Local Horses Win at Springfield

Illinois State Fairgrounds racetrack during a quiet moment.         Kurt Becker photo

BY KURT BECKER

A pair of locally owned harness horses scored victories at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Tuesday, as the Illinois Department of Agriculture presented 10 races for combined purses of $20,000.

Fox Valley Cairo, owned by a partnership which includes Dean Biggs of Altamont, rallied from 15 lengths off the pace to win on debut in a division of the two-year-old colt trot, while Hot To Trot Sparky won a separate division of the same race for owners Chuck and Cary Doehring of Brownstown.

Fox Valley Cairo won in 2:02.1, while Hot To Trot Sparky went the mile in 2:05. The latter won for the third time in as many starts.

In other action, Crooked Sage was runner-up for Altamont trainer Ray Hanna in a division of the two-year-old colt pace, as Bigday Bombay took the victory for owner-trainer-driver Clark Fairley of Lerna in 2:04.1. Bigday Bombay, owned also by Kay Fairley of Charleston and Elizabeth Fairley of Lerna, was bred and raised by Fair Meadow Farm of Altamont.

Also posting top-three finishes were Spoken For, trained and driven by Darla (Martin) Lohman of Effingham, and Balance Bean, owned and trained by Jacob Roedl of Edgewood. Spoken For was third in a division of the freshman colt pace for owner Dean Debolt of Iuka, while Balance Bean was third in a bracket for freshman colt trotters.

The fair circuit resumes on Sunday at the Jasper County Fair in Newton, where a special Father’s Day card gets underway at 12 (noon). The Illinois Big Ten Colt Stakes and Illinois Topline Stakes will share top billing.