Jasper County Fair held

Newton, Illinois (June 22, 2021) — Altamont, Illinois, based Standardbred racehorse trainer Ray Hanna notched three (3) wins over two (2) days of Standardbred harness racing at the 150th Jasper County Fair Newton, IL, where local and area horses dominated cards which took place on Sunday, June 20, 2021, and Monday, June 21, 2021, with NOON post-time afternoon cards.

Pretty Iris (Party At Artsplace – Robyn`s Alive N – Live Or Die) got things started for Trainer Hanna with a victory on Sunday, capturing a division of the Topline (Illinois Trotting & Pacing Assoc.) for pacers aged three-year-old and up in 2:03 flat, before first-time starters Tucked Away (Pinetucky – High On Broadway – Broadway Hall) and Late Odds (Odds On Equuleus – Raw Diamond – Always A Virgin) each scored wins on Monday in the Topline (Illinois Trotting & Pacing Assoc.) two-year-old trot & pace, respectively, in 2:16 flat and 2:06.4. Standardbred Driver Matt Avenatti of Chrisman, Illinois, drove all three (3) winners for trainer Hanna and finished with four (4) wins total over the two-day meet.

In other action, Spoken For (C`est La Vie – Outspoken – Well Said) won for the first time in three (3) starts, capturing the Illinois Big Ten Colt Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts & geldings on Sunday, June 20, by five (5) lengths for Owner Dean DeBolt of Iuka, Illinois, and Standardbred Trainer-Driver Darla Martin Lohman of Effingham, Illinois, in 2:07.1. Also on Sunday, Hot To Trot Sparky (Cassis – Preferred Justice – SJ`s Caviar) ran his record to four (4) straight wins in as many starts for owners Charlie Doehring and Cary J Doehring of Brownstown, Illinois, taking the Illinois Big Ten Colt Stakes for freshman trotting colts and geldings in 2:12 flat.

On Monday, June 21st’s program, Kandi’s Fortune (Ryan N Hanover – Land D`s Taylor – Ft Apache Hanover) won the Illinois Big Ten Filly Stakes for three-year-old pacers in 2:04.1 for owners Brian Herzog and Kandi Herzog of Beecher City, Illinois, and Standardbred Trainer-Driver Freddie Patton Jr.

The filly won for the 1st time this season after notching five (5) wins in 2020. Rocking Retirement (Rockin Image – Miss Kelley Lynne – Yankee Kick) also reached the winner’s circle at the Jasper County Fair Newton, IL, taking a division of Sunday’s Maiden Pace for Standardbred Owner-Trainer-Driver Harold Finn Jr. of Newton, Illinois, in 2:02.2.

The win snapped a 22-race winless streak for Rocking Retirement, who was making his first start since August of last year. Over twenty-people joined Trainer Finn in the winners’ circle, making it the largest number of people in the winners’ circle over the two-day event for the historic Finn family who’s roots go back some 80-90+ years in the area.

The Illinois county fair harness racing tour continues this week with Wednesday twilight programs at the Greene County Fair at the Green County Fairgrounds in Carrollton, Illinois, and the Henry County Fair in Cambridge, Illinois.