Kays In Charge, shown here winning with Casey Leonard), goes for her third win in four career starts Friday in a ISFCS elimination for state-bred 2-year-old filly trotters, (Terry Young Photo)

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA 

 It’s the second day of racing at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield and for many horsemen and their owners it’s the time to be plenty nervous. At stake in all 15 contests is the opportunity to advance to next week’s Illinois State Fair Colt Stake championships.

  In some cases, all that’s needed is a fifth-place finish in an eight-horse elimination. However, for ICF two-year-old colts and geldings, landing at starting berth in the final is a very challenging assignment.

 With four ISFCS eliminations on the card, only the first two finishers in each event are assured of returning next Thursday for the added money championship.

  A random drawing will determine which of the four third place finishers will move on for the 55,000 showdown, so expect some big efforts and quick miles when the freshman colt elims roll around on the last four races of the program.

 Race 14 in particular looks intriguing.

 The seven-horse 14th has a trio of freshman going postward that have some dominant recent victories—Cash Money Twenty (Casey Leonard), PD’s Diamond Hope (Wyatt Avenatti) and The Toddfather (Juan Franco).

 Cash Money Twenty shipped-in from Running Aces in Minnesota where he cruised to easy victories in his first three starts. Five days ago, the Stevensville gelding rolled to almost an 11-length victory in 1:54.2 on the five-eighths track. He’ll race today out of the barn of Mike Brink of Springfield with Casey Leonard at his lines.

 The Toddfather is trained by Brittany Dillion and all the Captain Trevor offspring did in his latest outing was stroll to a 10 and 1/2 triumph for driver Juan Franco who is back to guide the youngster.

 The Kevin Miller trained PD” s Diamond Hope has been either first or second in his first six lifetime starts, winning a few weeks ago in a snappy 1:53.1 at Du Quoin by more than eight lengths.  He dropped a narrow decision last week at Mt. Sterling but still paced his last quarter in 27 flat on the half-mile oval.

 The ISFCS eliminations for freshman trotting fillies will open the lengthy card. A fifth or better finish is needed to advance.

 It’ll be more difficult for the first season pacing fillies. With three divisions, only the first three finishers are assured of moving on. A draw will be held to see which fourth place filly gains the final.

 A fifth-place finish or higher is necessary for three-year-old filly trotters to achieve the championship. Curt Grummel’s defending filly trotting champion Whiskey Lou (Casey Leonard) will put her seven-race winning streak on the line in race seven.

 The first five finishers will advance to the 2-year-old male trotting final. The same goes for three 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters.