Friday Night, May 31st.
The House has recessed until tomorrow (Saturday) morning. The Senate has done the same. Apparently they are still working out details for the City of Chicago and their casino. Hopefully our large gaming bill will be called within the next day or two. We are now officially in overtime. We’ll update as soon as we hear anything.
Today is the final scheduled day for our legislative spring session. There has been plenty of arguing and posturing in regards to the “gaming bill.” The horse racing piece of the bill has been finalized. However, we are a small part of a massive, controversial deal. As I’ve been saying the last few days, we had a good idea that it would come down to this last day. We are hopeful that this situation will become clearer in the next few hours. I’ll report back as soon as I hear anymore, good or bad.
Tony Somone, Executive Director, IHHA
By Mike Paradise
There is always some nervousness for any horse owner, when his 3-year-old debuts, even if the horse is coming off a very successful freshman campaign and the proprietor has been through the situation countless times.
Long-time ICF horse owner Marty Engel admits he was a bit apprehensive before his talented youngster Meyer On Fire, the 2018 Illinois Two-Year-Old Pacer of the Year, went postward in last week’s Robert F. Carey stake, the first leg of the journey towards Hawthorne’s Night of Champions in mid-September.
After watching Meyer On Fire win with authority in the home-bred’s initial sophomore start and with a new driver, Marty had to love what he had just witnessed.
“Even if they’re good as a 2-year-old you’re always worried about how they’ll come back at the age of three,” said Engel. “I was really pleased the way Meyer On Fire raced.”
I would be, too.
Meyer On Fire (Tim Curtin), fresh off a convincing victory in last week’s Robert F. Carey first series leg, goes after another stakes win in Friday’s second $21,850 division of the Cardinal 3-year-old pace. (Four Footed Fotos)
Meyer On Fire followed his seven-month layoff with a three-length victory in 1:53., for his new driver Tim Curtin, who pulled the ear plugs on the horse on the backside, coming out of fifth, and by the half-mile pole (:58), had the star ICF pacer on the front end. A 27.2 last quarter, with more left in the tank, sealed career victory No. 8 in 14 starts.
“It’s just one race, so I don’t want to get too excited, but yes I was impressed with last Saturday’s race. I’m very much looking forward to the rest of Meyer On Fire’s 3-year-old season,” added Engel who has owned over 250 horses for the past few decades, including the 2008 Breeders Crown 2-year-old filly pace champion Fox Valley Topaz, along with Meyer On Fire’s sire Sagebrush and his dam Sleazy Babe.
You’ll find those same bloodlines in Friday’s seventh race when Slzburgerslzburger races. He’s the older brother of Meyer On Fire.
The Erv Miller trained Meyer On Fire raked-in over $118,000 as a 2-year-old and took his first season mark of 1:52.4, when he captured the Springfield State Fair championship.
“Erv (trainer Miller), told me he thought Meyer On Fire would be a quality horse ”, said the long-time Buffalo Grove, IL. resident, now in Northbrook, Illinois.
“If he isn’t there, Erv calls and talks to the driver before the race, especially if the guy is driving the horse for the first time like Tim (Curtin) was. Meyer On Fire is a lazy horse, so you have to stay after him. I’m sure Erv let Tim know about that.
“If you saw Tim nod to me when he was leaving the winner’s circle with Meyer On Fire, he did that after I asked him if he liked the horse. He said “yes” as he nodded. In fact, every one that has driven the horse has told me how much they liked him.”
The fifth race second $21,850 division draw couldn’t have gone any better for Meyer On Fire, who will open at low-end 4-5 odds. He landed the one-slot. The two through seven posts will be manned by: Sporty McGrew (Kyle Wilfong), Fox Valley Oscar (Cordarius Stewart), Coming Up (Ridge Warren), The Bucket (Casey Leonard), Master Sage (Juan Franco) and Fox Valley Julius (Sale Knox).
Fox Valley Triton (pp 4, Casey Leonard), unraced at two, was an easy winner (1:54.4) of last week’s Mike Paradise Late Closer Series Final and is the heavy 4-5 morning line choice in the second race first Cardinal split.
Mike Paradise series champion Fox Valley Triton (Casey Leonard), is the 4-5 morning line favorite in Friday’s second race initial Cardinal pacing stake. (Four Footed Fotos)
This will be Fox Valley Triton’s first outing against some of the better ICF 3-year-old male pacers, including the Ken Rucker Stable’s Maximus (Kyle Wilfong), a scant nose runner-to Meyer On Fire in the 2018 Night of Champions Incredible Finale championship.
Maximus (pp 3), will be at first flash odds of 8-5. The longshot hopefuls in the race are Ole Swamp Master (Tim Curtin), Riley The Mooss (Gary Rath), Cooter Luke (Travis Seekman), Frontier Muffler (Freddie Patton) and Ryan Racketeer (Ronnie Gillespie).
Outside Looking In: Two-time Illinois Harness Horse of the Year Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard), returns to the races after a brief week off, for the sixth race 12,000 Open Pace where the Hawthorne Race Office assigned him the outside seven-slot, and deservedly so.
Fox Valley Gemini is programmed at 9-5, but expect those odds to go down substantially. The Terry Leonard trained pacer won the Open two weeks ago by a hard-to-believe 10 and 1/2 lengths, on his favorite race track, where he’s only lost once in 23 career starts.
Last Saturday’s Open winner, Rising To The Top (Travis Seekman), was allocated the six slot. Dash of Danger (Kyle Husted), You’remyhearthrob (Kyle Wilfong), Jewel Maker (Juan Franco), Feelnlikearockstar (Tim Curtin) and Sir Mammo (Ryan Anderson), start from post one through five, respectively.
Here’s a unique view of a start at Hawthorne, compliments of Four Footed Fotos.
By Mike Paradise
It’ll be back-to-back weekends of stakes events for ICF 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.
Following last week’s opening legs of the Night of Champions stakes series is the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Cardinal and Violet events for both pacers and trotters.
Friday’s Cardinal pace saw 14 ICF 3-year-old colts or geldings pass the entry box, making it necessary to split the stake into two divisions, each with a $21,850 purse.
The (Marty) Engel Stable’s, Meyer On Fire (Tim Curtin), a strong winner of last Saturday’s first leg of the Robert F. Carey, no doubt will be a prohibitive favorite in the fifth race, second Cardinal division.
The Erv Miller trained gelding romped to a three-length victory in 1:53.1 in his first start of 2019 and drawing the pole position, only enhances his chances of adding the Cardinal to his list of his already accomplishments.
Meyer On Fire will be tested Friday by Sporty McGrew (Kyle Wilfong), Fox Valley Oscar (Cordarius Stewart), Coming Up (Ridge Warren), The Bucket (Casey Leonard), Master Sage (Juan Franco) and Fox Valley Julius (Dale Knox), in that order.
The second race, first division of Friday’s Cardinal pace will line up, from the rail out, with Ole Swamp Master (Tim Curtin), Riley The Moose (Gary Rath), Maximus (Kyle Wilfong), Fox Valley Triton (Casey Leonard), Cooter Luke (Travis Seekman), Frontier Muffler (Freddie Patton Jr.) and Ryan Racketeer (Ronnie Gillespie).
The Violet for Illinois bred sophomore pacing fillies will be Saturday’s headliner, while Sunday’s program will be capped by the Cardinal (males) and Violet (females) stakes for ICF trotters.
Don’t Overlook: While the second season Illinois bred horses are slugging it out in the first major ICF stake races of the year, older open company pacers will be knocking heads in Saturday Claiming Series Final with a $20,000 pot in the line. The $10,000 claimer championship looks like one of the better betting races of the weekend.
After the first two rounds, when horses competed with a $10,000 claiming tag, it appears there won’t be any clear-cut favorite going into the race. It’s also apparent, that a number of major threats are old-timers.
First leg winner, Rockin Robert (Randy Crisler), is getting it done at the age of 11 for trainer John Hughes. On May 18th the winner of 31 career races proved best in 1:53.4.
Last Dragon, a fast-closing runner-up to last week’s winner Skyway Fireball (Casey Leonard), for trainer and driver Jim Lackey, is still doing his thing at the age of 12. The George Dremonas (Oak Lawn, ILL), owned gelding paced his last quarter in a speedy 25.4, when he was only a neck short.
Last Dragon was nine-years-old, when he covered the mile in 1:49.2 at Pocono Downs, one of his 30 lifetime first place finishes.
The 11-year-old pacer, Justified Tim Curtin), was only one length behind Skyway Fireball ,when he came the final quarter in 26.1. In the same race the 12-year-old pacer Wildcat Bobby (James Molitor), finished in 27.1 to be fourth.
The 5-year-old Skyway Fireball is a youngster compared to many of his foes in Saturday’s claiming series showdown. The gelding was claimed for $10,000 in leg one, by trainer Loralee Johnson for Elwood, Illinois owners Rio Racing, and they quickly got a $6,000 return on their investment, the winner’s share of last week’s second leg series $12,000 purse.
He’s Back: Two-time Illinois Harness Horse of the Year Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard), returns to the races Saturday, after a week off, in the sixth race $12,000 Open Pace. The pride of the Terry Leonard stable, guns for his third consecutive Open triumph and the last on May 19th was by 10-plus widening lengths while under a hold.
First of all, let’s remember to commemorate those who gave their lives in service to our Country. We express our gratitude to their souls and to their families for their sacrifices, which have allowed us to live and enjoy our current freedoms.
Another day in Springfield is winding up, but it’s another day we are still alive for a major gaming bill. No significant changes from last week but SB516 and its amendment #2 (which we are told could be the vehicle for our gaming bill), did pass out of executive committee today at 8:30 a.m. Amendment two had nothing substantive in it. This is basically a procedural move to keep the process moving along. The hope is that another amendment will be added within the next three days and that will be the gaming bill. We’ll hope and we’ll see. In the meantime, all stakeholders continue to fight it out until the very last moment. Today horse racing (minus Arlington) met with Rep. Bob Rita, Rep. Lisa Hernandez and Senator Link. All supported much of our agreement. Table games are still iffy. Still no word on sports betting. Not sure if it will be a standalone bill or included in the big gaming package. Not sure if the racetracks will be included and if they are, what we will earn. We could get nothing from sports betting, which will be a serious disappointment. Yet, we just need to keep fighting to get a fair share, until we are told no more. We will continue to meet with other legislators until a final, final decision is announced. The Governor and the leaders of the House and Senate continue to discuss this and other pertinent topics amongst themselves. The big picture is that at this point in time, we will know something either way in the next one to three days. If the bill doesn’t begin moving by Thursday, it’s over until November. I’ll let you know as it progresses.