The Jamaica Patton stable’s Fox Valley Langley has the pole position in Friday’s sixth race $11,100 Open Pace at Hawthorne. (Four Footed Fotos)

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

 For many Illinois horses going from last week’s Phil Langley Memorial final on Hawthorne’s ICF Night of Champions to an Open Pace a weekend later would be akin to moving from “the frying pan into the fire,” but that’s not the case for Fox Vally Landen or Fox Valley Langley.

 The talented state-bred pacers gave the champion He’zzz A Wise Sky, the pride of the John Filomeno stable, a strong battle when they finished second and third respectively behind the Illinois defending aged male pacer of the year and likely will also be up to the challenge in tonight’s $11,100 co-feature.

 Hawthorne’s morning line has the Amy Husted stable’s Fox Valley Landen (Kyle Husted) as the 5-2 first flash favorite and your author is nodding his head in agreement.

 Moving inside tonight to the two-hole from the seven-slot is a big plus for the Somestarsomewhere gelding Fox Valley Landen who dazzled followers of Illinois racing this summer when he rattled off a 1:47.4 victory, equaling the fastest even for an ICF pacer set by the Homer Hochstetler stable’s My Boy David back in 2006 as a 3-year-old.

 Fox Valley Landed has won almost half of his lifetime starts (20 for 42) and most have come in state-bred stakes and Open company events, including many at Hoosier Park. The 4-year-old has earned over $227,000 for owners David Bringham (Litchfield, MO), Kyle Husted (Altamont, IL) and John Schwartz (Wood Dale, IL).

 Fox Valley Langley, leaving from the pole position tonight with trainer Jamacia Patton, is rounded into top form, pacing in 1:51 in both of his recent Langley outings. Health issues have limited the 4-year-old gelding to only 26 career trips to the starting gate, however the horse has still banked over $100,000,000 for Illinois proprietors Lee Lipe (Springfield) and Suzanne Schoneweis (Petersburg)

  Awaiting the Illinois twosome are (from post three through seven): Love Your Work A (Robert Smolin), Melton Beach N (Wyatt Avenatti), Bet Mine (Casey Leonard), Mustang Beach (Todd Warren), and Round Here Buzz (Travis Seekman).

 Mustang Beach and Round Here Buzz are two of Perry Smith owned and trained four horses in tonight’s two Opens. Smith has Play Me Rock (Travis Seekman) and Truffle Dog (Kyle Husted) in the third race first Open division where they’ll be joined by Alilthundadownunda (Juan Franco), Great Seats (Wyatt Avenatti), Intimidation (Todd Warren) and Captain Sleaze (Casey Leonard).

 Great Seats (1:51.3) from the barn of Dave Avenatti, and Captain Sleaze (1:52.1), trained by Nelson Willis, captured last week’s pair of Opens.

 The 6-year-old gelding Play Me Rock competed at Hawthorne last November and December, winning a trio of Opens for Perry, a long-time resident of Crete, Illinois, that included a nose decision over He’zzz A Wise Sky in 1:49.3.

 The fifth race Open has the unusual paring two Down Under horses in it, the Australia bred pacer Love Your Work A, trained by Justin Anfinson, and the New Zealand pacer Melton Beach N, from the barn of from trainer Ronnie Roberts.