by Timothy M. Jones, USTA Web Newsroom Correspondent

Springfield, IL — Lis Mara has a younger half-brother — and he’s fast.

Lis Deo equaled Dali’s national season’s mark of 1:50.2 in the $46,000 Review Stakes for 2-year-old pacing colts. That mile tied the track record held by Lucky’s Z Tam and Hot N Sporty, and clipped three-fifths of a second from the stakes record.

Lis Deo was an easy winner in 1:50.2 in the Review Stakes for 2-year-old pacing colts.

Patiently racing third on the rail, Brent Holland used the half-mile station as a landmark from which to move The Panderosa colt towards the front. Never seriously challenged from that point, Lis Deo seemed effortless in a :27.4 final panel and cruised to the wire in 1:50.2.

“He’s done everything asked of him so far,” said Holland, “he did it pretty much on his own today. For a young horse to get away from those others like he did, a lot of times they get a little lost late.”

Trainer Erv Miller echoed those sentiments. “Out there by himself he’s a little lazy. Coming off a horse’s back I think he’ll be better. His last race at Hawthorne was big for him. He was three deep at the half moving to the front. He went :26 and a piece in the second quarter to get to the front and still had a lot left. He acts like a really good horse. We’ll see how far it goes. He’ll go to Canada for the Metro later.”

Owned by the Classic Photo Stable, MJG Racing Stable, Hill View Enterprises, and Louis Willinger, the youngster is undefeated in three starts.

Operation Lindy (Andy Miller) and Great Success (Michel Lachance) were battling on the front end at the half-mile station in the $58,000 Review for 3-year-old trotting colts when Rune (Marcus Johansson) popped off the rail, but then appeared to stall, unable to continue the effort towards the front end.

Trotting into the stretch, Operation Lindy was still on the point as Great Success lost a half-length racing in third, while Superior Judge (D.R. Ackerman) was hanging tough in second on the rail.

Rune scored in 1:53.2 for Marcus Johansson.

As if appearing from nowhere, Rune sprinted three-wide from fifth off that final turn, quickly eating racetrack with each lengthy stride. Operation Lindy was all out on the rail nearing the wire and was unable to hold off Rune’s charge in the middle of the track, the latter a neck better in 1:53.2. Great Success was two lengths behind in finishing third.

Johansson commented following the race, “He seems like he’s a good closer, so I drove him from behind and it worked out well. I tried to flush some cover on the backside. Michel (Lachance) sat in the three hole, then he moved out with Homer (Hochstetler) behind. I was third-over and it worked out perfectly.”

The Yankee Glide colt lowered his lifetime mark by two full seconds for trainer Jimmy Takter and the partnership of Christina Takter, John Fielding, Dr. Glen Brown, and Mal and Jan Burroughs.

New Jersey Sires Stake winner Miss Scarlett broke stride as the starting gate wings folded in the $35,000 Review Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies. Quickly gathered by driver Andy Miller, she spotted the field eight lengths in the first turn.

Edra Hanover (Brent Holland) led a first-over bid heading up the backstretch off a 27.4 quarter, pulling Miss Scarlett into the fray. As the former dropped to the rail leaving the latter without cover, Miller’s filly continued on and was able to clear on the point reaching the :56.2 half.

Turning into a two-horse duel down the stretch, Miss Scarlett was able to repel Edra Hanover’s challenge, crossing the wire a length in front in 1:53.1.

“She wasn’t sure about the racetrack, it’s still a little bit sticky,” said Miller.

An inch of rain overnight caused an hour post time delay as the track crew prepared the racing surface.

“She got a little mixed up leaving,” continued Miller, “but then she got on her game after that.”

Miss Scarlett is a Red River Hanover daughter from the Artsplace mare Odds On J P. Three starts have resulted in three wins and a bankroll of nearly $120,000.

Owned by Charles, Julie and Francene Nash, and trained by Bret Shultz, she erased a full second from her lifetime mark.

Southern Fire rolled in the stretch for a 1:56.4 victory with Tim Tetrick.

Tim Tetrick didn’t hurt his stature as leading driver in North America, driving four winners on the card.

He scored in the tenth race, the $35,000 Review for 3-year-old trotting fillies, with a mare that has been racing at the Iowa fairs.

A three-horse race quickly developed as two in the field of five broke stride before the first turn. D.R. Ackerman, behind Real Hope, led the strung out field up the backstretch before Michel Lachance struck first with Maryanne K. Meanwhile Southern Fire and Tetrick remained third on the rail.

Catapulting off the final turn, Southern Fire got the jump on Maryanne K, out sprinting her to the wire by a length in the 1:56.4 win.

“Those Iowa fairs are pretty tough,” kidded Tetrick afterwards.

“Mike’s mare was the best in the race, but just not today,” he said humbly. “It turned into a three-horse race, a couple made breaks, Mike pulled early and my mare just out sprinted her.”

Timothy M. Jones photos

King Johnny posted a 1:48.4 score for driver Tim Tetrick.

Arguably the most lightning effort of the day occurred in the Illinois State Fair Aged Horset/Gelding Stakes pace when 9-year-old gelding King Johnny smoked the Springfield mile to the tune of 1:48.4.

Trained by Clark Fairley and driven by Tim Tetrick, this effort was an encore result of his 2006 effort in the same race.

“This is amazing! You could knock me over with a feather,” said Farley. “We qualified him twice and this is his third purse start for the year. I told Tim (Tetrick) going out that I think he can be pretty good, but you don’t know just how tight he is for sure. We’re obviously looking toward the 8th of September and Super Night.”

The Illinois State Fair Aged Mare stakes also resulted in a stakes record. Tim Tetrick guided Canadian racing invader, but Illinois bred, Speed In The Tunnel to a 1:53.1 victory.

The Armbro Tunnel 4-year-old, owned by Lynn Wilfong and trained by Brett Wilfong, erased 2-2/5 seconds from the previous mark.