by Mary Lou Lawless

Independence, IA — Proclaiming the undefeated Blues Hot Clues as Iowa’s 2-Year-Old Pacer of the Year was an enjoyable formality for Humboldt’s superintendent of speed, Mark Holtan, who stepped up to announce the Iowa Registered Stakes finals last Saturday, September 15. Untouchable in 14 consecutive races since his first lifetime start at Humboldt on June 2, the wiry pacer captured his 14th victory with a wire-to-wire performance in 2:04 flat.

Mary Lou Lawless photo

Blues Hot Clues and Aaron Mitchell win at Iowa’s fair finale.

One of 65 juvenile contenders who competed in the $40,000 program, Blues Hot Clues is owned, trained and driven exclusively by Aaron Mitchell of Dallas, Texas. The son of Hot Pans and the On The Road Again mare Clooneen, Blues has earned more than $20,000 on the county fair circuit, while maintaining his status as the winningest 2-year-old pacer on the North American continent, according to the top performers charts posted by the USTA.

Having paced in 2:00.1h on the Sioux County Fair track at Sioux Center on August 3, the game baby pacer nabbed his first sub-2:00 mark at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia on August 16, in a lifetime best of 1:59.3h.

“It’s a blessing, just a blessing,” was Aaron Mitchell’s comment again on Saturday, while fielding congratulations and best wishes for the next round, the fall harness meet at Prairie Meadows.

“Yes, Ma’am we’re ready to get up there,” said Mitchell, a seemingly tireless competitor. So again, we pose the question, “How long can Blues Hot Clues go undefeated and remain “top dog” over juvenile pacers? Tune in to Blues Hot Clues and follow the rest of Iowa’s fine harness horses at Prairie Meadows, the state’s only mile, pari-mutuel horse track, where live harness racing will be featured for 18 days, from September 22 thru October 20.

Other freshman track stars bound for Prairie Meadows include Mercantileexchange (Market Report-Lady Pharmacist-Precious Bunny), runner-up to Blues Hot Clues in the pacing colt division, and a winner in 2:04.3 at Humboldt. Will Roland handled the reins on this day for owners Lesa and Rick Peters of Grinnell, and trainer Nick Roland.

The Van Otterloo Family Stables of Rock Valley, Iowa, claimed the winner’s circle early on, when their phenomenal EZPZ Lemonsqueezy (Cam’s Card Shark-Yankee Velvet-Direct Scooter) prevailed over seven worthy rivals for the winner’s share of $4,500 in the first race. The time was an EZ 2:03.2 for the best of the 2-year-old pacing fillies, and marked her eighth win in ten starts, to which she has added two second-place finishes. The filly’s 2:02.1 best mark, made at Oskaloosa in July, gives her the distinction of being the fastest in her division as well.

The Van Otterloo’s My Way Mack (Raycer Thad-Emma Lee Mack-Armbro Mackintosh) has shadowed her stablemate throughout the season, and though she came in second to yet another of the family’s fillies, Off N Raycin’, on Saturday, My Way Mack has the runner-up trophy in the bag, with five wins, three seconds, and one third in nine races, and a best mark of 2:05.1h, earned at What Cheer earlier this month.

Nick Roland’s charge Beach Fire raced third on Saturday and, with a record of 2:04.3 earned at Sioux Center, ranks third in her filly pacer division for Roland and co-owners C.J. Rhoads of Brooklyn and C.J. Manatt of Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Trotting wise, Aaron Mitchell’s svelte trainee See Logo (Armbro Marcus-Active Amy-Proud Crown), confirmed her top celebrity status as she crossed the wire in a winning 2:07.3, just one length and three points ahead of her arch-rival, the simply gorgeous Branded filly, Red Brandy (Joel McDanel), in their last fair race this year. Lorenza Gooch of Dallas, Texas, is the breeder and owner of See Logo, whose best lifetime mark is the 2:06.1h mile she trotted at Sedalia, Mo., in August.

Trainer/driver Nick Roland and Rick Peters are the owners of I’m Steamin (Forbearance-I’m Swift-Aladdin Hill), who broke her maiden in the fourth race with a wire-to-wire effort that was timed in 2:13.1. Owned by Rick and CD Huffman, with Martha Walker of Washington, Iowa, the Branded filly Kix N Giggles trotted second in that race. A close third behind See Logo and Red Brandy in the fair standings, she boasts a best mark of 2:07.4, achieved at Oskaloosa in July.

The pride of Huffman Stables, trotting colts KB Spider (Kickin B, 2:08.3h) and Bo Brandy (Branded, 2:07.1h) have made the fair circuit together, and were close to neck and neck in the standings, until Bo Brandy (R. Huffman) made two costly breaks in the sixth race, finished fifth, and was placed sixth in the field of six for interference. His uncharacteristic performance lent opportunity to Roger Sturtz’s Weight Builder (Weight Lifter), who is trained by Larry Coleman and was reined by Joel McDanel to a new lifetime mark of 2:09.3. With Adam Hauser aboard, the Huffman/Walker gelding Westgrove King (Kickin B) redeemed second-place money for his stable in the $4,500 contest, and Gary Liles guided Hayden (Smokey Legend) across the wire in third place.

Now, KB Spider still needed a win in the eighth in order to wrest the championship away from his good buddy, Bo Brandy. Starting fifth on the gate in a field of seven, the black trotter sprang away in perfect form, assumed his own distinct headset and took charge of his event, covering the limestone turf with enormous, leggy strides. Sailing past the grandstand with not a single hoof appearing to touch the ground at the half, the nimble, four-legged Spider avenged his previous outing at Humboldt on August 25, when The Big Guy got in the way of his win. The 2:10 victory reserves all rights to the championship trophy for KB Spider, who finished the season just three points ahead of runner-up Bo Brandy.

With Adam Hauser in the sulky for Jenson Stables, Partylike A Prince followed KB Spider home in 2:10.1. Racing third on this day and sitting solidly in third place in the fair standings, The Big Guy (Proud Crown-Fox Valley Amazon-Egyptian Dancer) was charted in 2:12.2. Bred and owned by Paul Liles of Batavia, Iowa, this gelding is trained and campaigned by Gary Liles.

Fillies Kiss Me Tonight (Hot Pans, Brandon Jenson) and LJ Bedrock (Bedrock Bobby, Jim Reese) were winners at Humboldt, and three of Curtis Carey’s trainees, Govenor Sands (John De Long), Racin Jason (Nick Roland) and Indy Source (Curtis Carey), all cozied up in that order for a photo finish in the 12th and final contest.

The competition between Adam Hauser and Will Roland for the Midwest Circuit driving title added another dimension of suspense to the afternoon action, when Roland tied his win score with Hauser’s in his catch-drive on Mercantileexchange. Taking five catch drives in addition to reining five freshman who are regularly in his charge, Hauser pulled a victory out of the day’s 11th contest, with Ken Buck’s Hot Pans filly Hot Roxie, setting a new lifetime mark of 2:09.2, and cinching his lead for the fair driving championship.

Iowa harness action starts anew on Saturday, September 22, on the big oval at Prairie Meadows, where post time will be 5:00 p.m. each day. For complete Iowa standings, see www.iowaharnessracing.com on the worldwide web.