Recap of $1 million Night of Champions at Hawthorne

The rain certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of any of the Illinois Conceived and Foaled harness racing pacers and trotters who vied in 12 events totaling $1,175,000 on Saturday night, Oct. 14, known as “The Night of Champions.”  Starter Adam Brownly got each race off to a near perfect start over a track surface listed as “good.”

The evening kicked off with the $83,000 Beaulah Dygert Memorial Championship for 3-year-old trotting fillies, and as expected, the 5-2 Bell Boots (Lou’s Legacy) blew by her competitors in the stretch to score her ninth career triumph in 1:58 for driver trainer Matthew Avenatti, upping her lifetime earnings to $100,511 for owner Toni Jo Bell of Windsor, IL.  Shespertifulikpert (22-1) was second for Brandon Bates, while 50-1 longshot got up for third for trainer-driver Steve Searle, and 99-1 longer shot Mariah Lou nabbed fourth for driver Wyatt Avenatti.

BELL BOOTS REPLAY

Longshot (10-1) Reign And Shine (Cassis) took advantage of a well-rated drive by Hawthorne’s leading driver Cordarius Stewart to capture the $45,000 Carl Becker Memorial in 1:57. Trained, bred, and co-owned by Carroll Hays and Diane Hays, Reign And Shine took control of the race and was never headed through fractions of :28:2, :59, and 1:28.4.

This 6-year-old mare was fourth in this same even last year and now has $179,459 in earnings from 17 lifetime wins.  Loulita, a 23-1 longshot, was a fast closing second for Casey Leonard, with last year’s inaugural winner, 3-5 Anna’s Lucky Star and Kyle Wilfong third, and 8-5 Funky Wiggle fourth for Curt Grummel.

REIGN AND SHINE REPLAY

Owned by the Zzz Stable of Beecher, IL, and trained and bred by John Filomeno, He’zzz A Wise Sky notched career victory 43 and now has career earnings of $631,003. He recorded a mark of 1:49.1 earlier this year at Springfield and has a career mark of 1:48.3. Get E Up was second for Kyle Hustead at 47-1, with Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard) third at 12-1, and Fox Valley Ozzy fourth for Gary Rath at 48-1.

HE’ZZZ A WISE SKY REPLAY

Stand By Your Man (Lou’s Legacy) captured the $119,000 Fox Valley Flan Championship for 2-year-old trotting fillies against nine rivals in a new lifetime mark of 1:57.2. Trained by Mike Brink, the freshman filly was steered by Brandon Bates to her third lifetime triumph in six tries and upped her earnings to $84,635 for owners Mike Brink, Mike Brown, J. Clauson, and R. Lacey.

Bates took the 5-1 betting choice filly off the gate from the rail and allowed 80-1 Lous Enchantress to slug it out on top to the :28.3 quarter and :58.1 half. Just past the 1:28.2 half, Bates called on his filly and she responded with an outside journey that saw her pull away from her rivals in deep stretch. Favorite (3-5) Whisky Lou was second for Kyle Wilong, with 9-2 Calypso Moon getting up for Casey Leonard, and 75-1 longshot Peekaboo Sal nailed down fourth for driver Wyatt Avenatti.

STAND BY YOUR MAN REPLAY

A quartet of Fox Valley-bred pacers finishing in the top four spots in the $105,000 Robert F. Carey, Jr. Memorial Championship, with Fox Valley Landen (Somestarsomewhere) emerging victorious in 1:51.2 for driver Kyle Husted.  Trained by Amy Husted for Dave Brigham, Kyle Husted, and John Schwartz, Jr., Fox Valley Landen upped his earnings to $163,911, with this win, his 12^th in 23 career starts.

After sitting patiently in fourth through opening panels of :27.3 and :56, 1-2 Fox Valley Landen followed 34-1 longshot Ghost Shark, the first to pull in the field of ten. Ghost Shark was no match, however for Fox Valley Landen, who then cruised through a 1:24.2 three-quarter clocking to pull three-wide and draw away from his rivals. Fox Valley Jasper was second at 10-1 odds for driver Atlee Bender, with Fox Valley Caymen third at 19-1 for Brandon Bates, and Fox Valley Patriot, the 6-1 choice was fourth for Casey Leonard.

FOX VALLEY LANDEN REPLAY

The $90,000 Erwin F. Dygert Memorial Championship for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters saw the front-stepping Goomster (Cassis) and driver Travis Seekman hold off rival Niko Man (Cassis) at the wire in 1:54.3. This was a near repeat performance of these two rivals’ championship battle from last year, when Goomster bested Niko Man when the pair were 2-year-olds.

Trained by Desirae Seekman, Goomster has now won 11 of 14 starts this season, and 16 of 26 starts for owner Dennis Gardner, with career earnings of $240,489. Goomster was the 4-5 favorite, while Niko Man was 8-1 for Atlee Bender, with Lous Andiamo third for Casey Leonard at 50-1 odds, and Ain No Mojo fourth for Brandon Bates at 65-1.

GOOMSTER REPLAY

On Higher Ground (Cassis) pulled first up and made a bold move at the 1:27 three-quarters to secure his victory in the $45,000 Plesac Championship for aged trotters in 1:55, over a track now listed as “fast.” Driven by Kyle Husted for trainer Jennifer Bongiorno, On Higher Ground is a 6-year-old owned by Robert Weinstein and JB Racing. He now has $526,644 in earnings from this latest victory, with ten wins this season in 26 starts, and 29 career triumphs in a 121 starts.

ON HIGHER GROUND REPLAY

The $121,000 Kadabra Championship for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters saw Lous Private Eye (Lous Legacy) score easily from post four for driver Casey Leonard in a new lifetime mark of 1:58.  Steve Searle trains the bay colt for the Flacco Family Farm of Alexis, IL, and the youngster now has four wins in nine starts this season and $65, 057 in career earnings.

Fireball’s Pride took the field to a :29:2 opening panel, and leisurely :59 half, before being challenged by 9-1 El Champee’onn (Bobby Smolin) at the 1:29 three-quarter marker, before Lous Private Eye came flying midway down the stretch to secure the victory.  Fox Valley Parker was second at 45-1 for trainer-driver Gary Rath, with Fireballs Pride third at 9-2 for Kyle Wilfong and 5-1 Tru Case fourth for Atlee Bender.

LOUS PRIVATE EYE REPLAY

Even money favorite Gorgeous Big Guy (Ashlee’s Big Guy) equaled the track record with an impressive, come-from-behind performance in the $174,000 Incredible Finale Championship. Driven by Todd Warren for trainer Erv Miller, Gorgeous Big Guy stopped the timer in 1:52.1, an equaling track record time for 2-year-old male pacers. Douglas Overhiser and Mark D. Winship own the gelding, who now has $151,668 in career earnings from six wins and four seconds in ten starts.

GORGEOUS BIG GUY REPLAY

The track condition was changed back to “good” for the $187,00 Incredible Tillie Championship for freshman filly pacers, and that did not seem to matter to Chickabell (Somestarsomewhere), who stormed to a 1:54.3 clocking for driver Todd Warren and trainer Amy Husted. Chickabell picked up career win six in eight starts and pushed her career earnings to $139,915.  The robust filly is owned by Husted Racing, Las Vegas Racing, C. Norder, and M. Argila.

Platinum Shark (Bobby Smolin), a 60-1 longshot, led the field to the :28.4 first quarter but was quickly overtaken by even-money favorite Chickabell to the :57.3 half and 1:25.4 three-quarters.  From there, the rest of the field was racing for second money, as Chickabell was not to be headed.

Hyperyourbestieup was second for Travis Seekman at 4-1, with 22-1 longshot Fox Valley Gina third for Kyle Wilfong, and Fox Valley Tasha fourth at 12-1 with Cordarious Stewart in the sulky.

CHICKABELL REPLAY

The $116,000 Plumb Peachy for 3-year-old pacing fillies saw a battle royal with positions changing several times in the stretch until Fox Valley Leah (Somestarsomewhere), the 6-5 choice, emered victorious for driver Atlee Bender. Fox Valley Leah is trained by Erv Miller for the Miller Stable, Dougals Overhiser, and Goerge T. Golomes, and now has $136,510 in career earnings. She now has ten wins in 11 lifetime trips postward.

She took her career mark at Hawthorne of 1:51.3 on Sept. 10, in a $23,500 ICF event before capturing both of her Plumb Peachy eliminations.

When the gate opened Senorita Mouse, an 80-1 longshot, took the lead to the :28.4 first quarter before being overtaken by 6-5 Fox Valley Leah at the :56.3 half. My Daddy’s Revenge, the 7-5 choice, then challenged to the 1:25 three quarters and appeared to be an easy winner, but rival Fox Valley Leah came back in late stretch to nail down the victory by a neck at the wire over My Daddy’s Revenge and driver Casey Leonard. Fox Valley Kia was third for Phil Knox at 13-1, while Rona Mae, the 12-1 choice, was fourth for Branden Bates.

FOX VALLEY LEAH REPLAY

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Kimberly Rinker, for Harnesslink