by Timothy M. Jones, for the ISOBA

Decatur, IL — Erv Miller trainees set Downstate Classic Stakes and Decatur-Macon county fair track records in successive races on Saturday afternoon, June 16.

Mahdi was a 1:57 winner for Brent Holland.

Mahdi, a 3-year-old Fort Apache Hanover gelding, was the first to break the old mark of 1:58.2 set in 2003 by Fancy Creek Sport. With Brent Holland at the helm, Mahdi was floated from post two and then dropped to the cones racing on the point as the field of seven paced past the eighth pole.

The blanket and trophy could have been handed to Holland as the field rounded the Decatur half-mile the first trip. Never seriously challenged through the last half of the mile, Mahdi crossed the wire by open lengths in 1:57. Widger Place (Hart Walker) was second, and All This And More (Brandon Simpson) finished third.

Mahdi had been on a three-race win streak that included the Cardinal elimination at Balmoral Park, but trainer Ervin Miller thought with flat performances in his next two starts, “he’s been a little sick.”

“Mahdi bled a little after the Maywood Pace, so we decided to put him on Lasix. You have to qualify on Lasix, so today served as a qualifier; it also helped braven him up some.”

The buzz over the new stakes and track record had barely silenced when the next division of 3-year-old colt pacers roared from the starting gate.

All Is Saidanddone, a lightly raced Cole Muffler gelding driven by Brent Holland, appeared to be on idle as he captured another Downstate Classic title for the Miller Stable. Although, when Holland popped the ear plugs at the three-quarter pole it appeared to shift the pacer into an even higher gear.

Timothy M. Jones photos

All Is Saidanddone lowered the track record to 1:56.2.

Mahdi’s record setting performance was barely 15 minutes old when All Is Saidanddone shaved three-fifths from that mark as he stopped the timer in 1:56.2. Something To Say (Tom Simmons) finished second, with Big Bad Roc (William Ralston) third.

“Mahdi is more experienced because he raced at two. All Is Saidanddone; this is only his first year of racing. He’s a big strong horse that seems to be finding himself,” said Miller.

“It feels good to be successful here at what I consider my home county fair track. The horses are good. This is why we work so hard to get them where they’re at. We try to make good, sound racehorses of ‘em.”

Racing for Tanah Merah Farms LLC of Springfield, Ill., Mahdi is headed for another county fair start at the Great Midwest Pace in Martinsville, Ill.

Meanwhile, All Is Saidanddone, who is owned by the Ervin Miller Stable Inc. and N.J. Herschberger, will savor his record setting stakes performance for a short while before he also is readied for another county fair start.