Last season’s ICF freshman filly pace champion Chickabell will make her 3-year-old debut Friday in a division of the $17,978 Violet stake. (Patricia Fryman Photography)

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA 

 It’s time for the first of several meetings this season for the crème of the crème of the ICF 3-year-old pace and trot divisions to tangle.

 The Illinois Department of Agriculture sponsored Violet and Cardinal stakes of both gaits go postward Friday afternoon and they’ll waste no time delivering the anticipated contests. The first nine races on the 13-race program are either a division of a Violet or Cardinal event. First post is 11:45 am.

 The first $17,967 Violet pace divisions is a 10-horse field headed by the Jamaica Patton barn’s Hypeyourbestieup (Travis Seekman), winner of over $85,000 as a freshman and among her five first season triumphs was a division of the Violet freshman contest.

 With the rail, Hypeyoybestieup rates a big shot today and so does Fox Valley Sadie (Kyle Husted) who went 5-for-8 as a juvenile while earning over $60,000. She’ll carry a two-race winning streak into the contest when she leaves from the six slot. Nine horses go across the gate at Springfield. No. 10 No Words Needed (Casey Leonard) starts behind Hypeyourbestieup which should put her in good position from the get-go.

 Fox Valley Sadie’s stable-mate Chickadee, the 2023 Illinois Two-Year-Old Filly Pacer of the Year has the 10-hole in the second $17,967. Since there isn’t an 11 horse, Husted can line- her up anywhere in the second tier. The one-horse Gorgeous American hasn’t shown any gate speed, and the two-horse Gershin (Juan Franco) is making her first career start, so perhaps Kyle will start behind the three horse (Big Flicka) who is always on the move early.

 Chickabell banked over $153,000 in her first season and was no worse than second in nine tries, prevailing in six and proved best in the $287.000 Incredible Tillie showdown.

  The third Violet division if a wide-open nine horse field with no clear-cut favorite (if there was wagering) between Cupid’s Revenge, Dandy’s First Swiftly, First Of Her Name, Fox Valley Reeva, Illini Bell, Nae’s Rendezvous, Fox Valley August, Adalecia, and Fengshuiprosperity.

 The initial Violet trot division comes next and last year’s champion Whiskey Lou (Casey Leonard) will bring a three-race victory streak into the eight-horse contest. The Curt Grummel trainee was much the best in her first two outings this year. Kevin Miller’s Illini Diva (Cordarius Stewart) and Honoloulou, from the barn of Jamaica Patton look like serious threats.

 The fifth race second $22,750 Violet trot looks very interesting with last season’s Night of Champions Fox Valley Flan Final winner Stand By Your Man, driven by her trainer Mike Brink, landing the outside eight-slot after making a slew of breaks last week, her 2024 debut, and finishing up the track.

 The Illinois bred colts and geldings get their chance to shine starting with race six, the first of a pair of $24,850 Cardinal events. While anything can happen in a horse race it would quite an upset if 2023 juvenile division titleholder Gorgeous Big Guy (Cordarius Big Guy) doesn’t win for the ninth consecutive time from the one-post. The Erv Miller trained gelding raked-in $155,880 on his initial card and has yet to lose to a fellow ICF pacer in his career

 Mike Brink’s Fox Valley Julian is well-regarded and did need his last two starts. He may be the main threat.

 The second Cardinal division looks like a dandy. My guess is that it is between Guitar Man (pp 8, Travis Seekman), Fox Valley Durham (pp 3, Atlee Bender), Feelinlikeacaptain (pp 6, Cordarius Stewart) and Dreaminofbnastar (pp 9, Kevin Lambright). The latter drew poorly but he’s been rattling off some quick last quarters.

 Guitar Man, from the barn of Rob Rittof, gave Gorgeous Big Guy all he could handle last week and was a six-time winner last season. Fox Valley Durham was third or better in 9 of his 10 trips to the gate, winning five, while Feelinlikeacaptain, unraced at two, was impressive in his maiden win at Du Quoin last weekend.

 The two Cardinal trots are worth 23,650 each and Lous Private Eye is the one to beat in the eighth race. He hardly has broken out in a sweat in his first two tests of the year. Drawing inside (pp 3) with Casey, he could very well extend his current winning streak to three.

 The second Cardinal looks intriguing, Void of wagering, the likely favorite would have been Erv Miller’s Midwest Division Stable’s Jewels For Champ. Unraced at two, he won in 1:55.4 in just his fourth lifetime start but the Lou’s Legacy progeny can have trouble staying on stride and proved it a week ago. Plus, the draw did him no favors with the eight. Assistant trainer Atlee Bender made the drive from Indiana to guide the horse today,

 Lous Mandalorian looks like he’s going to be a nice 3-year-old and romped in his last two starts for trainer Steve Searle. Don’t overlook Little Chipper (Jared Finn) from the JD Finn Stable. It’s his first start of the year, however he’s got three qualifiers under his belt and can sprint out in a hurry.