Some Habits You Don’t Want to Break

By Mike Paradise
Mr. Coolie and Seetyouatthefinish are a couple of pacers with a good habit going that their trainers hope will continue through Sunday night and until the end of the Hawthorne meet.
They have both been in the habit of winning their respective Open Paces at the in-town race track and likely will be sent off as the favorites to keep their good thing going tonight.

The 10-year-old veteran Mr. Coolie has strung together three consecutive victories in the colt and gelding Open for, hauling in $15,000 in those events for Naperville, Illinois owner Wolf Creek Farm and their trainer John Zawistowski to earn the pacer the outside seven-slot in the seventh-race co-feature.
While the seven isn’t the most desirable post in the race Mr. Coolie has nailed down his last two triumphs with regular driver Sam Widger from the 10-hole. His July 3 earlier win did come from the seven.
After Hawthorne’s winter meet concluded, Mr. Coolie was sent to Pennsylvania where he went winless in 10 starts. Compare that record with his Hawthorne season of 5 victories in 14 outings and you can see Mr. Coolie has quite a fondness for Hawthorn’s big track.
The same goes for Bernie and Deb Paul’s Seeyouatthefinish who was assigned in the outside eight-post in the $10,000 co-feature filly and mare Open after capturing the last two top-level distaff events.
The six-year-old mare has won more than half of her season starts at Hawthorne (5-for-8) and and 4 of those have come in Hawthorne Open’s. Seeyouatthefinish has made a stop at a winner’s circle 27 times over the past three seasons and earned close to $160,000 in that time period for her Oregon, Illinois owners.
Seeyouatthefinish will have to beat Dale Hiteman’s 4-year-old mare Feetonthedashboard, among others, tonight and that hasn’t always been the case. The last five times they’ve met in a Hawthorne Open they’ve each won twice.
Feetonthedashboard leaves from the six-slot Sunday with OK Heavenly (Casey Leonard), winner of her last two starts, starting between the likely favorites and looking dangerous.
The first five posts will be manned by Whiskeronskittens, Fox Valley Charm, Ryleigh’s Lilly, Iced Out and Young American.
Afternoon Delight: Hawthorne isn’t the only race track in Illinois with pari-mutuel racing Sunday. A nine-event pari-mutuel card is on tap this afternoon at the Mount Sterling County Fair in Brown County headed up with a pair if $9,000 events for ICF 3-year-0old pacers.
The eighth race filly sophomore pace has seven starts and most have been campaigning this summer in the Plum Peachy Stake Series at Hawthorne.
Bucklegirl Bobette (Sam Widger) was a 1:54.4 Plum Peachy leg winner on July 1 for trainer Bob Walker. The Angie Affrunti Stable’s Ashlee’s Fine Lady (Matt Kruger) was second best behind Chan N Marg in the third series leg last weekend while Gary Rat’s Burry Me Inthesand took home the third place money in the Violet Final in mid-jJly after taking her elimination in a career best time of 1:55.2.
The $9,000 Taser Gun for colts and geldings has a competitive six-horse field.
From the one-slot out you’ll find Tha Pipe Fitta (Jamaica Patton), Fox Valley Smooth (Cornelius Cavett), Sagbrush Sam (Mike Rogers), Red Red Redneck (Sam Widger), Fox Valley Hidalgo (Freddie Patton Jr.) and Wondrous Sport (Ridge Warren), winner of Balmoral’s $52,000 Mini Me and runner-up in its $187,000 Orange & Blue on Super Night as a freshman.
First post Sunday at Mount Sterling is 2 p.m.
Mike’s Mount Sterling Selections
For Sunday, First Post 2 pm
1—Lady Lous Legacy, Blake Ellie, T E’s My Way
2—Lougazi, Marching Zion, Photo Phred
3—Infatuated Love, Fox Valley Brianna, Pretty Stella
4—TE’s Black Tie, Bayside Tequilla, Cruiser
5—Platinum Rocks, Artemesia, Gambling Babe
6—Con House, Mama Made Me Blue. Tiny Prancer
7—Bngs Express, Ricky Bobbie, Kansas Wildcat
8—Bucklegirl Bobette, Burry Me Inthesand, Ashlee’s Fine Lady
9—Red Red Redneck, Fox Valley Smooth, Wondrous Sport
Mike’s Solid Play
Bngs Express (7th race)