After a string of weeks of gorgeous weather at Hawthorne Race Course, Mother Nature wasn’t nearly as kind when it came to the Night of Champions Saturday, Sept. 21. The 12-race card kicked off with a 'fast' track, but the skies opened prior to the start of the 11 stakes events, leaving for 'sloppy' going through the stakes action.
THE ROBERT S. MOLARO CHAMPIONSHIP
Jim Ballinger’s Fox Valley Gemini, two-time Illinois Horse of the Year, went as the 1-5 favourite in the $45,000 Robert S. Molaro and didn’t disappoint. Winning his fourth-straight race, Fox Valley Gemini drew off to a commanding victory, getting the mile in a lifetime best of 1:50. At the finish, he was seven-and-a-half lengths clear of the rest of the field. Dakota Roadster got up for second while Royale Rose got third.
Driven by Casey Leonard and trained by Terry Leonard, Fox Valley Gemini won for the 30th time from only 39 starts.
As written above, Fox Valley Gemini got the mile in 1:50 after fractions of :27.1, :59, and 1:22.3.
THE FOX VALLEY FLAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Lous Abigail, winning for the seventh time in 10 starts, took the $82,000 Fox Valley Flan Championship, for three-year-old and up Illinois-conceived or -foaled (ICF) pacers. Driven by leading driver Casey Leonard and trained by Steven Searle, Lous Abigail won by four-and-three-quarter lengths. Owned by Flacco Family Farms LLC, Lous Abigail got the mile in 2:00.1 after fractions of :29.4, :58.4 and 1:28.3
Bee See held on for second while Fox Valley Lush finished third.
THE INCREDIBLE TILLIE CHAMPIONSHIP
Morning-line favourite but second-choice in the wagering Fox Valley Exploit, owned by David Brigham and trainer-driver Kyle Husted, won the $115,000 Incredible Tillie Championship, for two-year-old trotting fillies, by three-and-a-half lengths. They raced through fractions of :29.4, :58.4 and 1:28.3 with a final time of 2:00.1
Bee See, the slight wagering favourite, finished second with Lous Abigail getting up for third.
THE PLESAC CHAMPIONSHIP
Danny S. Graham’s Annas Lucky Star, already a track-record holder, simply dominated in the $45,000 Plesac Championship, for three-year-old and up ICF Trotters. She took the lead quickly and won as she pleased, going at 1-9 and drawing off to win by 15 lengths. She set modest fractions of :30, :59 and 1:27.3 in progress to a 1:56.3 mile.
Trained by Nelson Willis and driven by Kyle Wilfong, Annas Lucky Star won for the 33rd time in her career, and her ninth from 15 starts in 2019.
Primed N Powerful tracked all the way and held for second with Majistic Caprice finishing third.
THE BEULAH DYGERT MEMORIAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Flacco Family Farms’ filly Louzotic made every pole a winning one in the $95,000 Beulah Dygert Memorial Championship, for three-year-old ICF trotting fillies. Winning for the 11th time in 15 starts this year, including her fifth straight, Louzotic had regular driver Kyle Husted in the bike. This talented filly is trained by Steven Searle.
She finished six-and-a-quarter lengths ahead of rival Heidi High with Lous Paramour getting up for the show dough.
Louzotic led all the way through fractions of :29.1, :59.4 and 1:29.4 with a final time of 1:58.3.
THE ERWIN F. DYGERT CHAMPIONSHIP
Lourhianon, winning for the second-straight time since getting Lasix, overcame the outside post position and the sloppy track to take the $92,000 Erwin F. Dygert Memorial, for three-year-old ICF colts and geldings, going away. Owned by C. Lawrence Mc Burney, trained by Kennedy Lindsey and driven by Luke Plano, Lourhianon took the lead soon after coming out of the far turn, raced wide through the stretch and still won by six-and-three-quarter lengths.
He got the mile in 1:57.3 after early fractions of :29.4, :59.3 and 1:29. Frontier Maynard grabbed second with For Trots Sakes coming in third.
THE KADABRA CHAMPIONSHIP
When favoured Fox Valley Quest broke coming out of the first turn in the $108,000 Kadabra Championship, for two-year-old ICF trotting colts, that opened up the opportunity for everybody else. Ed Teefey’s Crooked Creek took advantage. Winning for the third-straight time and the fifth time in nine races, Ryan Anderson guided this Mike Brink trainee to a six-length victory in 1:55.3. Desert Sheik, another Brink-trained Trotter, finished second. Longshot Fitchey For Fun snagged third place.
Early fractions for the race were :29.4, :58.1. and 1:27.3.
THE INCREDIBLE FINALE CHAMPIONSHIP
Triple Zzz’s Hezzz A Wise Guy was a three-and-a-quarter-length winner in the $102,000 Incredible Finale Championship. The race was for two-year-old ICF pacing colts. His victory was his fifth straight from only seven races. Trained by Donald Filomeno, Hezzz A Wise Guy was guided to the victory by Robert Smolin.
Favoured Fox Valley Ren, who had won seven of nine races, finished second with RJ Wulfy finishing third.
He covered the mile in 1:55 after fractions of :28.3, :57.4 and 1:27.1
THE ROBERT F. CAREY, JR. MEMORIAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Fox Valley Triton, who was beaten as the favourite in his last leg of the Carey, made amends in the $109,000 Robert F. Carey, Jr. Memorial Championship. The Carey was for three-year-old ICF pacing colts.
Owned by Dandy Farms Racing, FT Racing and Peter A Kouchis, trained by Terry Leonard and driven by Casey Leonard (his third win of the night) Fox Valley Triton eked a neck victory over Meyer On Fire. Maximus finished third.
With fractions of :28.3, :57.3, 1:26.1, he got the mile in 1:54.1
THE PLUM PEACHY CHAMPIONSHIP
Fox Valley Halsey made it two in a row with a victory in the $100,000 Plum Peachy. Owned by Cynthia Kay Willis, Ronnie J & Jerry D Graham, Fox Valley Halsey is trained by Nelson Willis and was driven by Juan Franco. Fox Valley Halsey finished a neck ahead of Fox Valley Lil Kim with Fox Valley Torrid a neck behind.
He covered the mile in 1:54.4 after early fractions of :28.4, :58.1 and 1:25.3
THE TONY MAURELLO CHAMPIONSHIP
Francis L. Greer and James E. Greer’s Skeeter Machine won the finale on the Night of Champions. The race, The $45,000 Tony Maurello Championship, was for ICF three-year-old and up pacers. Trained by Nicole Agosti and driven by Kyle Husted (his third victory of the night), Skeeter Machine won for the fifth time this year and the 17th time in his career. The final race of the night brought fractions of :28.1, :57, 1:25.1 with a final time of 1:54.
Whiskersonkittens got up for second place, a half-length back, while there was a dead heat for third place between San Antonio Rose and Fox Valley Charm.
(Hawthorne Racecourse)