Bell Boots (Matt Avenatti) proved best in the Beulah Dygert Memorial championship for three-year-old ICF rotting fillies. (Four Footed Fotos).

By Mike Paradise

   The 2023 edition of Hawthorne’s Night of Champions saw the betting favorites prevail in Saturday night’s last eight races and repeat champions a scarcity.

 Only the Triple ZZZ stable’s He’zzz A Wise Sky Kyle Wilfong) duplicated his 2022 victory in the Robert S. Molaro Memorial aged pace and the three-year-old trotter Goomster (Travis Seekman) follow his two-year-old NOC championship with another in the Erwin F. Dygert Memorial final for sophomore males.

  Here’s how championship night at Hawthorne unfolded on a track listed “good.”

  Patience Pays Off: A patient drive from trainer Matt Avenatti paid off as the 5-2 second betting choice Bell Boots ($7.80) worn down the pacesetting 20-1 longshot Shespertifulkpert (Brandon Bates) in the final sixteenth of the 1:58 flat mile in the opener, the $83,000 Beulah Dygert Memorial trot three-year-old ICF trotting fillies.

  The 30-year-old Chrisman, Illinois native had Bell Boots fourth through most of the way as Shespertifulikpert trotted to a modest 59.3 first half and led through most of the stretch drive, and when called upon in the lane the winning daughter of Lou’s Legacy rushed past with authority for her eighth season win by two and one-half or Windsor, Mississippi. Illinois owner Toni Jo Bell.

Third place went to the 27-1 longshot Zena Lou (Steve Searle). Both 2-1 post time favorites Fox Valley Shania and Radiant Diamond went off stride in the race.

  Three consecutive champions for aged Illinois bred horses followed the opener of the12-race card.

 A Pocket Rocket: The pre-race favorite Apple Valley came up sick and was scratched out of the $5,000 Tony Maurello Memorial final for older pacing mares as Skeeter Machine ($9.80), given an advantageous pocket trip from driver Travis Seekman, proved best by more than a length in the 1:53.3 mile for Peoria, Illinois owner, James Greer.

 The eight-year-old Nick Prather trainee won the Maurello championship back in 2019 as a four-year-old. The win was Skeeter Machine’s sixth in 13 season starts. The battle for second went to Dandy’s MNM (Kyle Wilfong) over her Amy Husted stable mate Fox Valley Exploit (Kyle Husted), the 2-1 favorite.

 All the Way: The $45,000 Carl Becker Memorial mare trot saw Carroll and Diane Hays’ homebred Reign And Shine pulled off a major upset at 10-1, thanks to a heady driver by Cordarius Stewart who got the Cassis mare to the front from outside five slot in the first turn, a lead she never relinquished in her 1:57 mile.

 Loulita (Casey Leonard) at 23-1 rallied for second as the favorites (3-5) Annas Lucky Star and (8-5) Funky Wiggle could do no better than third and fourth, in that order. Reign And Shine ($23.20) is trained by Carroll Hays (Williamsville, IL).

 In a Class By Himself: As expected, the prohibitive 1-9 favorite He’zzz A Wise Sky (Kyle Wilfong) ended Fox Valley Gemini’s streak of seven straight Night of Champions victories in the $45,000 Robert S. Molaro Memorial.

  He’zzz AWise Sky $2.10), again led from start to finish for Triple ZZZ stable of Beecher, Illinois, cutting fractions of 27 flat, 54.4, 1:22.1 and finishing in 1:50 flat, more than four lengths ahead of the 47-1 longshot Get E Up (Kyle Husted). Fox Valley Gemini was third.

 The six-year-old winning home bred, trained by John Filomeno, saw his season earnings vault to $108,688. The defending Molar

o champ has banked over $630,000 in his illustrious career.

 Standing Tall: Next up was the $119,000 Fox Valley Flan championship for Illinois bred sophomore trotting fillies where Stand By Your Man (Brandon Bates) upset the 3-5 heavy favorite Whiskey Lou (Kyle Wilfong) for trainer Mike Brink, who shares ownership of the Lou Legacy filly with Illinoisians Mark Brown (Chatham), Jeffrey Clawson (Macomb) and Robert Lacey (Nokomis).

  Bates had Stand By Your Man ($12,60) in fourth through most of the 58.1 first half, took out the filly on the backside, raced her first over, and still had plenty left at the end of the 1:57.2 mile. Calypso Moon (Casey Leonard) was third best.

 Simply the Best: The 1-2 favorite Fox Valley Landen solidified that he’s the “King of the Hill’ in the ICF 3-year-old male pacing division, with s no-doubt-about-it triumph in the $105,000 Robert F. Carey Memorial championship by almost seven lengths.

 Trained by Amy Husted and aptly driven by her husband Kyle, Fox Valley Landen ($3.00) got a second over journey and used it to overpower his nine foes with a 1:51.2 mile, his 10th win in 12 season starts for proprietors David Brigham (Concord, MI), John Schwarz (Wood Dale, IL) and Kyle Husted (Altamont, IL)

  Nicely Rated: Goomster, well handled by Travis Seekman, got the early jump on Niko Man (Atler Bender) and used to his advantage, holding off his rival in the $90,000 Erwin F. Dygert Memorial for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters.

 Trained by Travis wife Desiree, Goomster ($3.60) needed a 28.4 first quarter to take over the lead from the 80-1 longshot Zions Realy Chilly, but once there was able to get away with moderate middle quarters, going to a 58.2 half and a 1:27 flat three-quarters. Niko Man was full of trot in the lane however he had a bit too much ground to try and makeup, finishing a half-length short in the 1:54 mile. Lous Andiamo (Casey Leonard) came on for third.

 Chalk Up Another: The east coast invader On Higher Ground, trained by Jennifer Bongiorno, (Kyle Husted), just as he did in last week’s Plesac Prep, showed again why he made the long trip to Hawthorne with another easy win (1:55.1) in the $45,000 championship, over runner-up Heath Bar (Jack Killeen).

 The third-place finisher Talk About Valor (Travis Seekman) took the field to a 58.3 half but couldn’t hold off the 1-5 public’s choice On Higher Ground ($2.60) who poured it on in the stretch for season win No. 10 in 27 tries and now has earned over $190,000 this year for owners Robert Weinstein (Bellmore, NY) and JB Racing (Freehold, NJ).

 The Right Strategy: Content to race the luke-warm 5-2 favorite Lous Private Eye in the middle of the pack most of the way turned out to be the winning tactic for driver Casey Leonard in the $121,000 Kadabra championship for freshman state-bred male trotters.

 The Steve Searle trained Lou’s Legacy colt came on strong in the lane to pull away to a three-length victory in a new lifetime mark of 1:58 flat for Flacco Family Farms (Alexis, IL), the owners and breeders of Lous Private Eye.

  Fox Valley Parker (Gary Rath) closed well to get second while the front-stepping Fireballs Pride (Kyle Wilfong) ended up third.

 Public Had it Right: The even money favorite Gorgeous Big Guy (Todd Warren) was a comfortable winner of the $174,000 Incredible Finale two-year-old colt pacing final, rallying from fifth at the 56 flat half for the Erv Miller stable.

 It was the fifth consecutive triumph for the son of Ashlee’s Big Guy, this one in a season best time of 1:51.2 for owners Doug Overhiser (New Smyma Beach, FL) and Mark Winship (Canton, IL). Fox Valley Julian (Casey Leonard) was second, beaten by more than two lengths while Fox Valley Durhan came on for third.

 He’s Back: Driver Todd Warren returned to the winner’s circle one race later after guiding the Amy Husted stable’s Chickabell ($4.20) to a two and one-half length win in the $187,000 Incredible Tillie championships for juvenile state-bred pacing fillies.

 Warren made the winning move soon after the first quarter to put Chickabell on the front end where she pretty much coasted to her 1:54.3 clocking for the foursome of Husted Racing (Altamont, IL), Viva Las Vegas Racing (Plainfield, IL), Chris Norder (Troy, IL) and Michael Argila (FL).

 It Wasn’t Easy: Fox Valley Leah (Atlee Bender) made it 10 consecutive victories in the $116,00) Plum Peachy three-year-old filly pace final, but it was far from an easy triumph.

 The Erv Miller trainee was passed in the lane by My Daddy’s Revenge (Casey Leonard) but came back in deep stretch to eke out a neck triumph in 1:53.2 for owners Doug Overhiser, the Erv Miller Stable (Wind Cap, Pa) and George Golemes (Oak Brook, IL).

 Saddled with the eight-slot in a 10-horse field, My Daddys Revenge took air from start to finish, racing without cover throughout in a very game effort.