Streamline, Cammack notch Illinois-bred stakes victories

Old standbys – and yes, “old” is the right word – Streamline and Cammack won Illinois-bred stakes races Saturday at Hawthorne Racecourse.

To be fair, Streamline is only a 6-year-old, but that is a ripe age for a multiple graded stakes-winning mare to be competing out on the racetrack. Compete she did Saturday in the $54,000 Illini Princess Handicap, getting the best of capable rivals Lovely Loyree and Prado’s Sweet Ride in a three-horse photo finish. Streamline got home by a head over Lovely Loyree, with 2-1 favorite Prado’s Sweet Ride another neck back in third. The top two finishers both carried 124 pounds, top weight in the field of Illinois-bred fillies and mares.

Streamline is owned by Cartwright Thoroughbred and Nancy Vanier and is trained by Vanier’s son-in-law, Brian Williamson. Vanier also bred Streamline, mating her stallion, Straight Line, with her mare Love Handles. Love Handles is out of Hip Huggers, who is out of Hip. Vanier and / or her late husband, Harvey Vanier, bred all those horses after acquiring Hip’s dam, Parlor.

Streamline has validated Mrs. Vanier’s sharp knowledge of bloodlines with earnings now of $906,779, and while she has struggled in her recent higher-level dirt stakes, she has won her last two Chicago-circuit turf starts. Edgar Perez rode her to victory Saturday, Streamline stopping the timer in 1:46.01 for 1 1/16 miles on firm turf and paying $10.40 to win.

While Prado’s Sweet Ride, who ran well in defeat, is headed to retirement, and Streamline might not be far behind her (Lovely Loyree could race again next year at age 8), Cammack is a gelding and from all appearances is set to march productively into his 9-year-old season in 2019.

Trained by Chris Block for his family’s partnership, Team Block, Cammack won his second race in a row and on speed figures, at least, is nearly as fast as he was at his career zenith. On Saturday, under Jose Lopez, Cammack collared Goneghost past the eighth pole and held clear runner-up Memory Bank to win the $54,750 Buck's Boy Handicap by a half-length. Goneghost, who went clear in midstretch (and who prefers dirt) held third.

Cammack, who carried top weight of 125 pounds, ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:44.11 and paid $9.80 to win. Bred by Team Block, Cammack is by Giant’s Causeway and out of Fort Pond, her second-most successful foal behind the multiple Grade 3-winning sire, Fort Prado.