Jamaica’s Plans No Longer on Hold

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By Mike Paradise

Like every other Illinois horseman all trainer Jamaica Patton could do was prepare his horses and await the word for the long overdue announcement that Hawthorne can restart its 2020 harness meet.

The go-head message from the Governor’s office to resume racing in Illinois the first week of June came a few days ago, after a two and a half month shutdown brought about by the devastating Covid-19 Pandemic, putting a halt to harness racing nation-wide.

Horsemen like Springfield based trainer Jamaica Patton persevered the best they could under the extraordinary circumstances that clearly brought about economic hardships to many in our industry.

During the long mandated work stoppage, Jamaica had his plans on hold for horses he has stabled at Hawthorne, youngsters at his Springfield headquarters mostly pointed for the County Fair circuit, and aspirations for others to compete at the State Fairs at Springfield and Du Quoin.

Now those plans can became a reality.

“All horsemen could do is get their horses ready and just wait it out,” explained the 39-year-old Mississippi native who now that the shutdown has ended can be found from one end of our state to the other.

Patton splits his summers on the Illinois County Fair Circuit, at Hawthorne and at Indiana’s Hoosier Park. “I’ve got horses I want to race at our fairs but so far there haven’t been any.”

One by one this year’s Illinois County Fairs have been picked-off by the Covid-19 Pandemic. With the recent announcement by the Illinois Department of Agriculture that the June 30th Schuyler County Fair at Rushville has been call off, the entire June fair schedule is either cancelled or postponed.

The Newton Fair in Jasper Country slated in June will be moved to August. June’s Greene County Fair at Carrollton will be raced at a date yet to be announced.

The Jamaica Patton Stable’s Fox Valley Reggie (right) is shown with driver Kyle Wilfong proving best in an Hawthorne race, (Four Footed Fotos)

The Jamaica Patton Stable’s Fox Valley Reggie (right) is shown with driver Kyle Wilfong proving best in an Hawthorne race, (Four Footed Fotos)

Patton has some talented older horses ready for the reopening of Hawthorne next weekend, including the talented Indiana bred mare Dee Rocks, a winner of a local Open back when snow was still on the ground in early March.

“She can hold her own in the Opens at Hawthorne and she likes Hoosier, too,” continued Jamaica. “She can fly off the gate but she’s really a versatile filly and you can race her anyway you want.”

The five-year-old daughter of Rockin Image has over $300,000 in career earnings on her card in a little more than three seasons of racing with $196,750 coming in her freshman campaign for co-Illinois owners Ron Phillips (Athens) and John Carver (Rock Island).

Under the care of trainer Dossier Minor, Dee Rocks was a disqualification away from a 12-race winning streak and another $40,000 in purse earnings as a two-year-old. She won her first six races and finished first in an $80,000 Indiana Sire Stake final only to be placed tenth for interference. The filly went on to capture five more consecutive Indiana bred stakes before a second place finish in another $80,000 championship. Dee Rocks ended the year winning 11 of 14 starts and then added nearly another $100,000 in money won in her 2018 sophomore campaign.

Jamaica has the well-rested ICF stalwart Fox Valley Reggie preparing to return to Hawthorne. An Open winner last summer at Hawthorne, “Reggie” wasn’t himself in a trio of starts early on at the meet.

“He didn’t do well,” continued Jamaica. “There was some sickness going around and I think he might have gotten some of it. I’ve given him three months off and he should be back to his old self for the summer.”

The six-year-old Yankee Skyscraper gelding owns a mark of 1:51.2, taken at two Ohio tracks, in 2018 at Daytona Raceway and last season at Miami Valley, and in his 2018 Springfield the Illinois State Fair Aged Pace championship win where he beat the likes of He Gone Jack and Fox Valley Nemitz.

Also in training for Patton is the now seven-year-old Illinois bred productive trotter Primed N Powerful, closing in on 50 career victories for owners Ron Phillips and Sharry Boledovich of Lakewood, Colorado, also the proprietors of Fox Valley Reggie. The Psychic Spirit trotting gelding has competed in Illinois and Ohio Opens the past couple of years and will begin his 2020 campaign with purse earnings of nearly $265,000.

Double Draw Wednesday: Entries for reopening of Hawthorne’s meet must be declared by 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. Both the Saturday (June 6th) and the Sunday (June 7th) will be drawn on Wednesday (June 3rd). Online entries are encouraged.

Qualifying Updates: Hawthorne Qualifiers are scheduled for Monday, June 1st and also on Wednesday, June 3rd. Horses that raced at Hawthorne between Friday, March 6 and Sunday, March 15, need not qualify. They can but it’s not mandatory.

Tuesday at Springfield: Races will be held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield this Tuesday (June 2nd) at 12:00 p.m. Conditions for the races are for Illinois bred 2-year olds, 3-year olds and 4- year olds and up. Total purse payout for the day will be $50,000. No spectators are allowed, only officials or personnel (with face masks) involved with horse care are permitted on grounds.

Three-for-Three: Trainer Dale Knox sent out three horses in Friday’s qualifiers at Springfield and they all proved best. The Hillsboro, Illinois drove Talk About It to a 1:57.2 clocking, then followed with Rocknroll High (1:58.40 and Brysen (1:57.4) to their respective first place finishes.

(With the resumption of live racing at Hawthorne Mike Paradise’s new posted stories will revert back to the Friday, Saturday and Sunday format).

Safety Protocols Announced

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With live racing right around the corner, please take a look at the new safety rules that will be enforced and that we will follow at Hawthorne.

COVID19 Horse Racing Guidelines 5.28.20

Simmons had Constant Maywood Menace

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By Mike Paradise

After the renowned Taser Gun’s domination at Maywood Park during the turn of this century, another ICF pacer came along to win over the hearts of Chicago circuit’s half-mile patrons and that would be Constant Change.

The star of the Tom Simmons Stable had a fabulous racing career in the first decade of the 2000s with 38 lifetime victories and almost $600,000 in purse earnings and while Constant Change did very well on the all tracks in Illinois, he really shined on Maywood Park’s smaller oval.

Constant Change went to the gate 60 times at Maywood Park with the vast majority of those outings in Free for All’s, Opens, and ICF stake races and racked up 23 victories, a 33 per cent winning clip. The gelding was third or better at Maywood Park an amazing 75 per cent of the time.

And don’t think Constant Change’s opposition at Maywood Park wasn’t as tough as nails in the mid-2000s.

Constant Change (Dale Hiteman) is shown winning one of his many races earlier this century at Maywood Park. (R E B Photos)

Constant Change (Dale Hiteman) is shown winning one of his many races earlier this century at Maywood Park. (R E B Photos)

At one time or another the Cole Muffler gelding posted Maywood Park Free for All victories against such talented pacers as Taser Gun, Fox Valley Devious, Parklane Powerful, Color Me Best, Frontstreet Marty, King Johnny and Sagebrush.

A $32,000 yearling acquisition by Benita Simmons (Springfield, Illinois), Hunt Harness (Big Rock, Illinois) and Helen Logan (Nowata, Oklahoma) at the 1998 Cottonwood Farm Sale, Constant Change was a late-bloomer.

The son of Cole Muffler out of the Bret Hanover broodmare Flashing By, wasn’t raced as a freshman and only had limited success as a three-year-old earning less than $27,000. Constant Change’s four-year-old season was also moderate, banking a little more than $33,000.

It was at the age of five that Constant Change took off as an ICF pacing star. He was a 13-time winner that season with earnings of $239,424. Seven of his 2003 triumphs came at Maywood with $20,000 added to his money won total from the track’s incentive award to the horse with the most points earned in its Maywood Park Pacing Series that encompassed the Cook County, Egyptian and Associates Illinois sired stake events.

That same year (2003) Constant Change sliced two full seconds off his previous best winning mile time when he sped to a 1:50.2 clocking in an early November Free For All at Balmoral Park.

It was as a six-year-old that Constant Changed zipped to his lifetime mark of 1:49.4 and it came at the Springfield State Fair with a classic match-up against the celebrated Illinois kingpin Taser Gun. The event was the Illinois State Fair Colt Stakes Aged Horse and Gelding Championship. The purse was $10,000 but it was raced as if there was another “Zero” was on the line. Both ICF stars went off at even-money in a five-horse field.

Mike Lachance shot Randolph Duke out from the five-slot to take the lead with a quick 27.1 first quarter time. Dave Magee protected the rail with Constant Change and was second, two lengths behind. Andy Miller ducked Taser Gun and was fourth another three lengths further back. Magee had Constant Chance on the move on the backside making the front with a very quick 27 flat second quarter, with Taser Gun some six and a half lengths behind.

Magee got a 28.3 third quarter breather for Constant Chance at the same time Taser Gun was taking in air while closing the gap to one and a quarter lengths. As it turned and the Bob Walker trained luminary wouldn’t get much closer despite a 26.3 last panel because Constant Change also came home in the same rapid time. For that matter so did the third and fourth placed horses Randolph Duke and Honest Lawyer.

A lot has changed in our industry in the 16 years since that memorable Springfield match-up. Unfortunately it hasn’t been all good for our Illinois harness racing industry.

Live racing, Qualifiers Update: Hawthorne’s meeting will resume on Saturday, June 6th and Sunday, June 7th.

Hawthorne Qualifiers are scheduled for Monday, June 1st and also on Wednesday, June 3rd. Monday’s qualifier entries must be declared by 9 am Sunday, May 31st. Wednesdays entries are due Tuesday, June 2nd, also by 9 a.m. Online entries are encouraged.

Horses that raced at Hawthorne between Friday, March 6 and Sunday, March 15, need not qualify. They can but it’s not mandatory.

Also, Qualifiers are scheduled on Friday and Saturday at the Springfield State Fairgrounds, weather permitting. Springfield qualifiers will be held Friday and Saturday at 11:00a.m. Entries can be made online or by phone Thursday (May 28) and Friday (May 29) from 7-10 a.m. by calling LeAnn Shinn at 618-783-2589.

Live Racing Schedule Updated

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Hawthorne qualifiers are scheduled for Monday, June 1st at 2 p.m. and Wednesday, June 3rd at 11:00a.m. If your horse raced after Friday, March 6 you will not need to qualify. You can if you’d like but it’s not mandatory. Effective June 10, qualifying standards will then go back to the traditional 45 days. We will resume live racing on Saturday, June 6th and Sunday, June 7th. We will then return to our normal three night a week schedule after that. There may be an adjustment on starting post time to maximize our opportunity for handle. The revised stake schedule and Summer Series can be found by clicking the links below. Because of the obvious lack of simulcasting wagering the past three months, we will start back with a 15% reduction in purses. We are hopeful that it will be the only purse cut of the year. The Illinois Racing Board will be open for licensing at the racetrack, days and hours to be announced soon. Strict safety protocols will be in place. Everyone must follow new rules. When entering the backstretch, you will have your temperature taken, masks will be worn at all times. Social distancing will be enforced. New paddock and ship in areas will be designed to conform to the rules. We will follow these rules religiously. No one person is more important than the whole of the industry. Do not show up without a mask and don’t take these warnings lightly. We have sacrificed too much lost time already to risk a setback.

2020 NOC and CV race dates REVISED 5.26.20

2020 Summer Series Revised dates

Also this just added…

Qualifiers on Friday and Saturday at the Springfield State Fairgrounds. Weather permitting qualifiers will be held Friday and Saturday at 11:00a.m.

Entries can be made online or by phone Thursday (May 28) and Friday (May 29) from 7-10 a.m. by calling LeAnn Shinn at 618.783.2589.

All horses must have a current Coggins on file and a current EHV. Please submit these ASAP by e-mail (leshinn@aol.com), fax (618.783.2589) or text photos to 217.433.8938.

Entry fees will be determined by the number of horses to qualify.

We will try to use the fair’s racing office.

The Wait is Over. Live Racing Returns

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We’ve just learned today that we have been cleared to begin live racing beginning Monday, June 1st. The specific details are still being ironed out but we hope to have qualifiers early part of next week and then go live the weekend of June 5th. An adjusted stake schedule will be announced as soon as possible and more exact details will be made as well. Check back here throughout the day.

Illinois other Millionaire Trotting Star

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Live racing at Hawthorne resumes on Saturday, June 6th and Sunday June 7th. Horses that raced at Hawthorne between Friday, March 6 and Sunday, March 15, need not qualify. They can but it’s not mandatory.

Hawthorne Qualifiers are scheduled for Monday, June 1st at Hawthorne and also on Wednesday, June 3rd. Monday’s qualifier entries must be declared by 9 am Sunday, May 31st. Wednesdays entries are due Tuesday, June 2nd, also by 9 a.m. Online entries are encouraged.

The Monday June 1st qualifiers will begin at 12 noon. Wednesday’s June 3rd qualifiers start at 11 a.m.

Also, Qualifiers are scheduled on Friday and Saturday at the Springfield State Fairgrounds, weather permitting. Springfield qualifiers will be held Friday and Saturday at 11:00a.m. Entries can be made online or by phone Thursday (May 28) and Friday (May 29) from 7-10 a.m. by calling LeAnn Shinn at 618.783.2589.

By Mike Paradise

Few, if any, long-time followers of Illinois harness racing would dispute that Plesac was the No. 1 ICF trotter to compete in this century.

The John Butcheshoen trained star ended his six year racing career in 2003 with over $2.5 million in purse earnings and 36 wins in 87 career starts, often against the best trotters in the country for Richard Balog of St. Charles, Illinois.

Those are mind-blowing numbers for any trotter, not just an Illinois bred. While the son of Armbro Charger, out of Balog’s Speed Bowl mare Astute Yankee, trotted his way to stardom, Plesac wasn’t the state-bred trotter to become a millionaire in the early 2000’s and also warrant national recognition.

The Joe Anderson Stable’s Million Dollar Bye was the other.

Plesac was a 1997 foal, Million Dollar Bye, also sired by Armbro Charger, was foaled one year earlier. Both were bred by Fox Valley Standardbreds of Sherman, Illinois.

Whether you measure a great ICF trotter by money won, lifetime victories, competition, record time, and/or longevity, Million Dollar Bye definitely checks all those boxes.

Million Dollar Bye became an Illinois bred trotting millionaire for the Joe Anderson Stable in the first decade of this century. (REB Photo)

Million Dollar Bye became an Illinois bred trotting millionaire for the Joe Anderson Stable in the first decade of this century. (REB Photo)

In a lengthy racing career Million Dollar Bye hauled in $1.27 million dollars in purse earnings. He made winner’s circle stops a remarkable 66 times. The Anderson trainee competed against such top-notch aged trotters as Magician, Plesac, Fool’s Goal, Goodtimes, and Spitfire Ranger in out-of-state added money events, Invites and Opens. The Illinois-bred luminary took a mark of 1:53.3 at Lexington as a four-year-old and the horse went to the gate for twelve long years, his last in 2009 at the age of 13.

Those are indeed exceptional figures.

Million Dollar Bye was a $33,000 yearling purchase at the Walker Standardbred Sale in 1997 by the Anderson Racing Stable, John Leahy of Naperville Illinois and Tom Lewandowski of Portage, Indiana when he sold under the name Fox Valley Ice.

The new owners decided to rename the colt Million Dollar Bye. If my memory is correct, the name change was to draw attention on how the State of Illinois $1 million dollar bonus was being awarded.

At that time an ICF two or three-year-old horse had to win 3 of 4 designated state-bred stakes to receive all, or a share, of the $1 million incentive award. No small task but it was made easier when the Race Office decided in some instances to just let the highest earning horse or horses draw a bye into a championship rather than compete in short-field eliminations and earn their way into the final.

As it turned out in 1999 Million Dollar Bye did share in the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s $1 million incentive award and he didn’t need any help “byeing” his way for a shot at the big bucks. The gifted gelding swept at Springfield, swept at Du Quoin, crushed his Su Mac Lad elimination foes with a 10 length romp and then cruise by six lengths in the $107,900 championship as well.

Those designated stake triumphs were part of an eight race winning streak for the talented trotter who went on to finish second in both the $100,000 Galt at Maywood Park and the $168,488 Matron final at Dover Downs in Delaware. Million Dollar Bye would win 11 races that year and deliver a bountiful $408,914 payoff to his happy owners.

Million Dollar Bye had five seasons where he earned six figures and might have had more if health issues didn’t limit him to only seven starts in 2002 and just five in 2004.

And there were several years when the trotting kingpin of the Anderson stable was a valiant road warrior

As a five-year-old in 2000 Million Dollar Bye started off the season on the east coast at the Meadowlands in Free for All and Invitational events and then was shipped all the way to California to Los Alamitos for the Staley stake series where he captured its $137,250 final with “Little Joe” at his lines. Later in the year he won Opens at the Red Mile in Kentucky and at The Big M in New Jersey.

The gelding raced the first two months of 2001 at the Meadowlands taking on their best trotters. He competed in that year’s prestigious Classic Series at Dover in Delaware, Woodbine in Canada and back at the Meadowlands. He took on the best in Illinois for most of his last 18 season starts with stops in Indiana and Kentucky Open trots.

More high-level races at the Meadowlands were the norm in the mid-2000s for Million Dollar Bye who gave it one more gallant, but unsuccessful, try in 2009 at the age of 13 before his well-deserved retirement began.

Million Dollar Bye was deservedly inducted into the Illinois Harness Racing Hall of Fame two years later in 2011.

We encourage our readers who are playing the horses to support the Illinois horsemen by wagering through the Hawthorne Club app. Clubhawthorne.com. It is the only current source of income for purse generation during the Coronavirus in Illinois.

Additional information can be found at Hawthorneracecourse.com.

Hawthorne’s Late Closers Pushed Back

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By Mike Paradise

Hawthorne’s 2020 Late Closer Summer Series, scheduled to be held in May, has been pushed back and will begin at an undetermined date at the meet.

That’s welcome news for Illinois horsemen and their owners who paid various nomination fees to get their horses raced on two consecutive weekly Late Closer legs and hoped to earn enough points to have a horse be one of the 10 series finalists.

The vast majority of this year’s Hawthorne Late Closers had plenty of nominations with the exception of the Mike Paradise for ICF three and four year-old male pacers with $10,000 or less in lifetime earnings. The Paradise only had six horses entered and any Late Closer with less than eight eligible horses may be canceled by the Hawthorne Race Office.

The Daryl Busse Trot series for 3 or 4-year olds that are non-winners of $10,000 lifetime (for ICF or filly and mare trotters its $15,000 LT) took in the most nominations with 35 horse entered, making it very likely that leg one will have four divisions.

While skimming through all the 2020 Late Closer nominations available on the Hawthorne web-site, one name jumped out to me and that was the Jim Eaton trained filly trotter Encantado in the Bea Farber Trot series for non-winners of $30,000 lifetime (for ICF or F&M its $15,000). Encantado was one of the elite Illinois-bred trotters in 2018 as a two-year-old when she headed into that year’s Night of Champions.

The ICF freshman stake eligible trotter Fistfullofdollars, a $52,000 yearling purchase, is the younger brother of Encantado (Casey Leonard) shown here drawing off in her 2018 Springfield championship. (Four Footed Fotos)

The ICF freshman stake eligible trotter Fistfullofdollars, a $52,000 yearling purchase, is the younger brother of Encantado (Casey Leonard) shown here drawing off in her 2018 Springfield championship. (Four Footed Fotos)

Unfortunately for trainer Jim Eaton Encantado broke in the championship, just as she did in her previous start. It turned out the filly had health issues that needed to be resolved and she hasn’t competed since,

Now a four-year-old, it’s been 20 long months since the well-regarded filly has gone postward. With $44,300 on her card, Encantado is eligible for the Bea Farber by just $700.

As a freshman the daughter of Lou’s Legacy came out ready to ramble in mid-June of 2018, winning the Violet and her leg of the Fox Valley Flan nine nights apart. After a second place finish in a second leg of the Fox Valley Flan, Encantado rose to the top of her division with a sweep at Springfield with Casey Leonard at her lines for owners Phil Langley, John Schwartz Jr. and Eaton. The filly trotted a season best 1:54.2 mile in the State Fair championship and looked superb doing it.

However she wasn’t the same flawless filly after Springfield despite a three week rest.

Encantado then made a break in the stretch on the lead in her next leg of Fox Valley Flan and was far back at the finish. She got off to a sluggish start in the final “Flan” leg and was last, more than a dozen lengths behind at the first quarter. She did well to come on to be third.

When Encantado begins her comeback in the Bea Farber one of her Late Closer rivals is her sophomore stable-mate Fox Valley Lush, a filly who blossomed late in the ICF freshman season. Fox Valley Lush won a September leg of the Fox Valley Flan and picked-up the third place check for the Eaton stable in the championship.

Eaton will also have is three-year-old colt trotter Fox Valley Kobe in the Farber. A son of Pizzazzed, out of the former ICF champion mare Fox Valley Diva, Fox Valley Kobe was a winner in an opening leg of last year’s Kadabra stake series.

The other Bea Farber trot eligible horses are Be Magical, Bella Magnifica. Captainsblacksparrow, Fox Valley Elicit, Roma Hall, Trotterlicious, Trouble For All and Volare TZ.

The 14 distaffer pacers nominated for the Walter Paisley (NW $30,000 LT, ICF $45.000) are Admit, Always Nadia, Ashlee’s Fine Girl, Dreaming Image, Flames Of Fire, Fox Valley Lolo, Little Adaline, Maddison Ivy, My Uptowne Girl, Nightgirl, Pootie Cat, Rock It Out. Sands And Rocks and Street Parade.

The 23 Bob Larry Series eligible pacers: Artspire, Brysen, Candys Image Rocks, Chick Magnet, Cuzberttoldmeso, Evco Lane, Flying Marvin, Fox Valley Lincoln, Haulin’ Oats, Hot Day Cool Night, Life Is A Highway, Little Bita Sass, Netbigten, Pianno Roll, Pirates Alley, Rockinscience, Rollin’ Times, Skyway Artimus, Some Nobody, Sports Hero, Talk About It, Tappin Outamessage and Toxic Rock.

The eight Dave Magee filly or mare series nominations were Amazon Princess, Harper, Patches Dreamgirl, She’s So Funny, Sporty Perch, Syrna, TE’s Smoothas Silk and Umakeit Utakeit.

The 35 Daryl Busse eligible trotters: Andover The Halo, Bluebird Luigi, Buck Dancer, Cassy Chip, Coach Cougar, Easy EO, Extreme Edge, Frontier Stylish, Gin Patty Lin, High Queen Anne, Hot Fuss, I Thank You, Justa Nother Bag, Kay Can Do, Look And Count, Los Paisano, Louistuit, Lucky Banker, Mamaneedsmorewine, Mr Wisconsin, Muffin For Fun, Mystical Momento, Olympic Hopeful, Pilgrim Caviar, Ramblin Cougar, Ready To Deal, Really Railee, Schubie, She’s Got Moxy, Skyway Bebop, Stella Krmp, Swan Mission, The Motion of Love, U S Patriot and Zone Six.

The 17 Tony Salvaro eligible fillies are Another Kari Lynn, Astounded Hanover, Elite Fine, Eternal Bliss, GD Potliker, Imthebigsis, Like A Peach, Lookintomyeyes, Mary’s Pretty Girl, Passionanpromise, Penny Girl, Sierra Mystique, Skyway Igotthis, Slow Your Roll, Spicy Lil Hope, Tropical Fruit and Yummy Candy

The 21 colt and gelding Phil Georgeff eligible pacers: Americanboy, Artscapade, Bobs Time, Cashncam, Dirt E Rock, Fox Valley Mondo, Frontier Rollo, Gotit, Hoosier Celebrity, Johnny Ringo, Mac Special, Master Place. Partner In Crime, Rock Jagger, Rockin American, Rockin Around, Silverstar’s Flash, Sugartime Shark, Time For Fraunswau, Turbo Power and W H Tenderfoot.

The only six male pacers nominated for the Mike Paradise were Bagman, BJ’s Cowboy, Cookie Jack, Grand Ole Party, L L Gram and Mighty T0ny Mac.

Sad News: Our condolences to the family of former Chicago circuit driver Donald Glassi who passed away earlier this week. The Oak Park, Illinois native drove during the late 1970s through the mid-1980s with his first winner coming at a winter meet on the Arlington Park racetrack back in 1977. Glassi was 68 years-old.

We encourage our readers who are playing the horses to support the Illinois horsemen by wagering through the Hawthorne Club app. Clubhawthorne.com. It is the only current source of income for purse generation during the Coronavirus Pandemic in Illinois.

Additional information can be found at Hawthorneracecourse.com.