Posted Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010
By Mike Paradise
For many of the 2 and 3-year-old Illinois bred champions in 2008 the road to success was down Interstate 57. And often it was a Springfield, Illinois based trainer who was in the winner’s circle after one of the major state bred stake events was concluded.
Springfield’s Erv Miller once again chalked up a number of big stakes victories on Illinois tracks however last year Erv had plenty of company from other State Fair Grounds trainers who also conditioned ICF champions—Mike Brink, Leo Grummel, Nick Gilberson and Scott Foster.
Brink bred and developed the good looking youngster Rock Hollywood a son of Physic Spirit who went out and nailed down Balmoral’s $100,000 Lincoln Land and the Springfield State Fair Finals for a state-bred freshman male trotter with driver Dave Magee.
Grummel’s Fox Valley Luxury had a trio of successes in the two-year-old filly trotting ranks, also with the Hall of Famer Dave Magee. This daughter of International Chip annexed the $100,000 Lady Lincoln Land and the $50,000 Fox Valley Flan at Balmoral, along with the $50,000 Springfield Championship for Pittsfield, Illinois owner Patrick Graham.
Leo also trained the first season trotter Run And Tell Pap who swept the Darn Safe events at DuQuoin and later bested some elite open company freshmen with a victory in the $106,000 American National at Balmoral for driver Mike Cox. The son of High Falls won $6,639 on the fair circuit before being purchased by Patrick Graham in July and ended his first season with $103,806 more in his account.
Gilberson conditioned champion ICF fillies in both two and three-year-old stake events. The Cole Muffler sophomore pacer My Heart Was True, in her first season of racing for Michigan owners L & LK Devisser and driver Brandon Simpson, rattled off stakes triumphs in the $54,000 Ann Vonian and a $25,300 Hanover at Balmoral, the $50,000 title at Springfield and DuQuoin’s $30,000 Time Dancer.
The Assassinator, bought by Illinoisans Brian Walkington (Carrollton) and Mark Winship (Canton) in mid-August gave Nick a training stakes double at Springfield with her win in the $50,000 added money event for freshman trotting fillies. The daughter of Richest Hanover went on to also win the $45,000 First Lady at the DuQuoin State Fair.
Trainer Scott Foster saw his three-year-old gelding Double Trouble, an American National champ at two, capture Balmoral’s $56,000 Incredible Finale Final for male sophomores and later a $17,500 Dudley Hanover at DuQuoin for Illinois owners Desyllas Racing (Alexander), Carol Rieken (Ashland) and William Beck (Edinburg).
Erv Miller gave us the talented Power Of A Moment who dominated the ICF two-year-old male division. The son of Cole Muffler ended his first season with ten consecutive victories that included the $240,000 Orange and Blue on Super Night, the $71,000 Mini Me, the $26,450 Sarah Myers—all at Balmoral—Maywood’s $51,950 Cardinal, and both the $50,000 Springfield and DuQuoin’s $80,000 Governor’s Cup State Fair crowns for Illinois owners Leland Mathias (Bethany), Bert Hochsprung (Elburn) and the Erv Miller Stables.
The Miller Stable’s freshman filly pacer Mystical Victress, a daughter of Sportsmaster driven by Brandon Simpson notched both Balmoral’s $68,000 Loyal Opposition Final and the $26,735 Sarah Myers for owners Mystical Marker Farms of Dwyer, Indiana.
If you drove down further on I-57 you can make a stop in Charleston, Illinois the home of Jerald Viviani, the trainer and part-owner of double three-year-old male stakes winner Showmeyourstuff. Bred by Phillips Standardbreds and also owned by Donna Viviani and Sue Phillips—all of Charleston—this son of Armbro American took both the $50,000 Plesac and the $47,750 Cardinal at Balmoral with driver Marcus Miller.
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