The well-regarded ICF pacer Battlin Bob (Travis Seekman) will make his 3-year-old debut in the upcoming Spring Preview at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. (Bob Brodsky Photo)

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

  The Spring Previews at the Illinois State Fairgrounds for ICF 3-year-ups and upward pacers and trotters are only two weeks away. It’s our first chance for the 2025 harness racing season to watch ICF horses compete.

 Among the many prairie-state horses in training for their first start of the season on Tuesday, May 13th at Springfield is the well-regarded youngster Battlin Bob, the current pride of the Walker family.

 “Yes, Battlin Bob will race in the Spring Preview,” said his trainer Hart Walker, who shares ownership with Robert Walker (Carrollton), Chas Walker (Edwardsville, and Robyn Klinger (Carrollton) as the only horse to defeat 2024 Illinois Horse of the Year Cash Money Twenty as a 2-year-old.

 “Batlin Bob has been in training for hirs first start of the year and is coming along very well, continued the Jerseyville, Illinois resident. “I trained him last week at Springfield and was very pleased with him. Like most 3-year-olds, he’s filled out some over the winter and got a little taller.”

 It wasn’t Battlin Bob’s recent growing physical attributes that brought more excitement into Hart’s voice. Instead, it was the horse’s newfound mental awareness.

 “Mentally he’s matured,” continued Hart, who bred Battlin Bob along with his father Robert. “There were times last year that Battlin Bob would get aggressive out there. This year he seems to want to be more of a racehorse.”

 And that could bode well down the line for the Walker’s.

 The son of Somestarsomewhere out of the Walker’s former champion mare Bucklegirl Bobbette was one of the “big three” of the 20024 Illinois bred freshmen male crop—Cash Money Twenty, Battlin Bob and Dialogue.

 Battlin Bob went postward 11 times as a freshman winning 5 of the events, to go along with 3 seconds and a pair of thirds. The young gelding earned nearly $90,000 and took his season mark of 1:51.3 last August at Du Quoin when he beat Cash Money Twenty by four open lengths in a $35,125 division of the Director’s Cup.

 “That was an exciting race for us to watch”, said Hart who watched Battlin Bob and Cash Money Twenty race heads apart at the 55 first half before the Mike Brink trainee took over command. However, Battlin Bob battled back with a 27.3 last panel to take down the 1-5 public’s choice.

 Cash Money Twenty went on to avenge that loss at Battlin Bob and rattled off seven consecutive triumphs, including a head victory over Dialogue in the $22,6545 Incredible Finale’s showdown last November on Hawthorne’s Night of Champions when Battlin Bob was third best.

 “Cash Money Twenty, Battlin Bob and Dialogue are all nice horses,” continued Hart. “We’re all looking forward to seeing them go at it again as 3-year-olds.”

 The only time Battlin Bob was “off the board” in his juvenile season was last October in leg 3 of the Incredible Finale series when he was knocked off stride at the start and ended up a far-back fifth. Ironically, Dialogue was impeded early in the same race, and was parked to out the first half, finishing a non-threatening fourth to the winner Dandy’s Freedom.