Stickney, IL — A trio of Illinois series champions will be crowned Saturday night (Dec. 14) at Hawthorne Race Course.And while there are a pair of clear-cut favorites in two of the series finals, a third looks to be wide open.
The state-bred series finale that rates as a toss-up is the $20,000 showdown for 2- and 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Its first two rounds produced four different winners in as many races with all four favorites failing to reward the wagering public.
Who’zzz This Sky (Todd Warren), Western Trevor (Travis Seekman), Love Is Blue (Gary Rath) and Fox Valley Tyrel (Kyle Wilfong) each have won a series leg, the latter two at double-digit odds.
The pre-series favorite, Fox Valley Ramiro, could do no better than third at 3-5 odds in two series tries and on Saturday night is saddled with post nine in the 10-horse field. Juan Franco drives the Tom Simmons trainee, replacing Casey Leonard, who will be handling Fox Valley Gemini’s younger brother Fox Valley Bruin (post eight) for the stable of his father, Terry Leonard.
The morning line says Freds Finale (Kyle Husted), from the barn of Brittany Dillion, is the lukewarm 7-2 favorite after dropping a neck decision to Love Is Blue last week. Freds Finale didn’t compete in the series’ first leg.
The Gary Rath stable’s Love Is Blue is listed next, at 4-1. The Hypnotic Blue Chip gelding drew nicely with the pole position, one slot closer than 9-2 third choice Who’zzz This Sky, who has been racing very well since trainer John Filomeno put the youngster brother of Illinois champion Who’zzz This Sky on Lasix last month.
Then comes the Ronnie Roberts-trained gelding Fox Valley Tyrel, who has spent a good position of the season on the sidelines with health issues. However, after missing more than two months and competing in a needed start, he was a game winner last week in 1:56.1 and moves from post seven to post three tonight.
Completing the field in post position order are Bellas First Mooss (Matt Avenatti), Freds Finale (Kyle Husted), Tonto Returns (Wyatt Avenatti), Bull Market (Travis Seekman), Fox Valley Bruin (Casey Leonard), Fox Valley Ramiro (Juan Franco) and Western Trevor (Cordarius Stewart).
The race will go as the seventh on the nine-race card.
After prevailing in the first two legs of the series for Illinois-bred trotters, the Steve Searle-trained Lou’s Miracle (Wyatt Avenatti) will be the early even-money choice in race three, where the son of Lou’s Legacy takes on five foes. Two-time beaten choice Scorecard Lil Red (Juan Franco) is next at 2-1.
Lous Night Vision (Casey Leonard), Whatadladywhatanite (Marcus Miller), Lou Beduino (Chris Brown) and So Darn Lucky (Kyle Husted) complete the group of trotters vying for a $20,000 pot.
The $20,000 filly series championship goes as race eight and features a full 10-horse field. The Mike Brink stable’s Dream (Juan Franco) is deservedly listed as the 2-1 favorite despite landing the outside pots 10.
Ed Teefey’s homebred Somestarsomewhere filly out of the dam Hello My Dream has been “lights out” in the first two rounds, coming from far off the pace in her victories. She’s in top form, but she likely will have a lot of horses to try and pass up and may have to come a long way to do so.
Awaiting Dream are, from the pylons out, Itty Bitty Secret (Matt Avenatti), Fiesty Val (Robert Smolin), Hermia’s Star (Chris Brown), Jezibel Mooss (Gary Rath), Two Bean Dream (Wyatt Avenatti), SG Clover Success (Kyle Wilfong), Frontier Fantasy (Geremy Bobbitt), Jimmylai (Casey Leonard) and Fox Valley Tatum (Kyle Husted).