Sherri and William Bycroft made the right decision to buy and then keep Illinois champion Cash Money Twenty. (Photo courtesy of Terry Young)

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

 Decisions. We make them all the time. Sometimes it’s a major decision that could impact our lives in a big way. Much more often they’re not and have little importance on future happens.

 A couple of years ago the harness racing fan William Bycroft decided to buy a horse with a modest amount of money his father left him after passing away. He and his wife Sherri were former patrons of old Quad City Downs when the East Moline track hosted harness racing.

 The couple decided to become harness racing horse owners with the money and William decided he wanted to buy an Illinois bred yearling. A trip to the Hartland Mixed Sale in Minnesota saw them purchase the Stevenville yearling out of the Sagebrush mare Hostess Lisa known as Itjustcallednatural who they later renamed Cash Money Twenty, for only $4,000.

 Little did they know their new horse would eventually have a substantial effect on their lives and become the reason they are now living their dreams.

 Saturday night the couple, along with Cash Money Twenty’s trainer Mike Brink, will be in Springfield, Illinois to accept their horse’s award as the 2024 Illinois Harness Horse of the Year after a spectacular freshman season where the young gelding won 11 o 12 starts, including a 2-year-old ICF record 1:50 flat mile and hauled in over $208,000 for the Des Moines, Iowa couple who go under the ownership Heart and Soul Racing.

 Veteran horseman Brett Ballinger was the trainer who got Cash Money Twenty to the races in a big way. The horse began his career with three consecutive victories at Running Aces in Minnesota. With all of the Illinois bred major stakes still on the horizon, the youngster was sent to veteran Illinois trainer Mike Brink in Springfield.

 “I didn’t know much about the horse when I got him” revealed Mike. “I told his driver Casey Leonard before the horse’s first race with me, ‘I know he’s fast, crazy fast, but that’s about it.”

 Cash Money Twenty won his Illinois debut in late August before suffering his only loss of the season a start later in a $35,125 division of the Director’s Cup when the winner Battling Bob parked out the heavy favorite to first half fractions of :27.3 and :27.2.

 After that race, Cash Money Twenty ended his first campaign with seven straight first place finishers, including a sweep of Hawthorne’s Incredible Finale freshman series and it’s $226,545 Night of Champions final.

 Soon after the youngster’s 1:50 record mile, the calls came in from interested buyers for the horse and some offers were for a substantial amount of money.

 The Bycroft’s had another decision to make, and this wasn’t of the smalltime variety.

 “When the owners called and said they decided to keep the horse, I was obviously happy and not just for myself. I was happy for them,” said Brink. “The horse had plenty of potential, the kind of horse that comes along once in a lifetime. He could bring them years of excitement and unforgettable memories.”

 By the time the couple made the decision to “roll the dice” on Cash Money Twenty, the horse already made over $55,000, about four and one-half times they paid for him at the yearling sale.

  Once the Bycroft’s collected almost $114,000 for their horse’s Night of Champions triumph, the critics that wanted them to “take the money” and sell the horse were pretty much silenced. Another one of those “decisions” that turned out shaping the couple’s future.

 “They’re excited about the horse, “continued Brink. “They are having a great time and have even invested some of the purse earnings into more horses.”

 The past January Heart & Soul stable, along with Jim Ballinger, the owner of Illinois champion Fox Valley Gemini, bought the 4-year-old Somestarsomewhere gelding Sailor Sam and the Tom Simmons trained pacer has won races, including last Sunday’s $12,000 Spring Pop-Up Series final since, banking over $20,000 for them.

 Sounds like another good decision for the Des Moines, Iowa couple.

 As far as Cash Money Twenty, his R & R days are just about over.

 “He’s been turned out and we will bring in back to get him ready for his 3-year-old season starting Sunday. He looks good. He hasn’t gotten any taller, but he was a tall horse as a two-year-old. He’s filled out nicely, though. We’re all anxious to get him back on the racetrack.”