by Mike Paradise, for the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Assn.

Hinsdale, IL — Balmoral Park plays host to its Chicago Southland Festival of Racing on Saturday night, July 31. Six consecutive Illinois bred stakes championships will be decided on the 14-race card and typically, Illinois Hall of Fame veteran driver Dave Magee will handle a number of major contenders.

We had a chance to chat with the 56-year-old Green Bay, Wisconsin native with over 11,200 career winners and asked the National Hall of Famer about some of the talented state-bred youngsters he’ll be guiding.

Balmoral Park photo

Dave Magee will guide the 5-2 morning line favorite Pardon in Saturday’s $63,500 Loyal Opposition Final.

It appears Dave’s drive, Iam Bonasera, in the $57,500 Incredible Finale stake is stepping out of the shadow of his stablemate Power Of A Moment, last season’s Illinois 2-year-old Colt Pacer of the Year for trainer Erv Miller. The horse did land the 10-hole and is the morning line 4-1 third choice in Saturday’s ICF sophomore showdown, race 11 on the card.

A son of Cole Muffler, Iam Bonasera paced three consecutive miles under 1:50 against some of the elite sophomores in the North American Cup and Meadowlands Pace events and wasn’t far off in both of those stake consolation races, coming home in :25.4 in his last outing in Canada.

A week ago Iam Bonasera was bothered by a breaker before he made up 10 lengths on the winning pacer JHS in the last quarter of the first Incredible Finale elimination.

“Iam Bonasera has shown he can compete and race with the best open company 3-year-olds, that’s for sure” said Magee. “The horse can motor. Now that he’s come back to Illinois he can really expose his ability. Last week in his elimination I raced him from the back and we ran into some trouble that took him out of the race but he finished strong.”

Magee also drove his full brother Enzo The Baker to freshman championships in the Orange and Blue and at Springfield before the youngster’s untimely death due to an aneurysm while warming up for Maywood’s Abe Lincoln stake a couple of years ago.

“Enzo The Baker was an awfully, awfully nice horse,” continued Dave. “He was a little smaller than his brother Iam Bonasera who is a little bigger. Enzo The Baker was so versatile and Iam Bonasera is cut out of the same mold. It’s been a pleasure to drive both brothers.”

Dave is also back at the lines of Robert Taylor’s freshman pacer Mr Bedrock, a fast closing second to Mini Me Final 8-5 favorite He’s So Hot in a division of last week’s elimination.

“Mr Bedrock is quick and he’s still learning,” continued Magee. “I thought his last race was his best so far. He did win a Hanover in his previous start but he had a couple of things that needed to be ironed out and they were in his last race.”

Mr Bedrock will open as the 7-2 second choice to He’s So Hot (Mike Oosting) in Saturday’s 12th race $70,500 Mini Me Championship.

Four races earlier Magee will guide the Dirk Simpson stable‘s filly Pardon, unbeaten in four career starts including triumphs in a Hanover and the filly’s Loyal Opposition elimination over the last two Saturdays.

“I really like her a lot,” said Dave. “Pardon paces real easy. She’s versatile. The draw will determine how I race her because she can race on or off the pace.”

Pardon drew nicely for Magee with the two-slot in the $63,500 freshman filly final and is the 5-2 morning line favorite.

In addition to the Incredible Finale, Mini Me and Loyal Opposition championships, the ninth race is the $70,000 Ann Vonian Final for 3-year-old ICF pacing fillies, the seventh is the $45,000 Big Tom for ICF pacers age three and up and its filly and mare state-bred counterpart the $45,000 Park Lane Powerful which will go as race ten.

— Mike Paradise writes a daily column for the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association at www.harnessillinois.com.