Hawthorne Harness: Illinois Night of Champions held for 2021

Hawthorne's leading driver Casey Leonard posted a grand slam during Saturday's Illinois Night of Champions.

Leonard's first victory came with 6-year-old Yankee Skyscaper gelding Fox Valley Gemini in the $64,000 Robert S. Molaro Memorial Championship for older pacers in 1:50 1/5. Fox Valley Gemini, trained by Terry Leonard for owner Jim Ballinger, got up out of the pocket to defeat Fox Valley Ren (Juan Franco) and He'zzz A Wise Sky (Kyle Wilfong) to give him a win on Night of Champions for the fifth consecutive year.

Trainer Steve Searle then teamed with Leonard to take the $97,500 Erwin F. Dygert Memorial for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters with Rndmnunpredictable in 1:59 2/5 and the $114,000 Kadabra Championship for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters with Lousdobb in 1:58 4/5. Both winners are by the sire Lou's Legacy and were bred by Flacco Family Farms LLC. Flacco Family Farms LLC. owns Rndmnunpredictable by themselves and share ownership of Lousdobb with All-Wright Racing LLC.

Rounding out Leonard's grand slam was Fox Valley Ozzi, who took the $138,000 Incredible Finale Championship for rookie pacing colts and geldings in 1:54. Gary Rath trains Fox Valley Ozzi, who was bred by Fox Valley Standardbreds and James and Tracey Walker Stable, for owners Stephen McMakin and David Samuelson.

Drivers Kyle Wilfong, Travis Seekman, and Kyle Husted also had doubles on the card.

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Wilfong won the $120,500 Fox Valley Flan Championship for 2-year-old trotting fillies with Curt Grummel-trained Funky Wiggle (by Lou's Legacy) in a track record 1:57 2/5. Funky Wiggle is a homebred for Dr. Patrick Graham. Wilfong then returned to the winner's circle after scoring a 1:55 1/5 triumph with Apple Valley (by Major Bombay) in the $117,000 Incredible Tillie Championship for rookie pacing fillies. Apple Valley is trained by Jim Molitor for owner/breeder Michael Perrin.

Molitor was also responsible for one of Seekman's wins, that being with Ryans Loan Shark (by Ryan N Hanover) in the $79,000 Robert F. Carey Jr. Memorial Championship for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers. Ryans Loan Shark tallied in 1:56 2/5 for co-owner/breeder Flacco Family Farms LLC., David Falzone, and Molitor is also a co-owner. Seekman came right back one race later to prevail with Talk About Valor (by Yankee Valor) in the $68,500 Plesac Championship for older trotters. Talk About Valor turned a two-hole trip into a 1:55 3/5 decision for trainer Gerry Hansen and owner Shelley Steele.

Husted swept the last two races on card. He steered Nick Prather-trained and James Greer-owned Bootsy Bombay (by Major Bombay) to a 1:55 1/5 verdict in the $76,000 Plum Peacy Championship for 3-year-old pacing fillies, and then won the nightcap, the $66,500 Tony Maurello Memorial Championship for pacing mares, with Fox Valley Exploit in 1:53 1/5. Fox Valley Exploit, a 4-year-old Sportsmaster mare, is also trained and co-owned by Husted in partnership with David Brigham. This was the third straight year she had won a race on Night of Champions.

The only horse/driver able to break the Leonard, Wilfong, Seekman, and Husted stranglehold on the card was Breeze At Sunset (by Southwind Breeze) in the $68,500 Beulah Dygert Memorial Championship for 3-year-old trotting fillies. Atlee Bender drove her to a 1:58 victory for trainer Erv Miller and owner Bowie Racing LLC.

Hawthorne will conclude their harness racing schedule for 2021 on Sunday night.