Former ICF champion Little Chipper (Jared  Finn) is on "the bubble) currently in eighth pace going into Friday's final Beulah Dygert Memorial series leg at Hawthorne. (Four Footed Foto)

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

 Which 3-year-olf Illinois bred pacers and trotters will move on to the Hawthorne’s Night of Champions finals will be known after Friday night’s leg four of the series.

  In the first three NOC series events a number of horses have accumulated enough points have earned a championship starting berth, however in some cases it’s still wide-open for which horses are still “pretenders” and not “contenders.”

 In the Beulah Dygert Memorial division, you can write in ink the names of Whiskey Lou (150 points), Fox Valley (112), Peekabbo Sal (75) and (Lous Amazon (75). Use a pencil for the horses Calypso Moon and Stand My Your Man, both at 25 points. The fate of the current seventh through twelfth place horses—Fox Valley Jessie (21), Dejoma (17), Ally Baba (13), Honoloulou (10), Gjindagrit (9), and Illini Diva (6) is yet to be determined.

 It appears that 9 of the 10 finalists for the Erwin F. Dygert Memorial for ICF male trotters are in ook to be in good shape to advance. Currently from one through nine you’ll find Shady Maple Alstar (101), Lous Gambler (83), Moppies Mooss (83), Lous Private Eye (62), Lous Mandalorian (51), Tru Cash (38), Fox Valley Nautica (26), Little Chipper (25), and Lou’s Miracle (22).

 Tonight’s division starters Gritty Gator (20), TVs Kosmac (14), Slipside (12), Shady Maple Acer (10 and Deenbo (10), could come up with aa big effort and move on. Even Jewels For Champ, who finally stayed flat last week, could gain the final despite having just one point at post time.

 The first seven male pacers in the Robert F. Carey Memorial series for 3-year-old look like shoo-ins including the top three—Gorgeous Big Guy (125), Guitar Man (112) and Fox Valley Julian (100). You can add likely Doctor Cruise (58), Fox Valley Kodiak (51), You Can Never Tell (25) and Fox Valley Durham (20).

 A strong showing from It’s Rob Not Bob (12) Gotta Go Gram (12), Fox Valley York (11), JR Strike Three (10), Love Is Blue (5) or Negotiator (1) could see any one of them make the Carey final.

 The Plum Peachy for second season pacing fillies has seen 32 distaffers compete in at least one of its legs with the trio of Hypeyourbestieup (125), Fox Valley Sadie (100) and Dandy’s Ms Swifty (87) leading the way.

 You can write in the names of the current fourth, fifth and sixth place horses in the series standings—Adalecia (75), First Of Her Name (67) and No Words Needed (67)—to advance. The seventh-place filly Fox Valley Tessa (34) is not competing Friday night.

 Ticktock Ticktock (37), Amy Mooss (25), and Time To Ryde (25) would round out the top ten if there wasn’t one last Plum Peachy leg to be contested.

There are at least seven other fillies in striking range to climb up the ladder and grab a starting berth in the final, their last opportunity to be in the Saturday, November 9th, Night of Champions final.

  Hope you had it. Your author gave out just one “Price Shot” last Saturday and the veteran trotter Never came through at 20-1 from the outside 9 slot for trainer and driver Todd Warren Mind in front end fashion in front end fashion in front end fashion and paid $44.40.