by Neil Milbert

Going into the 10th race on Hawthorne Race Course’s Night of Champions was a nightmare for driver Todd Warren.

“Until that point it was looking kind of lean,” said Warren, who had three fifths, a seventh and a pair of ninths to show for his six drives in Illinois racing’s main event on Saturday (Oct. 14). “It was not looking good.”

But that changed dramatically in the next two races when Warren drove Gorgeous Big Guy to a 2 1/4-length victory in the night’s second richest race, the $174,000 Incredible Finale for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers, and then was a 2 ½-length winner with Chickabell in the richest race, the $187,000 Incredible Tillie for 2-year-old filly pacers.

Those convincing conquests made Warren the driving star in the annual $1,175,000 12-race extravaganza for Illinois-bred pacers and trotters.

Both were even-money favorites in contrast to some of the longshots Warren drove in the earlier races.

They found different ways to win: Gorgeous Big Guy spent the first half of his race in the middle of the 10-horse field and then came on strong to overtake Fox Valley Julian, who’d come from third to take the lead at the stretch call, whereas Chickabell led most of the way and answered the stretch challenge of late-mover Hypeyourbestieup.

“It was not how I planned it but Kyle [Wilfong] pushed out of there and then his horse [Enrico Pallazzo] ran,” Warren said, critiquing Gorgeous Big Guy’s performance. “I didn’t want to be that far back but that’s horse racing. It was as little shaky in the beginning but it worked out.

“Again [in the Incredible Tillie] there was a break [by Fox Valley Sadie] on the first turn we had to avoid. As soon as I got the lead, I had an easy middle half and kept going. Chickabell is a great horse to drive. It was like driving an aged horse.”

Gorgeous Big Guy was clocked in 1:52.1, equaling the track record for his age, sex and gait. Trained by Hawthorne leader Erv Miller, the gelded son of Ashlee’s Big Guy won his fifth-straight race, improving his 10-race record to six wins and four places. He paid $4, $2.60 and $2.10.

Chickabell has six wins and two places in eight races for Hawthorne’s 2022 trainer titlist, Amy Husted, wife of driver Kyle Husted. They are co-owners of the filly.

Amy had two other horses in the race, third place Fox Valley Gina, who had Wilfong at the reins, and sixth place Fox Valley Sadie, driven by her husband.

Chickabell’s time was 1:54.3 and the daughter of Somestarsomewhere kicked back returns of $4.20, $2.80 and $2.20 at the betting windows.

“Amy and Kyle have done a great job with her and I appreciate being able to drive her for them,” Warren said. “It makes your whole season in Illinois when you win races like that.”

The couple collaborated to capture the $105,000 Robert F. Carey, Jr. Memorial for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers with Fox Valley Landen, a son of Somestarsomewhere. Sent off at 1-2, he delivered the most decisive victory of the night, defeating Fox Valley Jasper by 6 ½ lengths in 1:51.1. Fox Valley Jasper was a whisker behind the runner-up in third place.

Co-owned by Kyle, Fox Valley Landen has won 10 of his 12 races and finished second in one of his losses after taking only two of his 11 starts during his rookie season at the track. He paid $3, $2.60 and $2.20.

“I had a lot of steering problems with him last year,” Kyle said.

Miller scored his second training victory of the night when Fox Valley Leah outdueled My Daddy’s Revenge, coming from second to win the $116,000 Plum Peachy for 3-year-old filly pacers by a neck at the wire in 1:53.2. The horseplayers had them pegged; Fox Valley Leah, with Atlee Bender in the bike, went off at 6-5 and My Daddy’s Revenge at 7-5, with Casey Leonard, a multiple Hawthorne driver champion, in the sulky.

Winless in two starts last year, Fox Valley Leah has won 10 of 11 this year and the latest victory by the daughter of Somestarsomewhere produced returns of $4.40, $2.40 and $2.20.

Leonard guided 5-2 favorite Lous Private Eye to a 3 ½-length victory over late-moving 45-1 longshot Fox Valley Parker in the richest trotting race of the night, the $121,000 Kadabra for 2-year-old colts and geldings.

In winning for the fourth time in his nine-race career for trainer Steve Searle, the son of Lou’s Legacy paid $7, $6.20 and $3.20 after making the trip in a career best time of 1:58.

Brandon Bates guided 5-1 fourth choice Stand By Your Man to an upset conquest of 3-5 favorite Whiskey Lou in the $119,000 Fox Valley Flan for 2-year-old filly trotters. Both are daughters of Lou’s Legacy as is third place Calypso Moon.

Stand By Your Man had been decisively defeated in his three previous starts for trainer Mike Brink, finishing fifth, fourth and seventh, but this time she was on top of her game, staying just off the pace and then taking over in the stretch to win by a half-length in a career best 1:57.2 and return $12.80, $4.20 and $4 following the third triumph of her six-race career.

“She had a few [breaking stride] issues the last few weeks but Mike made some changes this week,” Bates said, explaining the turnabout.

Bell Boots, a workaholic daughter of Lou’s Legacy driven by trainer Matthew Avenatti, went to the winner’s circle for the eighth time in 25 starts when she annexed the $83,000 Beulah Dygert Memorial for 3-year-old filly trotters. Sent off at 5-2, Bell Boots split horses in the homestretch and closed with a rush to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:58 and pay $7.80, $4.80, $2.80.

Longshots Shespertifulikpert (22-1), Zena Lou (50-1) and Dawn of Creation (109-1) finished second, third and fourth, respectively, while 2-1 favorite Fox Valley Shania was the caboose in the 10-horse field.

In the $90,000 Erwin Dygert Memorial trot for 3-year-old colts and geldings, Goomster had the distinction of being the only 2022 Night of Champions winner to go back to the winner’s circle. The hero of last year’s Kadabra led all the way in edging last year’s second place finisher Niko Man by a half-length in 1:54.3. Anticipating a re-run the bettors made Goomster the 4-5 favorite and Niko Man the even-money second choice.

The victorious gelded son of Cassis, who paid $3.80, $2.10 and $2.10, is now trained by Desirae Seekman and driven by her husband, Travis, after being trained by owner Dennis Gardner and driven by Wilfong last year.

Travis Seekman also piloted Skeeter Machine, winner of the $45,000 Tony Maurello for older mare pacers. Trained by Nick Prather, the 8-year-old daughter of Big Green Machine came from second to assume command with a quarter mile to race and held off closer Dandy’s MNM to win by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:53.3.

“She’s just a good old mare,” Seekman said following Skeeter Machine’s sixth triumph in a 13-race 2023 campaign in which she has been out of the mutuel money only once.

The third choice in the wagering at 7-2, Skeeter Machine paid $9.80, $4.20 and $2.

Forced to settle for third was the 2-1 favorite and defending champion Fox Valley Exploit, in quest of her fifth consecutive victory on the Night of Champions for trainer Amy Husted and driver Kyle Husted, who co-owns the 6-year-old mare with David Brigham.

Three more of the most successful performers on the Night of Champions in years past — defending champions Fox Valley Gemini, Annas Lucky Star and Talk About Valor — also met defeat.

Fox Valley Gemini had won Night of Champions races for an unprecedented six straight years, making him the most successful horse in Hawthorne’s harness racing history that dates back to 1970.

This time the 8-year-old gelded son of Yankee Skyscraper, owned by Jim Ballinger, trained by Terry Leonard and driven by Casey Leonard, came in third in the $45,000 Robert S. Molaro Memorial for older male pacers, racing throughout the race in that position behind the 1-9 favorite, arch-rival He’zzz A Wise Sky, and 47-1 longshot Get E Up.

“He’s just a little bit long in the tooth,” Casey said of Fox Valley Gemini, who went into the race with six wins and five places in 12 prior starts this year.

“And that was a huge mile by the winner.”

With Wilfong doing the driving for trainer John Filomeno, He’zzz A Wise Sky won by 4 ½ lengths in 1:50 and paid $2.10 across the board.

“I didn’t anticipate getting that good a trip,” Wilfong said after the 6-year-old horse sired by Yankee Skyscraper won for the seventh time in 16 outings in his 2023 campaign in which he has been second five times and third once. “It was an easy first quarter and he handled it the rest of the way.”

The 9-year-old trotting mare Annas Lucky Star came in a distant third as the 3-5 favorite in an unsuccessful attempt to defend her championship in the $45,000 Carl Becker Memorial for older mares.

“It didn’t work out tonight,” said Danny Graham, who bred and owns the daughter of Cassis, who has been a recipient of awards from the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association for the last seven years, designating her the champion of her age group. “We’ve had our day. Her racing days are about over, just a little bit more.”

With Hawthorne’s leading driver, the rising young star Cordarius Stewart, in the sulky, the 6-year-old mare Reign And Shine was sent off at 10-1, in the Becker Memorial and led throughout in defeating second place Loulita, a 23-1 longshot, by 2 ½ lengths in 1:57. Reign And Shine was successful for the fifth time in 15 races this year for trainer Carroll Hayes, who owns the daughter of Cassis, with his wife, Diane.

“I had a feeling I’d be on the front end,” Stewart said. “The second quarter was kind of slow. At the head of the stretch, I knew I was the winner.”

The victory produced betting returns of $23.20, $7.60 and $3.

Defending champion Talk About Valor showed his typical early speed in the $45,000 Plesac for older male trotters but lost his gusto in the stretch and crossed the finish line third behind On Higher Ground and Heath Bar.

On Higher Ground had raced at Yonkers, Pocono Downs and Philadelphia Park before trainer Jennifer Bongiorno brought the 6-year-old gelded son of Cassis to Hawthorne to score a victory in the prep race the preceding weekend.

With Husted back in the sulky, On Higher Ground was dispatched as the heavy favorite and after overtaking Talk About Valor he held off Heath Bar to prevail by just over a length in 1:55.1 for his 10th triumph in a nomadic 27-race 2023 campaign in which he has been out of the mutuel money seven times.

Finish lines: A total of $917,310 was bet from all sources on the 12-race card and of this amount $53,911 was wagered on track. The numbers represent increases of more than 21 per cent from the 2022 Night of Champions.