Drivers Marcus Miller (left) and Casey Leonard take a break between races at Springfield. (Terry Young Photo) 



By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

  Leg two of Hawthorne’s Night of Champions series for 3-year-old Illinois bred pacers and trotters is in the history books and in several events Wednesday at Springfield horses that would have been the betting favorites, if there was wagering, took it on the chin.

 The Erwin F. Dygert Memorial series for ICF 3-year-old males got a huge shake-up in its standings after upsets in both of Wednesdsay’s two divisions.

 In the first split Shady Maple Alstar pulled off a surprising victory despite never seeing the rail for driver Kyle Husted and he did it in a new lifetime mark of 1:57.4.

 The Sutton gelding went off stride in the series first leg back in August and had only one series point going into Wednesday’s opener, however the Amy Husted trainee raced outside of the division leader Lous Private Eye through fractions of 29.1, 58.3 and 1:28 and still got up in time to gain a long neck victory over runner-up Tru Cash (Marcus Miller) who enjoyed pocked trip through most of the mile. Lous Private Eye weaken in the final strides.

 The division series got more Topsy Turvey when another first leg champion, Lous Mandalorian (Travis Seekman) went off stride in the first turn and was eliminated. The Dane May’s stable’s Moppies Moose went on to post a convincing two-length first up victory with driver Matt Avenatti in 1:58 flat. Lou’s Miracle was second best while Gitty Gator came on for third.

 Unofficially, after two Dygert rounds of the NOC series, the new leader is Moppies Mooss with 75 points, Lous Private Eye has 62 points, Shady Maple Alstar has 51, Lou’s Miracle with 50, Tru Cash has 37 followed by Lous Gambler with 33.

 The much-anticipated match-up of the Plum Peachy series leaders Hypeyourbestieup (Travis Seekman) and Fox Valley Sadie (Kyle Husted) was the first of three series matchups on the program.

 It turned out to be a quarter mile “dash for the cash” as Hypeyourbestieup coasted to three consecutive 29 quarters with Fox Valley Sadie in the two -hole. The Amy Husted trainee eventually wore down the leader by almost one length in the 1:55 mile. Hypeyourbestieup settled for the bridesmaid role while First Of Her Name (Casey Leonard) came on strong for the third place money.

 The second Plum Peachy split went to No Words Needed (Casey Leonard) who came off the pace in the 1:54.4 mile and held off the late rushing Adalecia (Travis Seekman) by a little more than one length. The pacesetting Shes Brooks Star held on for third.

The Steve Searle trained Fox Valley Tessie (Wyatt Avenatti) picked a good time to get her first win of the year, coming on strong in the lane to take the third grouping in 1:54.4. Amy Moose (Juan Franco) raced well to be second and Dandy’s Ms Swifty was third best.

 After two legs of the Plum Peachy, your author has Fox Valley Sadie on top with 100 points, followed by Hypyeyourbestshot with 75, Dandy’s Ms Swifty and Fox Valle Tessie tied at 62, No Words Needed with 58, Adalecia at 50, Amy Mooss (33), Ticktock Ticktock (33), Fox Valley Tasha (26) and First Of Her Name rounding out the top 10 with 20 points unofficially at the halfway mark.

 The two Robert F. Carey second round divisions went as expected with Guitar Man (Travis Seekman), from the barn of Rob Rittof taking the first split in 1:53 flat—surprisingly on the front-end—and the division leader Gorgeous Big Guy (Marcus Miller) extending his winning streak to an amazing 16 in a row for trainer Erv Miller. The gelded son of Ashlee’s Big Guy has never lost a race to another Illinois bred pacer.

 Marcus was content Wednesday to take the two-hole behind the front-stepping Fox Valley Julian (Casey Leonard) who powered past in the lane of the 1:51.2 mile.

 Gorgeous Big Guy now has ascended to 100 series points. He’s followed by Guitar Man with 62, Doctor Cruise at 58, Fox Valley Julian at 50. Fox Valley Durham rounds out the top five with 20.

 A pair of Beulah Dygert Memorial groupings for state-bred trotting fillies concluded the Nights of Champions second round events and Whiskey Lou (Casey Leonard) breezed in her division after hardly breaking out in a sweat, getting away with 31 and 30 middle quarters on the front end of her 1:57.1 mile.

 Peekaboo Sal (Wyatt Avenatti) enjoyed the slow pocket trip and finished second while Fox Valley Tiegen (Marcus Miller) ended up third.

 Casey Leonard, at the lines of the Steve Searle trained Lous Amazon, took advantage of a slow (59.1) first half, by others. and guided his Lou’s Legacy gelding to a comfortable 1:57.4 winning mile the second division. Calypso Moon (Curt Grummel came from far out if it for second, edging out the third-place finisher Stand By Your Man (Mike Brink).

 Unofficial updated Beulah Dygert standings show trainer Curt Grummel’s Whiskey Lou on top with 100 points earned. Lous Amazon has vaulted to second with 75, then comes Fox Valley Tiegen (62), Peekaboo Sal (50), Calypso Moon (37) Fox Valley Jessie (20), Stand By Your Man (13), Honoloulou (13) and Lous Esmeralda (10).