Rogers Still Leads Driver's Standings, Randall Finn, Kyle Husted Pick Up Victories

Randall Finn, behind No. 2 Madoff, takes his horse across the finish line for the win while watching Harold Finn Jr., behind Maddy Buddy, finish second in the Topline 3-Year-Old & Up Pace. Scott Beal photo

ALTAMONT -- Michael Rogers has been leading the harness racing driver's standings from the get-go and picked up a win Wednesday at the Effingham County Fair that brought the crowd to their feet.

In the second race of the day, the Topline 3-Year-Old & Up Trot, Rogers, behind Macie Rae, trailed leader Show Stopin Monkey for quite a while through some fast action but decided enough was enough. After drafting behind the leader through the opening quarter in :30.2 and the half at 1:00.3, Macie Rae ranged on the outside and blew by the leader.

Macie Rae opened up an eight length lead in the blink of an eye and left the field behind giving the crowd a reason to cheer. Rogers took the three-year-old to the win by 17 lengths in 2:02.2. Macie Rae must like the Altamont-based track. The trotter set a track record in 2014, won last year and picked up a second victory this week at the fair.

Rogers added to his lead with his eighth victory over the four days of harness racing at the Effingham County Fair and took second in the final race of the day behind Captain Joel.

In the Topline 3-Year-Old & Up Pace, crowd-favorite Madoff along with driver Randall Finn, took the victory in the quickest mile so far this week in 1:59.2.

Madoff came into the meeting with 33 career victories and was a perfect six wins in six starts over the course of several years at the Effingham County Fair. Madoff took the lead and went wire-to-wire with the only challenge coming from Maddys Buddy, driven by Harold Finn Jr. Madoff finished out the win for Hall of Fame driver Randall Finn, winning by three parts of a length.

Finn added to his career wins at this fair with 116.

In the opening race of the day, the Topline 2-Year-Old Pace, Jamaica Patton made quick work of the field, going wire-to-wire behind Gambling Babe to win in 2:04.4.

Kabam, driven by Jared Finn, took the early lead in the Topline 2-year-Old Trot and maintained control for quite a while in race four. But One Hour Power made a move and took the lead with a quarter mile to go and finished out in 2:09.2.

One Hour Power, driven by Brian Cotton, son of trainer Phillip Cotton, went the distance for his first win after three starts. It was One Hour Power's first time at the Effingham County Fair.

Altamont-native Kyle Husted made his return to the fair this year behind Duneside Life in the final race, the Non-winners $3,500 Lifetime Pace.

Duneside Life won on Monday's card before coming back to take this race wire-to-wire in 2:03.1. Husted is now a driver in Chicago.

Wednesday's Results

Race One

Topline 2-Year-Old Pace

Purse: $2,500

1. Gambling Babe (Jamaica Patton), 2. Sweet Ava (Barak Patton), 3. Duneside Charlie (Michael Knicley)

Time -- :31, 1:02.4, 1:33.4, 2:04.4.

Race Two

Topline 3-Year-Old & Up Trot

Purse: $2,500

1. Macie Rae (Michael Rogers), 2. Coming Up Tough (Harold Finn Jr.), 3. Show Stopin Monkey (Jamaica Patton), 4. Fox Valley Epsilon (Adam Knicley)

Time -- :30.2, 1:00.3, 1:32.3, 2:02.2.

Race Three

Topline 3-Year-Old & Up Pace

Purse: $2,500

1. Madoff (Randall Finn), 2. Maddys Buddy (Harold Finn Jr.), 3. So Sophisticated (Barak Patton), 4. Runinthrudabridle (Jamaica Patton)

Time -- :30.2, 1:00.2, 1:30.4, 1:59.2.

Race Four

Topline 2-Year-Old Trot

Purse: $2,500

1. One Hour Power (Brian Cotton), 2. Kabam (Jared Finn), 3. Krm Sparkle (Barak Patton), 4. De Dr Chas Girl (Jack De Rousse)

Time -- :33.4, 1:06.3, 1:38.1, 2:09.2.

Race Five

Non-winners $3,500 Lifetime Pace

Purse: $1,080

1. Duneside Life (Kyle Husted), 2. Captain Joel (Michael Rogers), 3. La Rockin Dayidream (Harold Finn Jr.), 4. Sagebrush Shelly (Barak Patton)

Time -- :31.3, 1:02.4, 1:33.4, 2:03.1.

Thursday's Entries

Race One

Filly/Mare Pace

Purse: $580

1. Little Warriorette (Donald Gibson), 2. Duneside Life (Kyle Husted), 3. Uneek Shuttle (Dakota Birch), 4. Gets Force Lexie (no driver listed)

Race Two

Filly-Mare Pace

Purse: $580

1. Cam Majic Shooter (Cornelius Cavett), 2. Miss Marple (Dennis Bankston), 3. Yankee Road (Dakota Birch), 4. Queen Beatrice (Darla Martin Lohman)

Race Three

Non-winners $1,000 Lifetime Trot

Also Eligible: 2-Year-Old Nonwinners Two Races

1. Pretzel Power (Michael Rogers), 2. Little Ms Aryss (Henry Brown), 3. My Spitfire K (Rodney Freese), 4. Barn's And Bar's (Jared Finn)

Race Four

Non-winners $1,000 Lifetime Trot

Also Eligible: 2-Year-Old Nonwinners 2 Races

1. Lofty (Ray Hanna), 2. Unkept (Michael Rogers), 3. Blake Ellie (Michael Rogers), 4.Jungleland (Jared Finn)

Race Five

Non-winners $1,000 Lifetime Pace

Also Eligible: 2-Year-Old Nonwinners 2 Races

1. If Urlips Rmoving (Dennis Bankston), 2. Susan Sage (Darla Martin Lohman), 3. Dark Dune (Henry  Brown), 4. Amazing Perch (Harold Finn Jr.)

Race Six

Amateur Driving Race

Purse: $600

1. Feel My Pain (Jackson Loy), 2. Perfectly Clear (Angela Coleman), 3. Forest Raider (Joan Brown), 4. Josting Jack (Pamela Coleman), 5. Hillcrest Dynamite (Raymond Morgan)