Springfield, IL — It’s been a long time coming. The last time ICF pacers or trotters went postward in a state-bred stake was a year ago. However, that uninviting nine-month drought comes to an end Thursday afternoon (June 220 at the Springfield State Fairgrounds when the Cardinal and Violet stake events are on display.
It’s been a long wait for Illinois horsemen and owners alike and that fact showed up at entry time when 66 3-year-old Illinois bred pacers or trotters were submitted, necessitating a spit of both gaits of the Cardinal and Violet added money stakes into two.
The Cardinal and Violet trots will be held as the first eight of the 12-race card that gets underway at noon.
The Violet trots get the program underway with the $22,800 second race grouping the much stronger of the pair with three freshman stake winners tangling: Division champion Marvelous Mystery (post 3, Kyle Wilfong), Dawn Of Creation (post 5, Casey Leonard) and Fox Valley Shania (post 8, Cordarius Stewart).
The Erv Miller stable’s Fox Valley Shania was the only freshman filly trotter to beat the 2-year-old Illinois champion Marvelous Mystery and she did in both the Springfield and Du Quoin championships, however she went off stride in her Fox Valley Flan elimination at 1-9 and missed that stake’s final.
“Fox Valley Shania is way stronger than she was a year ago,” said the Erv Miller stable’s assistant trainer Atlee Bender in an earlier conversation. “She had a problem in her behind area and it caught up with her later. That’s why she made some breaks toward the end of her season. I think she’ll do very well as a 3-year-old.”
Fox Valley Shania showed last week that Atlee could be right on target with his assertion. The Can’t Afford It filly was more than eight lengths the best a week ago, trotting a :27.3 last quarter.
Marvelous Mystery was a competitive third last week in her initial start of the season and it came against a strong state bred field.
Dawn Of Creation is unbeaten in three season’s starts for trainer Mike Brink.
They’ll be challenged by Lous Rona (Atlee Bender), Shespertifulikpert (Tyler Miller), Lou Sangreal (Travis Seekman), Luring City (Jerome Daniels), and Mariah Lou (Wyatt Avenatti).
The $22,600 first division brings out Zena Lou (Casey Leonard), Daisys Duchess (Travis Seekman), Lous Lexi Lou (JD Lewis), Bell Boots (Matthew Avenatti), El Brae Brae (Jamaica Patton), Fox Valley Adira (Gray Rath) and Radiant Diamond (Kyle Wilfong).
The Midwest Division of the Erv Miller stable sends out the formidable Fox Valley Jasper (post 4, Cordarius Stewart) in the $24,500 first grouping of the Cardinal for second season male pacers. Fox Valley Jasper won his first six races as a 2-year-old before dropping his last two.
“Jasper” started out really good, but he wasn’t healthy later in the summer,” said Bender. “The horse also was a little sore. Those two things took its toll on him, so we stopped with Jasper after he failed to make the (Incredible Finale) final.”
Despite a first-over trip, Fox Valley Jasper last week came home in a quick :26.3 at the end of a 1:54 mile, almost two lengths the best over Fox Valley Cayman (Casey Leonard) who he’ll meet again today in the third race nine horse field.
Kage Daniel (Juan Franco), Dandy’s World (Rick Ray), Unhynged Speed (Matt Krueger), Isle Coach (Travis Seekman), Midnight Chrome (Wyatt Avenatti), Fox Valley Treason (Kyle Wilfong) Deputy Dawg (Kyle Husted) and Major Harley (Richard S Finn) round out the field.
The other Cardinal pace split lured 10 horses and it’s headed up by stake champions Fox Valley Langley, the 2022 ICF freshman colt titleholder (post 1, Matt Krueger); Fox Valley Landen (post 4, Kyle Husted), a 1:51.1 winner last month at Hoosier Park, and Ghost Shark (post 6, Travis Seekman), victorious in a leg of the Bobby Weiss at Pocono in April, in 1:51.3.
Fox Valley Presley (Cordarius Stewart), Shark Solicitor (Kyle Wilfong), Foxman (Wyatt Avenatti), Fox Valley Patriot (Atlee Bender), Fox Valley Steeler (Casey Leonard) and Super Taco (Juan Franco), are the other Cardinal candidates.
The first $24,600 Violet pace division would have the Ray Hanna stable’s Rona Rae (post 5, Kyle Wilfong) as the post time favorite if there was betting on the Springfield card. The Time To Roll filly dropped a nose decision a week ago to last year’s division titleholder Fox Valley Kia.
Taking on Rona Rae is Fox Valley Cha Ch (Terry Skinner), Rags To Riches (Travis Seekman), Fox Valley Leah (Atlee Bender), Keen Cathy (Casey Leonard), Frontier Molly (Richard S. Finn), Tyler Ty (Juan Franco), One R Andis Star (Kyle Husted) and PD’s Showtime (Matt Krueger).
Fox Valley Kia (Phil Knox) could have her hands full after drawing the eight-hole in the second grouping while last season’s chief rival My Daddys Revenge (Matt Krueger) landed the two-slot. Fox Valley Janis (Kyle Husted), South Gate Sally (Jamaica Patton), Dandy’s Showtime (Casey Leonard), the streaking (four in a row) Fillys Revenge (Mike Rogers), The Magical Woman (Cordarius Stewart) and Some Dancing Star (Matthew Avenatti) are the other Violet hopefuls.
Two-year-old champion Goomster (post 2, Travis Seeman) looks like a standout in the initial $22,700 Cardinal trot after beating the likes of Lousdobb, Marvelous Mystery, Niko Man and Annas Lucky Star last week. His five challengers are Lous Diablo (Harold Finn Jr.), Dust Storm (Casey Leonard), Lous Andiamo (Matt Krueger), Mango Bud (Juan Franco) and Fox Valley Corso (Kyle Wilfong).
Duking it out in the other Cardinal split are (from the rail out): Tankmetodennyland (Travis Seekman), Whatta Year (Juan Franco), Niko Man (Atlee Bender), Twin Cedars Alstar (Jamaica Patton), Youain’tnofool (Jamaal Denson), Eyesontheprize Lou (Casey Leonard) and Zions Realy Chilly (Matt Krueger), currently on a four-race victory streak.