Cordarius Stewart drove Gorgeous Big Guy to his 1:49.3 victory Thursday in a division of the Cardinal ICF stake at Springfield. (Terry Young Photo) 

By Mike Paradise for the I.H.A.A.

 Ideal weather conditions with a sunny sky, temperatures in the low nineties, and a balmy breeze of 10 miles per hour coupled with a very fast track set the stage for the Illinois Department of Agriculture sponsored Violet and Cardinal stake events for ICF 3-year-olds of both gaits.

 Right from the get-go we had a new lifetime mark set by the Jamaica Patton trained Hypeyoubestieup who went wire-to-wire from the rail in 1:52.2, more than a full second off her best previous mile.

 Driver Tavis Seekman took advantage of the one-post, sending the daughter of Somestarsomewhere out in a hurry with a 27.2 first panel. The winner of the first of three $17,957 Violet pace divisions got her breather in the second quarter (28.3). She hit the three-quarter pole in 1:23.2, opened by five lengths in the stretch, and held off a fast-closing Fox Valley Sadie (Kyle Husted) by about a half-length.

 Hypeyourbestieup, a $11,500 yearling purchase, is owned by Jamaica Patton (Rochester, Illinois and Cedric Daniels (Jackson, Mississippi).

  A heads-up move by driver Matt Avenatti was the key to the Dane May trained Amy Mooss comfortable three length triumph in the second $17,766 Violet pace split in 1:53 flat, another new mark.

 Owned by Alan Beals of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, Amy Mooss took the field to fractions of 27.1, :55.4 and 1:24 before Avenatti let his filly shoot out to a comfortable stretch lead and the issue then wasn’t in doubt.

 In the third Violet split Chickabell, who was second best at the finish, was disqualified by the stewards from second to last because driver Kyle Husted, who had the second tier with her, went to the first tier at the start when No. 3 Big Flicka was well off the gate. A starter in the send tier can move to a post other than the one if there is no other horse in the second tier but can not move to a front tier starting point.

Second went to Fox Valley Tasha (Cordarius Stewart) while Fine N Dandy (Travis Seekman) was awarded third.

 The third Violet pace saw the Kevin Miller stable’s Fox Valley Reeva (Atlee Bender) rally for a 1:53.3 victory, knocking almost two full seconds off his previous best time.

 Adalecia (Travis Seekman) rallied from far back to take the runner-up role, beaten a little more than one length. The early pacesetter First Of Her Game (Juan Franco) was third.

 A pair of $22,750 Violet trots were next and last season’s filly freshman trotting champion Whiskey Lou (Casey Leonard) coasted to her third consecutive victory in a best career time of 1:54.3 while under a hold.

 While the winning margin over Fox Valley Tiegen (Atlee Bender) was about two lengths, the Curt Grmmel trainee had a seven-length lead in the stretch.

From last to first was the wide route Scorecard Lil Red took to prevail in the second $22,750 Violet trot for driver Juan Franco. Trained by Gregory Kain, the Lou’s Legacy homebred was making only his second career start, winning in 1:56.4. His first was a 1:55.4 triumph earlier this month at Hoosier Park.

 The state-bred colts and geldings got their chance to shine in the first of two $24,850 Cardinal paces and boy, did they deliver. When the dust settled it was Gorgeous Big Guy nailing down his ninth win in a row with a scorching 1:49.3 clocking for driver Cordarius Stewart.

 Although it didn’t come easy for the Erv Miller star pacer.

 Kyle Husted hustled Doctor Cruise out from the nine-hole in the 10-horse field and Somestarsomewhere where progeny rattled off consecutive 27 flat panels. Gorgeous Big Guy was fourth and out and going on the backside, but Doctor Cruise wasn’t slowing down, about eight lengths ahead going into the stretch getting to the three-quarters in a sizzling 1:20.3.

 Nevertheless, Gorgeous Big Guy kept plugging away and in the last eighth these two were side-by-side. The Ashlee’s Big Guy gelding got past in the late going and a half length win and stayed perfect for the young season for owners Doug Overhiser (New Smyma Beach, Florida) and Mark Winship (Canton, Illinois).

 Fox Valley Julian (Casey Leonard) was third best.

 Guitar Man, also owned by the duo of Doug Overhiser and Mark Winship, came up with a gutsy winning performance in the second Cardinal heat, stopping the timer in 1:51.2.

 Trained by Rob Rittof, Guitar Man had to overcome the eight-slot in a 10-horse field. A not-so-easy-journey was expected for Guitar Man, and it certainly came about, the winner paced a wide mile and was three-deep going into the last turn.

 Fox Valley Kodiak (Kyle Husted) held off Fox Valley Durhan (Cordarius Stewart) for the second-place money.

 The last two ICF stakes on the program were both $23,650 Cardinal trots. All eyes on the first were on last year’s juvenile champion Lous Private Hope (Casey Leonard), looking to make it 3-for-3 as a sophomore and he did, convincedly.

 Lous Private Eye took command after a slow 31 first quarter half when there were no challengers. After the third quarter was reached in 1:31.4, Lous Private Eye pulled away, winning in 1:59.3 for owners and breeders Flacco Family Farm of Alexis, Illinois. The win was the 10th so far of the meeting for Lous Legacy.

 Nicely handled by Jared Finn, Little Chipper made his second season debut a successful one, taking the second Cardinal trot in a new lifetime mark of 1:56.4. Trained by Jared’s father J D Finn, Little Chipper grabbed the early lead, relinquished it to the eventual runner-up trotter Lous Gambler (Casey Leonard), took it back near the 57 half-mile pole and drew off.