Springfield, IL — Douglas Overhiser, a long-time harness racing fan who made the plunge into being an avid owner not too long ago, could have saved himself a lot of walking Thursday (June 22) if he grabbed a seat near the Springfield winner’s circle.

Overhiser and his trainer Erv Miller made six trips to greet the track photographer Patricia Fryman, and five came in the initial 3-year-old ICF stakes of the year, either a Cardinal or Violet added money event.

Overhiser, who has a successful trucking business in Chicago, currently owns over 100 horses and some are six-figure purchases who have raced for bigger pots; nevertheless Thursday had to be one of his most enjoyable afternoons.

While the Cardinal and Violet state-bred 3-year-old stakes have been around in Illinois for decades, Springfield was hosting them for the first time.

The opening $22,600 division of the Violet for trotting fillies saw the Rick Schrock trained Radiant Diamond (Kyle Wilfong) crush her field with a 7-1/4 length romp in 1:56.2, more than two full seconds better than her freshman mark that also came at Springfield.

Radiant Diamond raced first over from about the half-mile (:58) pole on and still had no trouble powering to the front and drawing away in her second start of the year and her first in a month. The Dontcheatonmenow filly is owned and bred by Jodi Peacock and Carol Reynolds.

Fox Valley Shania was one of five ICF stake winners for trainer Erv Miller and owner Doug Overhiser. Patricia Fryman Photography.

Fox Valley Shania, nicely handled by Cordarius Stewart, showed again she likes a mile dirt track, leading at every pole for trainer Erv Miller in the second $22,800 Violet trot. The Can’t Afford It filly won both the Springfield and Du Quoin championships last year as a freshman for Overhiser, Engel Stable of Illinois, and Mystical Marker Farms.

Last season’s freshman champ Marvelous Mystery (Wilfong) went off stride in the first turn while racing in the pocket behind Fox Valley Shania. The Curt Grummel filly came from far back to be third. Shespertifulikpert (Tyler Miller) had a big effort to gain the runner-up spot.

The Cardinal splits for second season pacing colts and geldings were next up and the $24,500 first division was a three-horse photo with Fox Valley Jasper coming on to get his nose in front at the end of a 1:53.1 mile. Right there in second was Fox Valley Cayman (Casey Leonard), just ahead of the third-place finisher Unhynged Speed (Matt Krueger). The Somestarssomewhere winner is trained by Erv Miller for Overheiser and Engel Stable of Illinois.

There were three lead changes before the :57.2 half with Unhynged Speed showing the way turning for home. Fox Valley Jasper picked up live cover from Fox Valley Cayman to prevail for the eighth time in 11 career starts.

The Amy Husted stable’s Fox Valley Landen wowed the Springfield crowd with a 1:50 winning mile. Patricia Fryman Photography.

While the first Cardinal Pace was a nail-bitter, the second was “no contest.” The Amy Husted stable’s Fox Valley Landen blew away a strong field of ICF sophomore pacers with an impressive quick time of 1:50 with Kyle Husted at his lines, five lengths the best.

It took a quick :26.4 first panel for Fox Valley Steeler (post 8, Leonard) to have command. Husted also sent Fox Valley Landen out before settling into third. On the backside Husted pulled the son of Somestarsomewhere out and the gelding rolled past to the front, and just kept extending his lead for owners David Brigham, John Schwarz Jr. and Husted.

It was another rout in the first Violet pace and a third triumph for the Erv Miller stable as Fox Valley Leah coasted to her first victory in Illinois for driver Atlee Bender. Another Somstarsomewhere offspring, Fox Valley Leah stopped the timer in 1:51.4 in just her sixth lifetime outing, more than 10 lengths ahead at the finish wire. She is owned by Overhiser, who shares ownership of the $9,500 yearling purchase with his trainer and George Golemes. Rona Mae (Wilfong) was second best and PD’s Showtime (Krueger) came on for third.

The second $24,600 Violet split was a heck of a horse race and once more it was the combination of trainer Miller and owner Overhiser coming out on top for Stewart who got The Magical Woman up in the final strides in 1:53.3. Forced three-wide in the first turn along with the third-place finisher Fox Valley Kia (Phil Knox), The Magical Woman proved fastest in the lane for Overhiser and fellow proprietor Anthony Lombardi.

Goomster, capably driven by Travis Seekman, became the only reigning 2-year-old champion to prevail Thursday, posting a new 1:53.4 record mile in the initial $22,700 Cardinal trot grouping. Owned and trained by Dennis Gardner, the Cassis gelding cut fractions of :28.2, :56.4 and 1:25.3 before trotting a :28.1 last quarter to extend his winning streak to seven. Lous Andiamo took second, beaten four lengths.

Niko Man (Bender) had no trouble disposing of his Cardinal trot field in the second split with a 1:56.3 clocking. Once again it was a Miller trained, and Overhiser owned stake champion. Lombardi shares ownership of the Cassis gelding. Tankmetodennyland finished second, almost five lengths back, in the eighth and last stake event on the card.

Stewart drove four winners on the program while Bender had three.