Chrissy Koeppen Photo

Team Hutch will be seeking his fourth straight win in the Cardinal Final.

Joy and Bonnie Hutchison’s Team Hutch has picked up right where he left off after an award winning freshman season and he will be looking for his fourth win in as many starts as a sophomore. The altered son of Sportsmaster was a very impressive elimination winner last week as he scored in 1:52.3 while leading almost every step of the way. Last year’s Orange & Blue winner now sports a career record of nine wins, five seconds and one third in 20 starts with earnings of $289,962. Trainer Homer Hochstetler has employed the services of driver Dave Magee, who will call on his Hall of Fame ability while trying to overcome post position nine in this battle.

Clyde Stevens’ Chevie Cash turned heads throughout the country with his 1:50.4 clocking in Du Quoin as a two-year-old and he showed that he’ll be a major player in this division again in 2005 with a big come from behind triumph in 1:52.4 in his elimination last week. The Ronnie Guhy-trainee showed no signs of “ring rust” last week, shaking off a six month layoff while posting his 13th win in just 17 career starts. This speedy son of Cole Muffler showed that he can also be a force against “open” company, winning the $130,000 Abe Lincoln Stake at Maywood Park in his final start as a two-year-old. A career winner of $173,075, Chevie Cash will be teamed up with driver Dale Hiteman and they will start from post position two in this tussle.

Among those who figure to have the best shot at knocking off the favored pair are the Tanah Merah Farm’s coupling of Mandala Quest and Perdition, both of whom finished second in their respective elimination efforts, and Terrence Duffy and Mark Frasen’s Ithinki’msomebody, a wire-to-wire elimination winner in a brisk 1:52.1.