by Tim M. Jones

Springfield, IL — Grand Circuit racing continued in the twilight on Tuesday evening at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.

When the dust had settled for the evening, a season’s mark had been set, two stakes records had fallen, and Dave Magee had won his 184th race at the Springfield mile.

The post parade for the $60,000 Greyhound Stake, a one mile trot for two-year-old colts and geldings, could have been a scene captured at the Meadowlands racetrack.

Michel Lachance, David Miller, D.R. Ackerman, and Yannick Gingras all paraded entries before the enthusiastic grandstand crowd.

Keaton Zet was a winner in the Review – Greyhound.

Armani Bluestone and Yannick Gingras left quickly as the gate folded followed by Muscle Bound with Michel Lachance and Keaton Zet with David Miller aboard. Lachance then brushed Muscle Bound to the front before the quarter was reached in :28⁴.

That lead was short lived however as David Miller came off the rail from third to take the lead from Lachance before the half in :57 seconds.

At the three-quarter pole, Muscle Bound had come first over to race side by side with Keaton Zet. The three-quarters was raced in 1:28³.

In deep stretch it appeared Keaton Zet might shake loose from Muscle Bound’s pressure, but the Muscles Yankee colt dug in again for the wire, only to fall short by a head in the photo for the win.

Winning driver David Miller commented on his trip with the Pine Chip colt: “I had to use him a little bit to get him back to the front, but I was able to get a soft third quarter, and he trotted home very well. He has a very good future this colt does. He’s got everything it takes, all the qualities that he needs to be a good horse. Time will tell, but right now you can’t fault him.”

The 1:57 win was a new lifetime mark for the Pine Chip colt trained by Jimmy Takter and owned by Brixton Medical Ab and Megalodon Stable of Sweden.

Michel Lachance piloted Magenta Hall to the winner’s circle in the two-year-old filly trot.

A season’s mark was set and Review Stakes record broken as 11 two-year-old trotting fillies went postward in the in the fourth race for a purse of $46,000.

Holly’s Lyric with Tony Morgan aboard led to the quarter in :28¹, followed in second by Fandango Hall and Eric Ledford, while Michel Lachance raced third with Magenta Hall.

As the field raced to the half in :57², Holly’s Lyric had yielded the lead to a parked out Magenta Hall by a neck.

By the three-quarter mark of 1:26, Holly’s Lyric raced three lengths in front of Lachance and Magenta Hall. That gap was quickly dispelled in the stretch as Magenta Hall stormed to the wire in 1:55².

Magenta Hall, making her first money start after two qualifiers at the Meadowlands, may be one to watch for in the future.

Michel Lachance commented on this filly’s future by stating, “She is a very, very talented filly, a great head on her, and a great gait, and well bred, so she’s got a bright future.”

Magenta Hall races for trainer Robert Bencal and owner Little E LLC of New York, New York. The Review Stake winner is a daughter of Conway Hall and bred by Walnut Hall Limited of Lexington, Kentucky.

Nu-Diamond Star and Ron Marsh captured the Review Stake for three-year-old filly pacers.

The Review Stakes for three-year-old filly pacers and a purse of $35,000 was led to the quarter by Madeira Island and driver Tony Morgan. That lead was brief as Mistletoe Shalee third place finisher, Nu-Diamond Star with Ron Marsh in the bike, took over before the half and was never challenged for the win in 1:51⁴.

Nu-Diamond Star is a bay Artiscape filly trained by Homer Hochstetler for owners Shirley and Arthur Le Vin of Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The new lifetime mark was her third win in nine starts. Her $109,000 in earnings for 2004 pushes her lifetime earnings over the $250,000 mark as well.

Tim Jones Photos

Nineteenth Hole was driven to victory by Dave Magee.

Shuffled back to fourth before the quarter mile mark of the $38,000 Review Stakes -– The Baker for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, Nineteenth Hole, with Dave Magee in the bike, powered to the front by the three-quarters in 1:24³. The wall of pacers behind Nineteenth Hole could not reach the Jate Lobell colt as he crossed the wire in 1:51¹.

It was a new lifetime mark and the first 2004 win for this colt, trained by Nelson Willis and owned by James Jesk and Cynthia Willis of Beecher, Illinois.

Lifes A Holiday and Homer Hochstetler trotted to a 1:54⁴ win in the $10,000 Illinois State Fair Colt Stake for older horses and geldings.

Co-owned by driver Homer and his son Jay of Crete, Illinois, this six-year-old bay gelding by Primrose Lane has won five times in 12 starts this season. This win was also just one fifth of a second off his lifetime mark of 1:54.

World record holder Loyal Opposition made her triumphant return to the Illinois State Fair. The 11th race, an Illinois State Fair Colt Stakes feature for older Illinois conceived and foaled mares, was merely a tune up for her next start. That just happens to be in the Roses Are Red in Canada, where she will face, again, some of the best pacing mares in harness racing.

Driver Andy Miller patiently raced in third with Loyal Opposition to the half in :57³ behind Ron Marsh and Fox Valley Ladydoc and Jessie The Cowgirl with Dave Magee aboard. Miller then pulled the Cole Muffler mare to breeze past the early leaders just past the half-mile mark. She then cruised home through three-quarters in 1:26¹ and crossed the wire for the 1:52³ win.

Andy Miller commenting on Loyal Opposition after the win: “I love this mare. She’s just super. She’s a great mare to drive, and she’ll let you do whatever you want with her.”

Her outstanding race record can attest to that.

The four-year-old bay mare by Cole Muffler is trained by Ervin Miller for owner Daniel Waxman of Ancaster, Ontario. She has lifetime earnings of over $1.6 million and a 1:48⁴ world and race record.

Racing at the Springfield mile resumes Wednesday, August 18 at 12:00 noon (CDT). The card includes the $52,000 Review Stakes — Alexander Memorial for three-year-old colt trotters. Scheduled also are Illinois State Fair Colt Stakes consolations and Colt Stakes Championships for three-year-olds. The colt trot and pace are raced for purses of $50,000 each.