Springfield, IL — After an eight-month absence, and a two-day postponement because of adverse track conditions, harness racing returned to Illinois on Thursday (May 18) at the State Fairgrounds in Springfield.

Tuesday’s scheduled card, and a possible follow-up program on Wednesday, had to be scrubbed because of rainy conditions on the dirt track.

Fourteen events went postward in the Spring Preview Thursday, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, with most horses making their 2023 initial start.

A second Spring Preview, also for strictly state breds, ages three and up, will be conducted next Tuesday at Springfield. The Du Quoin fairgrounds will host a Preview card for only 2-year-old ICF horses on June 3.

The racing surface was still drying out Thursday and accordingly was listed as “good” by the stewards when the Terry Leonard Stable’s Keen Cathy (Casey Leonard) came from far out it in her debut to take the first of a trio of 3-year-old pacing filly divisions in 2:00.1 by one length over Incredible Lorean (Travis Seekman).

Last year’s 2-year-old division champion Fox Valley Kia (Phil Knox) led though much of the race but made a break at the top of the lane.

Fox Valley Cha Cha (Jamaica Patton) handily won the second split in 1:59 for trainer Charles Arthur and despite being parked-out much of the way Dandy’s Showtime (Casey Leonard), from the barn of conditioner Terry Leonard, held off last year’s Incredible Tillie final runner-up Rona Mae (Jordan Patton) by a whisker in 1:59.3.

The first of three sophomore colt paces went to Kevin Miller Stable’s Foxman (Wyatt Avenatti) comfortably in 1:58. The well regarded 3-year-old Fox Valley Cayman (Casey Leonard) from the barn of Tom Simmons breezed in 1:57, and Kage Daniel (Juan Franco), trained by Tom Graham Jr., took the third colt heat in 1:56.2.

Lou Sangreal (Travis Seekman) dominated the first of two filly trots, pulling away to an eight-length triumph (2:01) for trainer Steve Searle while the Mike Brink Stable’s Dawn Of Creation (Mike Brink) eked out a nose decision over Zena Lou (Casey Leonard) in the second split that went in 2:01.1.

Driver Wyatt Avenatti was back in the winner’s circle after Aint No Mojo powered past in the sophomore ICF colt trot division in 1:59.2 for conditioner Kevin Miller while last season’s juvenile champ Goomster, driven by his trainer and owner Dennis Gardner, left the second division in the dust with almost a nine-length conquest in 1:58.1.

The Nick Prather trained Skeeter Machine (Travis Seekman) easily captured the older state-bred pacing mare event in 1:59.2 and Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard) hardly broke out in a sweat, crushing his field of older male Illinois bred pacers with a 1:56.4 mile.

Annas Lucky Star (Juan Franco), now nine, started her season off by romping to her 57th career victory in the older mare trot affair. The 2022 Erwin F. Dygert Memorial champion Lousdobb (2:00.2) won for fun (a dozen-plus lengths) in the older male grouping for trainer Steve Searle, giving Casey Leonard his fifth winning drive of the day.