites.

It’s a very nice betting card tonight so sit back and enjoy.

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Brink has Dangerous Trio on Night of Champions

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By Mike Paradise

Springfield based trainer Mike Brink will ship in five youngsters for Hawthorne’s Night of Champions Saturday night and three of his ICF horses will very likely get a lot of play at the betting windows.

Illinimight (Casey Leonard), is the 7-5 morning line favorite in the $83,696 Erwin F. Dygert Memorial 3-year-old male trot. Allbeastnobeauty (Mike Oosting), is expected to be the post time favorite in the $125,140 Plum Peachy Championship for 3-year-old pacing fillies and Maui Mama (Casey Leonard), is the 5-2 second early choice behind in the $99,032 Beulah Dygert Memorial 3-year-old filly trot.

I had an opportunity to get some insight from Brink on his three leading candidates on the Night of Champions.

Illinimight (Casey Leonard) looks to make it back-to-back Night of Champions victories for trainer Mike Brink. (Four Footed Fotos)

Illinimight (Casey Leonard) looks to make it back-to-back Night of Champions victories for trainer Mike Brink. (Four Footed Fotos)

Springfield champion Illinimight has captured 3 of his last 4 starts after having just one win in his first 11 trips postward. The Cassius gelding ended his freshman campaign for owners Keith and Kevin Miller of Arthur, Illinois with a Night of Champions triumph in the Kadabra final.

“It was my intention to have Illinimight at his best for August and September and it has turned out that way, said Brink. “He’s a nice little horse who really has been good all year. There never has been anything wrong with him. I was a bit surprise with his 1:54.4 winning time at Springfield. I kept his hobbles tight this summer to keep him trotting. But I let them out an inch last week and Casey (Leonard), told me he could notice the difference. The horse raced really well. Casey has driven him all summer long and knows the horse. Not having to switch drivers all the time is a good thing. “

Albeastnobeauty has had a very productive sophomore season, winning 8 of 14 outings, while raking in over $62,000 for the partnership of Josh Carter (Williamsville, IL), Mark Brown (Chatham, Illinois), Larry Crawford (Port St. Lucie, Florida) and Brink.

Allbeastbeatnubeauty finished third in last week’s final leg of the Plum Peachy, snapping a four race winning streak that included neck victories in both the Springfield and Du Quoin State Fair championships.

Brink added,“Allbeastnobeaurty is a grinder. She’s a big filly who can get lazy. She’s been sound all year with no lameness issues. Last week’s winner (The New Americana), didn’t do much all year until that race. I was expecting her to get a bit tired on the front, but she paced a 27 and change third quarter and that pretty much ended my horse’s chances. Allbeastnobeauty is at her best in the third quarter, but she wasn’t going to gain any ground last week in it with those fractions. With the big purse this week, they should be racing harder up front in the early going and if they do, that will help my horse. If the race goes like it did last week, she could be in trouble. We’ll just have to see how things unfold.”

Champions Night LogoMaui Mama zipped to the top of the Beulah Dygert stakes point standings wins in her first two series leg with Casey Leonard. Since then she has gone winless, nevertheless, the Cassis filly has finished second or third in all of her last seven tries, including the last four, to the Steve Searle’s sharp filly Trotting Grace, the 3-2 programmed favorite, who rattled off a sweep at Springfield, a Windy Skeeter victory at Du Quoin and a fourth straight win in last week’s leg four of the Dygert.

“Maui Mama has been a consistent filly all season long,” said Brink. “She could be a surprise horse on the Night of Champions if some things can go her way. (Steve Searle’s) filly (Trotting Grace), is sharp, but she’s not a real good finisher. If we can get a 2 or 3-hole trip with some decent fractions up front, my filly could be right there. Casey didn’t want to race her first up last week and we got shuffled back. Maui Mama hasn’t had any real issues all year, but I had some vet work done to her this week and she should be fresh and ready. She does have a good late kick.”

Maui Mama owns a 50 per cent career winning record going into the Night of Champions, with 9 victories in 18 starts. Thus far, she has banked $117,205 for her Morton, Illinois owner Bill Wright.

First post on the Night of Champions has been moved up to 7 pm