Hawthorne’s Night of Champions has arrived

It's time for the Night of Champions


By Mike Paradise

   

 It’s about a month later than usual but “Show Time” for Illinois harness racing is here.

 

 The best ICF pacers and trotters of both gaits and sexes will be on display Saturday night when Hawthorne Racecourse presents this year’s Night of Champions. Twelve state-bred stake races, with over $1.1 million in purse money, will be on the line.

 

 Let’s take a look at the Night of Champions card in the order they’ll be offered:

 

$83,000 Beulah Dygert Memorial 3-year-old filly Trot:


Heading into September Radiant Diamond (Kyle Wilfong) was standing tall in this division with four wins in 7 starts however her last couple were sub-par, and she drew the outside 10-slot.

 

 Bell Boots (Matt Avnatti) has some on to capture her last two Dygert serries stake and drew nicely with the rail making her the program favorite. Fox Valley Shanian took both her ISFCS champion and Du Quoin’s Windy Skeeter only to go off stride in her last two starts. Atlee Bender takes over her lines tonight. Dawn Of Creation may be ready to drop her recent bridesmaid role.

 

 Mike’s Pick: Fox Valley Shania.

 

$45,000 Tony Maurello Memorial 3 and up F&M Pace:   

 

 It’s a wide-open event. Fox Valley Exploit (Kyle Husted) is the two-time defending champion and has never lost om the Night on Champions. Apple Valley (Kevin Lambright) showed grit and determination in last week’s prep. Skeeter Machine (Travis Seekman) should relish the move inside. Dandy’s MNM (Kyle Wilfong) has raced game in her recent starts and Bombae Parkway packs a big late wallop.

 

Mike’s Pick: Apple Valley.

 

$45,000 Carl Becker Memorial 3 and up F & M Trot: 

 

On paper this appears to be a battle between the 2022 Illinois Harness Horse of the Year Funky Wiggle (Curt Grummel) and the long-time Prairie State trotting queen Annas Lucky Star (Kyle Wilfong).

 

 The 4-year-old Funky Wiggle missed two months before her second-place finish to “Anna” and has the pole position. Annas Lucky Star, the star of the Nelson Willis barn did win rather easily last week and could make the front again. She has the two-slot.

 

Mike’s Pick: Annas Lucky Star.

 

$45,000 Robert S. Molaro Memorial Aged Male Pace:


 Any doubts about He’zzz A Wise Sky (Kyle Wilfong) being ready for the NOC after a month on the sickbed was erased last week when the speedy six-year-old home bred crushed this same field by nine lengths in 1:49.2. They’ll have to try and catch the John Filomeno trainee again.

 

 The three-time Illinois Horse of the Year was a distant second a week ago but when the chips are down, the Terry Leonard stable star delivers. He’s raced in six Night of Champion finals and won them all.

 

Mike’s Pick: He’zzz A Wise Sky.

 

$119,000 Fox Valley Flan 2-year-old trot

 

  Interesting race. Whiskey Lou (Kyle Wilfong) and Calypso Moon (Casey Leonard) are the early co-favorites and deservedly so. Whiskey Lou breezed in his last Fox Valley Flan leg and has been first or second in all six career starts. Calypso Monn has prevailed in 3 of her 4 series legs and keeps getting better and better,

 

 Then there’s Illini Diva (Cordarius Stewart) who won a series leg two weeks ago and has been right there in the thick of it in others. You can’t discount Stand My Her Man (Mike Brink) who looked so good mowing then down the fields in the state fair finals only to be plagued by breaking problems since and Gjlindagrit, a seven time winner, has been third or better in all of her 13 trips to the gate.

 

Mike’s Pick: Calypso Moon.

 

$105,000 Robert F. Carey Memorial 3-year-old male pace:

 

 The Amy Husted stable’s Fox Valley Landen has pretty much dominated this division thus far this year. He has a pair of 1:50 flat victories and had an eight-trace winning streak against his division rivals.

 

 Fox Valley Langley did beat “Landen” in last month’s Carey leg match-up and it was only his second start of the season, and the first since late June because of a bad abscess on a front leg.  However, drawing the 10-hole tonight makes his task very difficult.

 

 Fox Valley Patriot (Casey Leonard) is always a major factor in this division and certainly merits your wagering consideration.

 

Mike’s Pick: Fox Valley Landen.

 

$90,000 Erwin F. Dygert Memorial 3-year-old male trot:

 

 Let’s face it, a win in this stake by any horse not named Nicko Man (Atlee Bender) or Goomster (Travis Seekman) would probably be the upset of the night.

 

 The seven-time season winner Niko Man has beaten Goomster a number of times this year however Goomster got the best of the Erv Miller trainee in last week’s final series leg, and he did draw inside of his rival (post 4 compared to post 8) tonight.

 

 Note that Goomster’s owner Dennis Gardner turned over the training chores on his prize trotter after the September 24th series leg to the Seekman stable and the Cassius gelding is two-for-two since.

 

Mike’s Pick: Goomster.

 

$45,000 Plesac 3-year-old male trot:

 

 On Higher Ground or Talk About Valor; Take your pick.

 

  The Gerald Hansen stable’s Talk About Valor (Travis Seekman) had it his own way in Illinois until recently. He was hurt by the 10-hole in a recent Hawthorne Open and didn’t have it in last week’s prep, giving way to On Higher Ground (Kyle Husted) in the lane. However, “Valor’s” three post tonight is his best starting slot since early August.

 

 On High Ground has been a moneymaker for the Jennifer Bongiorno stable this season and came to town looking to be $35,000 richer with a win in this series prep and its championship. The smallish six-horse field helps the Cassis gelding’s chances.

 

Mike’s Pick: On Higher Ground.

 

$121,000 Kadabra 2-year-old male trot:

 

 Not sure who will be the post time favorite in this division, let alone the winning trotter.

 

  It could be the front-stepping El Champee’onn (Robert Smolin) who won last week’s series leg comfortably. Or maybe Lous Private Eye (Casey Leonard) who was a game victor in his leg and earlier captured a division of Du Quoin’s Governor Cup stake.

 

 What about Fireballs Pride (Kyle Wilfong), one or two in 9 of his 10 season starts, who got out too late last week. Or maybe Tru Cash (Cordarius Stewart) who looks to be in his best season form. The Erv Miller trainee moves to an outside slot (post nine) but that will help his wagering value.

 

Mike’s Pick: Los Private Eye.

 

$174,000 Incredible Finale 2-year-old male pace:

 

 Very competitive race with a quartet of youngsters likely getting the bulk of the public’s wagering dollars.

 

  The owners of Gorgeous Big Guy (Tidd Warren) may have bought themselves a lucrative champion when they acquired the Ashlee’s Big Gut gelding in mid-September. He’s chalked up two series legs since and he’s in a great spot with the two-post to win another.

 

  Fox Valley Julian (Casey Leonard) also had a big shot. He’s the Hawthorne track-record holder for a 3-year-old gelding (1:52.1) looks very dangerous with the pole position.

 

 Fox Valley Durham (Cordarius Stewart) is very sharp and after three wins in a row is a confident pacer as well. Guitar Man owns the fastest mile thus far this season for an ICF freshman (1:51.2) and is capable 0f powering past this field at maybe a fair price.

 

Mike’s Pick: Gorgeous Big Guy.

 

$187,000 Incredible Tillie 2-year-old filly pace:

 

 The post time favoritism will likely be divided between a pair of Amy Husted stable’s fillies Fox Valley Sadie (Kyle Husted) and Chickabell (Todd Warren). Both have peaked at the right time.

 

 It looks like Chickabell prefers to be up-close and probably will be there. Her stable mate has won on or off the pace.

 

 Sleazy Gal’s 10-post hurts her chances, but she does have gate speed to gain good position. Fox Valley Tasha (Cordarius Stewart), Fox Valley Taran (Matt Avenatti), Stevie Mae (Brandon Bates), Hypeyourbestieup (Travis Seekman), and Fox Valley Gina (Atlee Bender) all have a decent shot at double-digit payouts.

 

 Fox Valley Tessa (Brandon Bates) and Platinum Shark (Robert Smolin) are the longshots to grab the $93,500 winner’s share of the purse.

 

Mike’s Pick: Chickabell

 

$116,000 Plum Peachy 3-year-old filly pace:

 

  Can any filly in this race end Fox Valley Leah’s winning streak at nine in a row?

 

  Erv Miller’s assistant trainer Atlee Bender, who knows the filly best, came in from Indiana to drive her tonight to try and seal the deal with the Somestarsomewhere offspring.

 

 The Mike Brink stable’s My Daddys Revenge (Casey Leonard) arrives in the race in top form and could give Fox Valley Leah all she can handle. Last season’s ICF freshman champ Fox Valley Kia (Phil Knox) is a game and talented filly. Her 10-post helps her post time price.

 

Mike’s Pick: Fox Valley Leah.

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