Illinois History Made at Du Quoin

 Fox Valley Landen became the co-fastest Illinois bred pacer of all-time with a 1:47.4 clocking Tuesday at Du Quoin. (Patricia Fryman Photography)

  By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

  Those who stuck around for the almost six-hour Champions Day at the Du Quoin State Fair were treated to the co-fastest mile of all time by an Illinois bred pacer, a 1:47.4 clocking from Fox Valley Landen.

 The 4-year-old Somestarsomewhere gelding, trained by Amy Husted and driven by her husband Kyle, won the 17th and last race on the card, the $12,000 aged ICF pace for horses and geldings in record time.

 The speedster He’zzz A Wise Sky (Kyle Wilfong), as expected, cut the fast fractions of 24.4, NTR, 1:20.3 with Fox Valley Landen right behind him. In the lane the winner pulled away from his rival to pace the fastest mile in Du Quoin’s long history.

  First up on the lengthy but exciting finals were a pair of First Lady Cup events for ICF 2-year-old trotting fillies, each with $35,125 pots.

  The initial split went to the Tom Simmons trained Kays In Charge ($12.40), perfectly rated on the front end by Travis Seekman. Her 1:57 flat mile is the season fastest in her division. The Can’t Afford filly is owned by the Engle stable of Northbrook, Illinois.

 The Steve Searle trained Lou’s My Number (Casey Leonard) picked a good time for her maiden victory, taking the second split in 1:57.4 by two and one-half lengths over the 4-5 favorite Dandy’s Princess (Marcus Miller.

 Steve Searle (Grant Park, IL), Mike Buzzard (Altamont, IL), Chris Paloma, (IA), and Michael Paloma, (Mundelein, IL) owned the winning daughter of Lou’s Legacy.

 The state-bred freshman filly pacing grouping was next with two 12-horse fields going for purses $35,125 in both Lt. Governor’s Cup events. Pulling off an upset at 19-1 odds was the second tier Time To Roll filly Fox Valley Jasmine, ($40.60), nicely handled from the 12-post by Ross Leonard for trainer Erv Miller.

  The winning proprietors are Doug Overhiser (New Smyma, FL) and Mark Winship (Cantrall, IL). A close second and third were the even money choice Wildcat Abby (Casey Leonard) and I Love My Captain (Kyle Wilfong).

 The first public’s choice to have success Tuesday was Thebeautifulthings with a heady drive from Kyle Husted, another second-tier horse. The winning margin was more than seven lengths in her new season mark of 1:52.2.

 Thebeautifulthings left from the 10-slot behind the one-horse Rk’smack. Several horses shot out from the get-go and Husted had to wait for a spot to take his filly off the rail and try to make the top.

 Once there, she put away her foes,and was much the best for the quartet of Doug Overheiser, Husted Racing (Altamont, IL), John Schwarz (Wooddale, IL) and Mark Winship.

 The first of two $35,125 Governor’s Cup trot finals for juvenile colts and geldings saw the Dave Avenatti trained Shady Maple Becker ($19.40) at 8-1 take the first split in front-end fashion with a 2:00 flat clocking. Wyatt, Lane and Dave Avenatti, all of Chrisman, Illinois, share ownership of the Can’t Afford gelding

 The Curt Grummel stable’s Sunburnt Silverado (Casey Leonard) wore down the 3-5 favorite Louise’s Legacy (Marcus Miller) in deep stretch to capture the second division in 1:57.3. Curt, Craig and Leo Grummel of Carrollton, Illinois share ownership of the Lou’s Legacy.

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  A pocket trip from driver Kyle Wilfong paid off with a narrow 1:52.4 victory for the 8-5 betting choice Dialogue ($5.20) in the first of two $35,125 groups of the Director’s Cup for 2-year-old male pacers.

  The Kimberly Roth’s trained son of Captain Trevor was three quarters of a length better than the front-stepping PD’s Diamond Hope (Brandon Bates) for Mason, Illinois owner Bart Seales.

 All eyes, and a good portion of the mutuel pool, were on Cash Money Twenty (Casey Leonard) in the second split but this time the overwhelming 1-5 favorite couldn’t deliver the goods as the Walker family’s Battlin Bob (Travis Seekman) outpaced him in the stretch.

 Both horses traded places to be in command with Cash Money Twenty having the lead turning for home, however the Hart Walker trained freshman lived up to name, with a quick 1:51.2 mile for owners Bob Walker of Carrollton, IL, Hart Walker, Jerseyville, IL, Charles Walker, Edwardsville, IL and Robin Klinger, Carrollton, IL.

 The winning son of Somestarsomewhere, out of the homebred mare Bucklegirl Bobette, is now unbeaten in five lifetime starts.

 The two $25,125 divisions of the Windy Skeeter for second season trotting fillies went to the Curt Grummel trained stablemates Calypso Moon (Kyle Wilfong) and Whiskey Lou (Casey Leonard). Both are daughters of Lou’s Legacy.

 Calypso Moon’s 1:55.4 win was her first in eight season starts for owner and breeder. Patrick Graham (Lockridge, Iowa) while Whiskey Lou stayed unbeaten this season in eight outings by almost 15 lengths for her owner and breeder Randy Witt of Savanah, Missouri. The mile time of 1:53.1 is a new mark for Whiskey Lou.

 The $25,125 Time Dancer splits for sophomore pacing fillies was next, as darkness crept up on the mile track. Another $25,125 purse was on the line when the heavy 1-2 favorite Fox Valley Sadie (Kyle Husted) finished off the board.

 After a length inquiry by the stewards, the first-place finisher Adalecia (Travis Seekman) at 8-1 was the official winner over the 70-1 longshot No Words Needed, with a career fastest mile of 1:52. Trainer Jamaica Patton shares ownership of the Time To Roll filly with Illinoisans Ron Phillps (Athens) and Ryan Spearie (Springfield)

 Jamaica was back in the winner’s circle with Seekman after the second division was concluded when the 1-5 public’s choice Hypeyourbestieup prevailed in 1:52.2. Patton co-owns the daughter of Somestarsomehwere with Mississippian Cedric Daniels.

  Lous Private Eye (Casey Leonard), at 3-5, was all out to hold off the 16-1 longshot Tru Cash (Marcus Miller) in the $50,250 Pronto Don trot for 3-year-old colts and geldings. Owned by his breeder, Flacco Family Farms of Alexis, Illinois, the Lou’s Legacy prodigy bettered his lifetime mark by almost two seconds with his 1:54.4 clocking.

  The overwhelming 1-9 favorite Gorgeous Big Guy (Marcus Miller) had to survive a steward’s inquiry to win the first $25,125 division of the Dudley Hanover for second season male pacers. Now 7-for-7 as a sophomore and unbeaten in his career against fellow Illinois breds. The Ashlee’s Big Guy gelding paced the mile in 1:51.1 for trainer Erv Miller.

  As expected, the 3-5 favorite Guitar Man (Travis Seekman) was victorious in the second Dudley Hanover for trainer Rob Rittof in time of 1:50.3. Both Dudley Hanovr winners are owned by Doug Overhiser and Mark Winship.

Seekman’s win was his fifth on the card.

 Hosea Williams Rollin Coal ($12.80), driven by Brandon Bates, was the upset winner in the $12,000 championship for aged pacing mares. The 1:51.2 mile equaled the 9-year-old’s fastest career mile.