Fox Valley Ramiro (Casey Leonard) is the early favorite Saturday in a new series at Hawthorne for ICF horses. (Patricia Fryman Photography)

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

  When Illinois horsemen downloaded this weekend’s Hawthorne condition sheet many of them were pleasantly surprised when a new series for Illinois breds of both sexes and gaits popped up.

 The series are for ICF horses that are non-winners of $25,000 lifetime as of November 9th and it the events were immediately embraced by Prairie State trainers. Leg one on Saturday night landed two divisions for colts and gelding pacers, another pair for state-bred filly pacers and a single division for trotters.

  Each series race will carry an $8,000 purse.

  Six male pacers who competed in divisions of last weekend’s Cardinal stakes will participate in the new series, three in each split.

 Nevertheless, it’s Fox Valey Ramiro, a non-Cardinal starter who will be the likely post-time favorite in the sixth race first division. The Tom Simmons trained gelding is listed at 9-5 in the morning line and those odds could be going lower. While Fox Valley Ramiro didn’t draw well for tonight with the 7 slot in an 8-horse field, he has the pedigree to get the job done.

 Fox Valley Ramiro (Casey Leonard) is a son of Somestarsomehwere out of the Western Hanover mare Pacific Sister K, making him a full brother to the Illinois pacer Fox Valley Cayman (1:52.4). The $16,500 yearling purchase by James Cravens) Buffalo Grove, IL) and Benita Simmons (Springfield, IL) is also a half-brother to such sub 1:52 pacers as Doublescotcher Scotch (1:51, $807,361), Mystical MJ (1:51.1, $317,139), and Earndawg (1:51), $307,325).

 Fox Valley Ramiro hasn’t raced for two months. He was scheduled to compete in a leg of the Carey series on October 2 at Springfield but was scratched sick. He was also scratched sick a month later at Hawthorne. He did qualify in 1:55 flat, finishing second a week ago, with Casey Leonard at his lines.

 Fox Valley Ramiro did manage to get in 10 starts this year, winning twice, including a 1:5.4 clocking at Du Quoin. The youngster made only two starts as a 2-year-old, winning his debut last summer at Springfield in 1:56.2.

 Awaittng Fox Valley Ramiro are Western Trevor (Travis Seekman), Tonto Returns (Wyatt Avenatti), Coleada Party (Geremy Bobbitt), Hezarengade (Robert Smolin), Fox Valley Tyrel (Juan Franco), Bull Market (Marcus Miller), and Fox Valley Cole (Jamaica Patton).

 The second split will go as race eighth with a pair of horses from the barn of Terry Leonard—Fox Valley Bruin (Casey Leonard) and Fox Valley Boxer (Travis Seekman), a new addition to the stable—as the first flash favorites at 5-2 and 3-1, respectively.

 They’ll be challenged by Love Is Blue (Gar Rath), Bellas First Mooss (Matt Avenatti), Hello Trevor (Marcus Miller), R Tyler Towne (Wyatt Avenatti), Fox Valley Mamba (Kyle Husted), RKS Captain, and Who’zzz This Sky (Todd Warren).

 The filly series affairs are  races one and four with favoritism in the opener likely to be divided between Itty Bitty Secret (Wyatt Avenatti) and SG Clover Success (Casey Leonard) in the opener, and Dream (Juan Franco) and Jimmylai (Casey Leonard) in the second split.

 Leg one of the series for ICF trotters will go in single $8,000 division, race seven. The Gregory Kain trained filly Scorecard Lil Red (Juan Franco) is the 7-5 pre-race favorite with Lou’s Miracle, one of three Steve Searle trainees in the race, the early 5-2 second choice.