by Mitch Demick, for Hawthorne Racecourse

Stickney, IL — More money than originally expected will be up for grabs, when ten well-matched trotters battle it out on Friday (July 6) at Hawthorne Race Course in the Dunkster Trotting Series Final.

The original purse was not expected to exceed $25,000, but a great nomination response and an above average number of entries swelled the jackpot to $37,900. The Dunkster Final will be the first of three series finals that will crown series champions this weekend. The Cubs Pacing Series for colts and geldings and The Sox Pacing Series for fillies and mares will also be decided, on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Leading the way in the Dunkster final is Susan and Loren Pyle’s Kristy Kreme. The 5-year-old daughter of Goop Hanover enters the final off two straight wins in the preliminary legs. She’s won in wire-to-wire fashion and from the pocket, and driver Michael Oosting says she’s nothing if not versatile.

“This is a very handy mare. She doesn’t have any one style, and that gives a driver options,” said Oosting.

Kristy Kreme didn’t draw particularly well when she landed post nine, and she’ll likely need her best effort to date for all the money. Kristy Kreme is the 3-1 second choice in the morning line program.

Her main competition figures to come from Sam Bowie’s Before He Cheats. A winner of nine of 14 in 2007, Before He Cheats won a division of the first leg of the series on Hawthorne’s opening night, but last week the gelded son of Valley Victor made a break before the start, never recovered, and was pulled up when driver Jason Dillander saw a little bleeding from a hoof. Capitalizing from that break was Kristy Kreme, who went on to dominate the heat. If Before He Cheats has recovered from his mishap, he is clearly the horse to beat.

Just A Con Man, also owned by Sam Bowie, will be coupled with Before He Cheats for betting purposes. They are the 8-5 morning line favorites. Trained by Dirk Simpson, Before He Cheats drew post four for the rematch.

Other contenders include Lloyd and Jean Dalton’s Rockome Vicky (8-1), a runner-up in both previous legs, and Kan Wire (8-1), a gutsy, pocket sitting winner of her division last week. The meet’s leading driver Brent Holland will call the shots for Kan Wire.

Rounding out the rest of the field are Homer Hochstetler’s entry of Trivoli and Bertorico (9-2), Showmeyourmuscles (12-1), Chevyalwaysthere (20-1), and Crown Vic (10-1).

The Dunkster Trotting Series final is carded as the ninth of 12 races on Friday’s program.