by Timothy M. Jones, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Springfield, IL — The Review Stakes took center stage before the grandstand on the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Tuesday (Sugust 14). A strong headwind up the backstretch, and a track deemed “slow” by a few of the horsemen, nonetheless provided some very strong performances by 2- and 3-year-old harness horses.

Hitting leadoff was the Little Pat, a Review Stakes contest for 2-year-old male pacers.

Latest Desire was a 1:56.2 winner in the Little Pat.

Heavy pre-race bettors’ favorite Latest Desire and pilot Todd Warren floated from post position one behind the starting gate next to last as Ballistic Tip (Marcus Miller) and Applejack Hanover (Dale Hiteman) battled for the lead to the quarter pole, reached in :29.

Warren was content with that cover racing on the rail up the backstretch. However, when Metro Lad (Mike Oosting) pulled from the cones racing second over, Latest Desire picked up that cover and followed into the final turn.

Warren then sent the Real Desire-Latest Design colt three-wide into the stretch and he was hand driven to the wire in a smooth 1:56.2, with a last quarter of :26.2.

Trainer Nick Giberson’s wife and partner Amy explained following the win photo ceremony, “This was the colt’s second start, but first for the big money. Todd had driven him in his previous start at Balmoral, and he just showed me the goose bumps all over his arms. He told me that this is the fastest horse he’s ever sat behind. Scary fast.”

Latest Desire is owned by the partnership of Steven Newcom, Larry Taylor and Tex Moats.

A short field of three 2-year-old filly pacers hit the track in the second Review Stakes contest of the day.

Full Service, driven by Marcus Miller, raced on the point the entire trip, providing cover for Happilyeverfaster and Ryan Anderson. Anderson’s horse was a half-length behind at the top of the stretch, but first under the wire in 1:54.3.

The Real Artist-Courtster winner is another Nick Giberson trainee, and is owned by Suttons Bay Racing.

Dreams Of Thunder rallied in the stretch to win in a time of 1:59.3.

The Greyhound Review Stakes combined a field of male and female trotters contesting for a total purse of $37,000. That amount is to be split with $16,000 going to the 2-year-old colt trotters and $21,000 to the fillies of the same age.

The filly Dana Boko with trainer/driver Joseph Carrol behind, looked to be upset minded of her male counterparts as she led an eight horse field deep into the stretch. Nearing the wire, Dreams Of Thunder (Dave Magee) reeled in the tiring filly to win by three-quarters of a length, crossing the wire in 1:59.3. The colt’s last quarter of :29 was four ticks better than the filly’s.

“I felt confident I could reel the filly in. My horse felt really strong,” commented Magee. “This is the first time I’ve sat behind him and I have to compliment Mike (trainer Mike Brink) with the excellent training job. It makes my job look easy,” he joked.

Dreams Of Thunder is by Donato Hanover and out of B L Paid Vacation. He is owned and was bred by Kjell Magne Anderson of Oslo, Norway.

Ryan Anderson, making a trip to his old Illinois stomping grounds, and trainer Nick Giberson teamed for another win in the Review Stakes for 3-year-old filly pacers.

Stealin The Show was a 1:53 winner for driver Ryan Anderson.

Stealin The Show, a Rocknroll Hanover-Whig Party miss, did just as her name says from bettors’ favorite Mj’s Bid. The latter led the field for nearly three-quarters of the race until the former stuck a head in front, although parked.

Stealin The Show increased that narrow margin to a full length at the top of the stretch. A :26.4 final panel stopped the timer on the tote board at 1:53. The winning time was a new lifetime mark. Lima Daydream (Marcus Miller) was second, while Mj’s Bid (Mike Oosting) finished third.

“She’s a well bred horse,” complimented trainer Giberson. “I’ve had her since she was a weanling. We bought her, Rollnlikeabigshot, and another one. So two out of three isn’t bad. I have to look at the stakes book to decide what I’m going to do with her next.”

Stealin The Show is owned by the partnership of Jerry and Theresa Silva and Mark Winship.

The Alexander Review Stakes for 3-year-old trotters was another combined affair for the males and females. The $32,000 total purse was again divided between genders — a $17,000 colt purse and $15,000 filly purse.

This time the boys should have left it in the barn as they were clearly outclassed by the talented filly Aunt Mel.

Marcus Miller, handling the driving duties for trainer and father Erv Miller, wanted to keep things simple to keep the Yankee Glide-Kimmie Hall miss out of trouble. Plan A worked to a tee as a 9-1/2 length deficit at the quarter pole returned a nearly eight length margin of victory and a final time of 1:54.4 at the finish line, a mere four ticks off her lifetime best. Rapido N Currento (Joseph Carroll) finished second behind the Mary Jane Anderson owned filly, but picked up the bulk of the colt purse being the first male under the wire.

Timothy M. Jones photos

Rollnlikeabigshot scored in 1:54, with a last quarter of :25.4.

Review Stakes day, or trainer Nick Giberson day at the Illinois State Fair?

Giberson previously mentioned he purchased Rollnlikeabigshot as a weanling alongside 3-year-old Review Stakes pace champ Stealin The Show. Rollnlikeabigshot has grown up.

Previous starts at the Meadowlands found the horse banging heads in the New Jersey Classic with speedballs Panther Hanover and Hurrikane Kingcole. He was race timed in 1:48 in his last start, finishing third to that duo.

With such stellar credentials, the Review Stakes for 3-year-old colt pacers appeared like it might be a gimme.

Dale Hiteman controlled the throttle of the big engine in this one, as did Ryan Anderson on stablemate Wahine. They raced one-two with Wahine’s exhausts bellowing to Rollnlikeabigshot, who was 1-1/2 lengths behind through a smoking :27 first quarter.

The same margin stopped the race timer at the wire, 1:54, with reversed positions, however. Last quarters for both were an obscene :25.4.

Our Horse Cents Stables, J & T Silva Stables LLC and Mark Winship own Rollnlikeabigshot, a Rocknroll Hanover-A Votre Pante gelding.