Hinsdale, IL — The veteran Indiana bred trotter Double A Goldrush may have been an infrequent visitor to Hawthorne Racecourse through his first eight racing seasons, however, when he has competed on its one mile oval, he certainly has been productive.

Double A Goldrush returns to Hawthorne in Monday’s $11,100 Open Trot. Four Footed Fotos.

Now a 10-year-old, the Elegant Man gelding is making just his sixth start at Hawthorne in his very successful career in Monday’s (Jan. 8) featured $11,100 Open Trot and he came away a winner in three of those previous local starts.

Casey Leonard is reunited with Double A Goldrush in the second race feature. You have to go back to July 2020 for the last time Casey drove the winner of 41 races in 202 trips to the starting gate.

Double A Goldrush’s first Hawthorne start came in May 2019 when his longtime trainer Ross Leonard steered the trotter to victory. Racing Monday night out of the Terry Leonard barn, Double A Goldrush won in February 2022 with Travis Seekman at his lines.

Double A Goldrush will leave from post three Monday night with Casey in a seven-horse field drawn by groups (1-2) (3-6) (7) for Terry, who shares ownership of the seasoned trotter with Michael and Laura Lee. He’ll begin his 2024 campaign with a lifetime bankroll of $450,481, with the majority of his earnings accrued at Hoosier Park.

The Leonard stable trotter will open as the 9-2 third choice. The ultra-consistent Jim Eaton trained Perlucky (Brandon Bates) is the early 2-1 favorite.

The Erv Miller stable’s Bluebird Deacon (Kyle Wilfong) is next, listed at 5-2, after a needed start at Dayton a little more than a week ago. The now 7-year-old Swan For All gelding is owned by Hannah Miller Bender, who along with her husband Atlee, are the managers of the Midwest Division of the always strong Erv Miller stable.

The first two Open trot slots belong to Loulita (Travis Seekman) and Maple Grove Mangin (Kyle Husted). Kim Roth’s Rockyroad Aldo (Bobby Smolin), the third-place finisher in his last four Hawthorne Opens, will leave from the four slot.

Illinois’ longtime trotting queen Annas Lucky Star (Mike Oosting) starts from post six for trainer Nelson Willis. Now 10, she is less than $15,000 shy of the $700,000 plateau in lifetime earnings for breeder and owner Danny Graham.

Bright Debut for New Barn: Trick Of The Light, nicely handled by Kyle Husted, was an easy winner in her first start for the Virgil Morgan Jr. stable in Hawthorne’s featured $11,100 Filly and Mare Open Pace on Sunday (Jan. 7).

The now 5-year-old daughter of Odds On Equuleus sprinted away from the five post in the six horse field and Kizzzmelikeumissme (Kyle Wilfong) did the same from the pole position. Trick Of The Light cleared to the front coming out of the first turn and was racing comfortably at the :28.3 first quarter.

Husted had a firm hold on the 1-2 heavy favorite through the second panel with Trick Of The Light’s expected chief threat Marvelous Marshia, winner of the last two distaff Opens at Hawthorne, sixth and last, some seven lengths off the leader.

Trick Of The Light stepped things up in the third quarter that went in :28.1 with Marvelous Marshia now on the move but the 2-1 second choice in the wagering was too far back and the winner had plenty left for the stretch drive, finishing the mile in 1:53, three lengths ahead of the runner-up Kizzmelikeumissme. Marvelous Marshia was third best.

Trick Of The Light’s victory was her fourth in a row and her first for Odds On Racing, who purchased the Indiana bred mare last month. It was also the winner’s initial start in Illinois.

Driver Mike Oosting changed tactics with Round Here Buzz ($11.40) and the result was a front stepping victory in the $9,500 Open II Pace for trainer and owner Perry Smith.

The 6-year-old Round Here Buzz usually can be found coming from off the pace but instead was sent out by Oosting, getting command at the quarter pole (:29.1) and going on to a one length win over the pocket horse Hello Sweetie Boy (Travis Seekman). The 60-1 longshot Rockin Pulse (Wyatt Avenatti) came on strong in the late going to finish third, another length behind, in the 1:53 mile.