Sportsman’s Park’s 1997 Super Night program cover. (Pete Luongo Photo)

 By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

 Illinois most anticipated evening of harness racing has arrived with Hawthorne’s Night of Champion. Over $1.5 million of purses will be on the line tonight when an even dozen ICF champions will be decided.

 The November setting for a Super Night brand of racing comes about later than normal this year.

  A staple for the second week of September for most of four decades, the gala evening has gone from a late summer must attraction for Illinois horsemen and fans, to an autumn classic. However, what hasn’t changed are the caliber of horses competing, the six digit pots, the prestige of owning an ICF champion, and the overall excitement of the night.

  This is the 35th consecutive Super Night type card in Illinois where it was inaugurated back in 1989 at old Sportsman’s Park.

 Let’s stroll down memory lane at some of the early highlights at Sportsman’s Park where a liquor warehouse now stands adjacent to Hawthorne racecourse,

 Lavern Hostetler was “the Man” on the first Super Night, driving six of the winning horses and none were the betting favorites. The Indiana native brought home Gosox in the $285,000 Orange and Blue Colt Pace, Son Of A Cup in the $180,000 Pete Langley Memorial, Lady At Work in the $180,000 Grandma Ann, Dinero Too in the $50,000 Ann Vonian and Dr. Walker in the $25,000 Dan Patch Consolation.

 The star of the 1990 Super Night wasn’t a driver, trainer, or a racing horse. It was the Illinois stallion Ideal Society who sired five of the major stake winners including Plum Peachy (Walter Paisley) in the Orange and Blue filly pace, clinching Illinois Harness Horse of the Year honors. Panic Attack (Dave Magee) left no doubt she was the best ICF freshman filly pacer when she captured the $342,000 Filly Orange and Blue.

 Plum Peachy repeated as a Super Night champ in 1992 for Paisley in the $210,000 Grandma Ann 3-year-old filly stake. Undefeated Incredashell (Jim Curran) wrapped up her Illinois Horse of the Year honor when she took the $310,000 Orange and Blue filly tittitlee.

 Super Night 1993 saw Arrogant Rick (Neil Coleman) win the $314 Orange and Blue Colt final, Broadway Commodity (Dave Magee) prove best in the $225,500 O & B filly showdown and the late charging Broadway Circle (Daryl Busse) prevail in the $205,000 Pete Langley.

 In 1994 the night belonged to Dave Magee, who drove 4 of the 6 championship stakes winners: Gene’s Prize in the $308,000 O & B colt final, Fox Valley Jetta in the $279,000 in the $279,000 filly event, Without Approach in the $206,500 Pete Langley, and Ideal Angel in the $100,000 Ann Vonian.

 Magee also steered Diamond Sweetie to the 1996 O & B filly championship. In 1997 the Green Bay, Wisconsin native was at the lines of Fox Valley Memorial, giving Dave four consecutive driving wins in the O & B 2-year-old filly pace championship.

 That same evening Dale Hiteman drove Garfunkle, at 14-1 to an upset in the $320,275 O & B Colt final and Broadway Spirit to his victory in the $207,000 Pete Langley Memorial

 The year 1997 was the last time Super Night was held at Sportsman’s and Joe Anderson took over the title as Mr. Super Night.

 The nation’s leading winning trainer won 3 of the 6 championships and two came with both Big Tom and stable-mate Ohyouprettything getting a share of the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s $1 million bonus award.  Ohyouprettyhing had an easy time winning the $235,000 O & B filly final in 1:55.3, while Big Tom took the colt division in stake record time of 1:53.3 with Anderson.

 Who will step up and come up with a memorable victory Saturday’s Night of Champions? The wait is over to find out.