Cicero, IL — Maybe the naming of Hawthorne Race Course’s current Pop-Up Series was right on target after all. Heading into Saturday’s (Nov. 18) third round of the series for Illinois Conceived and Foaled (ICF) 2-year-olds, it’s clear that new winners keep popping up.

Each of this weekend’s Pop-Up Series divisions have seen the first-leg victors go down to defeat in the second phase, and some as prohibitive favorites.

The freshman state-bred trot grouping saw Lous Amazon (Casey Leonard) even the score with first-leg upset winner Change The Tune (Travis Seekman) a week ago. In the freshman pacing series divisions, both Super Shark (Travis Seekman) and Doctor Cruise (Kyle Husted) were overwhelming favorites and didn’t disappoint the chalk players. However, it was a different story the second time around. Again, both were set off as heavy favorites and each failed to reward their many supporters.

Super Shark was fifth in the six-horse race, producing a $772 payout on the 20-cent superfecta. Doctor Cruise was given a “how-slow-can-I-go” journey on the front end (1:31.3 for the three-quarters) and came home in a quick :26.3 last quarter only to see Mazin Blazin fly past with an even quicker :25.3 last panel. They will line up side-by-side in first race with Doctor Cruise with post five and Mazin Blazin with the outside post six as very likely co-favorites.

“Mazin Blazin is a huge horse,” said his driver, Casey Leonard. “He’s raced well all season, especially earlier at Springfield. He had some growing up do to and he’s coming along nicely. He’s from a successful family of Illinois-bred horses. I’m looking forward to see what he can do as a 3-year-old.”

Mazin Blazin’s dam, Finance The Farm, was a very good filly earlier this century. She won almost $100,000 as a 3-year-old, capturing the Springfield championship (1:51.2) and a division of Du Quoin’s Time Dancer stake, both with Ronnie Marsh at her lines for owner-breeder Donald Laufenberg.

The Matt MacKenzie-trained Hezarengade (Juan Franco) looked good a week ago with a second-leg victory in 1:55 and drew post two for owners Mike and Titus, and Dennis Wright.

Downtownleroybrown (Robert Smolin), Ashlees Silver Guy (Brandon Bates) and My Buddy Steve (Cordarius Stewart) are the first-division long shot hopefuls.

The second freshman colt and gelding group, going as race six, is headed up by Super Shark (Travis Seekman), who looks to bounce back from last week’s disappointing finish for trainer Nick Prather.

Awaiting the Revenge Shark gelding are U S S Ark (Robert Smolin), the improving Fox Valley Bruin (Todd Warren), Whoz’zzz This Sky (Wyatt Avenatti), Fox Valley Carlos (Kyle Husted) and Almost Gone (Casey Leonard).

The third leg of the Pop-Up series for first-season state-bred trotters is another matchup between first round winners Lou Amazon (Casey Leonard) and Change The Tune, with posts five and six, respectively, in the seven-horse field.

A possible sleeper in the race is Moppies Mooss (Gary Rath) with a flat mile from the Lindy’s Tru Grit youngster. Landing the one slot tonight could be huge for gelding who has been hurt by outside posts in his last five starts, having not drawn better than post six.

Also looking to pull off a surprise win in the trotting division is Lous Gambler Clark Fairley), Lous Enchantress (Todd Warren), Honoloulou (Cordarius Stewart) and Gritty Gator (Robert Smolin).

One thing is certain in the trotting series: The winner will be either a son or daughter of Lou’s Legacy or Lindy’s Tru Grit since all seven starters were sired by one of those two Illinois-based stallions.