Hinsdale, IL — It’s very early in the ICF 3-year-old male grouping, however we could get a good sense to what’s on the horizon after Thursday’s (July 6) third race conditioned pace at Springfield featuring most of the higher echelon in the division.

For the first time this year recent stake champions Fox Valley Landen (post four, Kyle Husted) and Fox Valley Jasper (post six, Cordarius Stewart) will duke it out and it’s far from a two-horse race.

Springfield based trainer Tom Simmons will send out the strong duo of Fox Valley Steeler (post one, Casey Leonard) and Fox Valley Cayman (post three, Mike Rogers) into the Illinois bred fray. The latter was just a whisker short of beating Fox Valley Jasper when they met in their Cardinal stake division two weeks ago.

Fox Valley Steeler’s fate in his Cardinal division may have been decided by the post position draw. The Somestarsomewhere gelding landed the eight-hole in a nine-horse field with a trailer. Driver Casey Leonard hustled him out with hopes of getting favorable early position but instead “Steeler” was parked out to a grueling :26.4 first panel and pushed to a :55.1 half and had little left for the late going.

Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered because the Husted Stable’s Fox Valley Landen powered his way to a sizzling 1:50 mile, five length the best, and it appeared he had more for the asking. The Cardinal was only “Landen’s” fourth season start. In his second outing the muscular sophomore won an open company event at Hoosier Park in 1:51.1, coming home with a swift :26.1 last quarter.

“He came out of the Cardinal in great shape. He’s sharper now than he’s ever been,” said his trainer, Amy Husted. “He loves his job.”

Do you think he could have gone even faster if he was pushed by another horse in the stretch?

“He likes training against other horses so if there was another horse closer, yes I think he could have gone a little faster.”

Three-year-old Cardinal division champion Fox Valley Jasper goes for his third consecutive victory Thursday at Springfield. Terry Young photo.

The Erv Miller stable’s Fox Valley Jasper came flying down the State Fairgrounds’ only 510-foot stretch to get his nose up in time at the end of a 1:53.1 mile by rattling off a :26.3 last panel. Another Somestarsomewhere pacer in the field, “Jasper” was seventh, 6-1/2 lengths off the leader at the three-quarter pole that sits well outside the beginning of the Springfield stretch straightaway. The $9,500 yearling purchase also won his first Illinois start a week earlier with a :26.3 final quarter.

Fox Valley Jasper went unbeaten in his first six starts, mostly against the top ICF colts in his division before health issues caught up with him and he went unplaced in his last pair of freshman starts.

Whatever was ailing “Jasper” seems to be behind the youngster, owned by Douglass Overhiser and the Engel Stable of  IL Inc.

Marty Engel also owns Mister Sleaze (Travis Seekman), who starts from post five Thursday afternoon. The Sagebrush homebred put nearly $41,000 on his card as a 2-year-old.

Kage Daniel (post two, Juan Franco), beaten less than two lengths by Fox Valley Jasper in their Cardinal split, and Fox Valley Mckee (post seven, Matt Krueger), scratched out of his Cardinal when he came up sick, round out the competitive third race headliner.

Of the seven starters in the race, five are sired by Somestarsomewhere, not surprisingly the 2022 Illinois Pacing Sire of the Year, and owned by Fox Valley Standardbreds of Sherman, Ill.

Just Four Takers: Three-time Illinois Harness Horse of the Year Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard) is back competing today as he continues his march towards 60 lifetime victories.

After a three-week rest, the now 8-year-old gelding would be an overwhelming favorite, if there was betting, with the five slot and only four opponents. “Gemini” is four-for-four this season and it’s going to take a huge effort by somebody to keep the Illinois champ from his 58th first place finish and add another $4,000 in his purse account that stands at a hefty $709,819 at post time.