Driver Casey Leonard behind Fox Valley Julian pulled off the upset of the streaking Gorgeous Big Guy. Terry Young Photo

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

 Now that the dust has settled concerning Fox Valley Julian’s victory that ended Gorgeous Big Guy’s winning streak at 16 in a row, driver Casey Leonard gave us some insight on the stunning development in the Illinois 3-year-old male pacing division.

 “The complexion of the race changed when the one-horse Doctor Cruise was scratched,” said Casey. “He’s a good horse with excellent gate speed. With him out it gave us a much better chance to get to the front in better shape.

  “Also, (trainer) Mike Brink has done a good job of making Fox Valley Julian easier to handle. If you look at the horse’s start a few weeks ago when he was on the front end against Gorgeous Big Guy, I was strictly a passenger.”

 In that leg of the Robert F. Carey series, Fox Valley Julian cut fractions of 27.3, 55 flat and 1:22.4 before he was passed in the late going by Gorgeous Big Guy, who enjoyed a pocket trip. “Julian” could only muster a 28.3 last quarter.

 Compare those fractions to last weeks of 28.3, 57.3, and 1:26.3 of a 1:52.2 mile by a “much more manageable” Fox Valley Julian. Gorgeous Big Guy dug deep and paced a 26.2 final panel, but “Julian” still had a 26.3 quarter in him to hold on for a head triumph.

 Ironically, the win was the first in 10 season tries for the Brink trainee after five seconds and a pair of thirds for Steelville, Illinois owner James A. Happ.

  “Just like last year, Mike has his horses at the right time,” said Casey.

  The Springfield based conditioner also saw his 2-year-old trotter What’s A Legacy (Kyle Wilfong) come from a dozen lengths off the pace to win a leg of the Fox Valley Flan 2-year-old trotting series and the barn’s freshman pacing standout Cash Money Twenty (Casey Leonard) win was his fourth straight and his eighth in nine career tries.

 “Cash Money Twenty is a quirky horse but he knows what to do on a racetrack,” added Casey. “He’s an easy horse to drive.”

 Casey had himself a very successful first weekend of the Hawthorne meeting. The 47-year-old Harvard, Illinois native drove five winners last Saturday and followed up with six more on Sunday’s program.

   On tap on tonight’s Friday card is a pair of Open Paces. 

The $9,100 event for males is headed up by the Amy Husted stable’s Fox Valley Landen (Kyle Husted) who was assigned the outside five slot by the Hawthorne Race Office.

  The 4-year-old son of Somestarsomewhere uncorked a record 1:47.4 mile in early October at Springfield, equaling the fastest ever for an ICF Standardbred. He’ll be challenged by Tookadiveoffdipper (Casey Leonard), Alilthundadownunda (Kyle Wilfong), Great Seats (Wyatt Avenatti) and Heavy Pressure (Marcus Miller).

 The eighth race $11,100 Open for filly and mare pacers has a competitive eight horse field. The morning line (favorite is the Nelson Willis stable’s Sleazy Mama (Juan Franco), with the pole position.

 Also likely to receive a good portion of the public’s wagering is Fox Vally Leah (Todd Waren) making her Illinois debut as a 4-year-old after dominating her division in her sophomore campaign.

 They’ll be opposed by Pattycake Mooss (Kyle Husted), nearing the $60,000 plateau in season earnings, and Rollin Coal (Marcus Miller), winner of the last two Illinois Opens, along with Rock It Out (Kelcy Perymond), Fillister Photo (Casey Leonard), Dandy’s Evrlasting (Wyatt Avenatti) and Fillys Revenge (Mike Rogers).