The Steve Searle trained ICF mare Lous Amazon (Casey Leonard) goes for a weep of Hawthorne’s Jingle Bell trotting series Saturday night. (Four Footed Fotos)

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

 The last of Hawthorne’s Jingle Bell series events will wrap up Saturday evening with another Steve Searle trained trotter looking for a series sweep.

 The big 4-year-old mare Lous Amazon with driver Casey Leonard has brushed away the challengers in the first three legs of the Jingle Bell and no doubt will go to the post with the bulk of the public’s wagering money in the $15,000 championship feature.

 The daughter of the perennial ICF trotting sire Lou’s Legacy extended her current winning streak with her trio of convincing triumphs the last few weekends for her Flacco Family Farms of Alexis, Illinois, her owners and breeders.

 Last week she did it with the six-slot in an 8-horse field. Lous Amazon had to work in the early going when she and three others left for up-close position, The betting favorite made the front out of the first turn but Aunt Percilla (Mike Oosting), sprinting out from the outside post took over soon thereafter.

 Nevertheless, a few strides later Hawthorne’s leading driver had Lous Amazon on the move again, clearing to the top by more than one length. By the half-mile pole, a lead the trotting mare would never relinquish in her winning 1:59.2 mile on a cold (19 degrees) evening.

 Last month it was Lous Amazon’s stablemate Lous Miracle (Wyatt Avenatti) zipping through an Illinois bred series in comfortable fashion for his Grant Park, Illinois conditioner.

 While Lous Amazon has heated up has the weather got colder, her only other win in 2023 came in early October when she drew off by four lengths in the filly’s second leg of the Beulah Dygert stake series with Casey at her lines.

over the highly regarded state-breds 3-year-olds Calypso Moon and Stand By Your Man.

 Lous Amazon will be the 8-5 first flash favorite from the four-post when she meets Hope’s Star (Wyatt Avenatti), Omaha Storm Chaser (Kyle Wilfong), Fashion Baby (Cordarius Stewart), Scorecard Lil Red (Juan Franco), Aunt Percilla (Mike Oosting), Illini Diva (Todd Warren), Ally Baba (Travis Seekman), Helpful Nonna (Marcus Miller) and Affection (Brandon Bates).

 Back after a one-week absence is Hawthorne’s Open Pace with a reduced purse of $8,500. Brooklyn Bridge A (pp 7), from the barn of conditioner Ronnie Roberts, will try to become the first Open winner at the winter meet to make it back-to-back first place finishes on the mile oval..

 Roberts will send out a second Australian bred in the fifth race with Away Way Go A, an Open winner in mid-December who was handicapped with the outside eight-slot.

 Kyle Wilfong will be back at the lines of Brookyln Bridge A who sped to a 1:51.1 clocking two week ago. Kyle chose the Castaldo Racing Stable 7-year-old pacer to drive Saturday over He’zzz A Wise Sky who landed a rare inside start with the three-post for her new driver Todd Warren.

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 The first two posts will also be manned by imports. The New Zealand bred gelding Melton Beach N (Wyatt Avenatti), also a Roberts trainee, has the pole position, while another Aussie, Anotherstatement A drew the two with Brandon Bates. Round Here Buzz (Cordarius Stewart), Fox Valley Landed (Kyle Husted) and Play Me Rock (Juan Franco) leave from posts 4, 5 and 6. In that order.