Juan Franco drove Amy Mooss to a surprise victory Friday night in a Plum Peachy series leg at Hawthorne at odds of 30-1. Four Footed Photo

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

  Tonight’s entire Saturday 10 race card at Hawthorne will provide the last opportunity for state-bred 2-year-olds of both sexes and gaits to come up big and earn a starting berth in their respective divisions of next Saturday’s Night of Champion series.

  Leg four of the series for freshmen trotters isn’t expected to see many changes in their series standings headed by the likes of the Kadabra favorites Sunburnt Silverado (Casey Leonard), looking for his sixth season victory, and Louise’s Legacy (Marcus Miller), who owns a Kadabra leg triumph and a second-place finish.

l In the Fox Valley Flan grouping, you can pretty much count on the current first seven-point leaders—What A Legacy (105), Kays In Change (100), Almost Home (62), High Class Heidi (59), Whataladywhataniht (38), Lou’s My Number (37) and Lou’s Night Vision (37)—as finalists.

 However, while Wildcat Abby (100), Thebeautifulthings (100), Fox Valley Groupie Groupie and Fox Valley Jasmine are certainties to be in the Incredible Tillie filly showdown, and Cash Money Twenty (100), Battlin Bob (88), Fox Valley Pepper (75) and Dialogue (70) are “locks” to be going to the gate in the Incredible Finale championship, there are a whole bunch of second season state-bred pacers still “alive” to advance to those finals.

 Between No. 5 Fox Valley Mamba and No. 20 Hello Trevor, are the names of 15 fillies. Realistically only six spots are available for a shot at the $100,000 (est.) pot. With three Incredible Tillies divisions on the Saturday card, three fillies will be rewarded 50 points for a first-place finish. Three more pick up 25 points for second and 12 for third, and so on, as a result a lot of movement in the standings looks very possible.

 In the Incredible Finale, 15 horses are listed from Beautyathebeach (63) on down to Lady Ksenia at No. 18, who could come up big tonight and gain that $100,000 (est) confrontation.

 FRIDAY’S RECAP: Last night’s NOC 3-year-olf eliminations saw driver Travis Seekman rally the Roshon Trigg trainer Lous Mandalorian ($7.00) past Tru Cash (Marcus Miller) and Shady Maple Alstar (Kyle Husted) in the first division of the Erwin F. Dygert Memorial with a 1:57.4 mile.

 The second Dygert split turned out to be an easy win for Jewels For Champ ($4.80) with a heady driver from Marcus Miller who raced the Erv Miller trained trotter in seventh until the three-quarter pole where the son of Lou’s Legacy went into high gear and breezed home in 1:57 flat, almost three lengths ahead of runner-up Little Chipper (Jared Finn).

 Miller, a 35-year-old Illinois native, would later go on and pick-up a fourth winning drive of the night to go along with a pair of second place finishes.

 The heavy 1-9 favorite Calypso Moon (Kyle Husted) had to work harder than expected to win the initial Beulah Dygert Memorial filly trot for trainer Cury Grummel, holding off a late closing Alla Baba (Travis Seekman) and the front-stepping Dejoma (Cornelius Cavett) in 1:58.2.

 The second Beulah Dygert grouping saw Grummel’s barn trotting star Whiskey Lou prevail with authority for Casey Leonard. The daughter of Lou’s Legacy came out of third at the three-eights, take command, and was well in had at the end of the 1:55.2 mile for her 12th season win in 13 outings fir her owner and breeder Randy Witt of Savannah, Missouri.,

 Gorgeous Big Guy, nicely handled by Marcus Miller, bounced back after his 16-race winning streak was snapped two weeks ago, and drew off in the first Robert F. Carey Memorial 3year-old col and gelding pace by more than two lengths with a 1:52 flat clocking.

 Miller took the Erv Miller trained 2-5 favorite to a quick lead and Fox Valley Julian (Casey Leonard) dropped into fourth but soon after a 28.4 first panel. Casey had the 5-2 second choice on the move, brushing the top with a 27.3 second quarter. Halfway down the lane Gorgeous Big Guy powered past to the front as Fox Valley Julian faded to a fifth-place finish in the six-horse field.

  Marcus Miller gave Fox Valley Durham ($29.00) a ground saving inside journey and the Erv Miller trainee responded with a 1:52.2 victory in the second Carey split. Fox Valley Kodiak was second best while the heavy favorite Guitar Man had to settle for third.

 The first $20,000 Plum Peachy 3-year-old state bred paces went to Fox Valley Sadie, aptly handled by driver Kyle Husted, and by a large margin (five-plus lengths) for wife, trainer Amy Husted. Despite winning for seventh time in 12 season starts, she went off at 9-2 when Hypeyourbestieup was hammered down to 1-5 by the betting public.

 Fox Valley Sadie was pushed by several fillies to a 55.4 half to keep the lead, however she showed her tail to her foes in the stretch with 1:53.1 mile on a chilly first night of November. Time To Ryde (Todd Warren) won the photo for second over the 80-1 longshot Dream) Jared Finn).

 The second Plum Peachy was Amy Mooss, patiently driven by Juan Franco at 30-1 odds. The Gary Rath trained mare came from seventh to steamroll the opposition in the stretch, winning by three and one-half lengths in 1:54. Dandy’s Ms Swifty was second best

  The official final point totals for Night of Champion competitors will be made available on Hawthorne’s website at www.hawthorneracecourse,com after they’re tallied up, following Saturday’s eliminations. On the Hawthorne website, go to Horsemen, Harness, Racing Information and look to the left side of the page for NOC Point Standings under General Information.