Illinois champion Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard) is now on R & R for the Terry Leonard stable. (Patricia Fryman Photography) 

By Mike Paradise for the I.H.H.A.

  With the finish line well in sight for Hawthorne’s winter meeting, the high-flying Bluebird Deacon looks to extend his winning streak to three in a row in Monday’s $11,100 Open Trot.

 The 7-year-old Indiana bred made it two consecutive come-from-behind triumphs a week ago in the Monday feature with driver Atlee Bender, husband of owner Hannah Miller Bender. The couple run the successful Midwest Division of the Erv Miller Stable.

 Blue Deaocn needed all of Hawthorne’s long 1,320 length stretch to get the job done last Monday evening, collaring Double A Goldrush (Casey Leonard) in the final strides of a q:57 flat mile. Bluebird Deacon did it rallying from fifth and last as the prohibitive 3-5 favorite.

 Tonight, he’ll likely have to come last again but most likely from further back with the eight-hole. Besides Double A Goldrush, Dash Of Luck (Brandon Bates), Perlucky (Kyle Wilfong), and Lousdobb (Travis Seekman), third through fifth place finishers return for another shot at Bluebird Deacon.

 They’ll be joined by the pole sitter Loulita (Mike Oosting), fresh off a 1:56.3 win in a high-level conditioned trot and the veteran Never Mind N p.p. 3) from the barn of Todd Warren.

 Now 11-years-old, Never Mind N is a well-traveled New Zealand bred acquired by Warren and Illinoisans Lester Peters (Beecher) and Richard Tomei (Peotone) late last September.

 Since his acquisition, the old-timer has put another $12,000-plus on his card in nine starts, with two wins and a pair of seconds for the Illinois trio. A third-place finish or higher would boost Never Mind over the $200,000 mark in lifetime earnings. He’s generated over $175,000 since coming to North America from his South Pacific native island.

  Never Mind made the almost 10,000-mile trip New Zealand to eastern Canada as a 7-year-old in 2020 and immediately fared well for his new connections. He made almost $40,000 in a half-season of racing, mostly competing at Woodbine, and he hasn’t been under the $40,000 plateau in earnings since.

 Last year the trotter dominated the $25,000 claiming ranks Rideau Down, capturing 6 of 9 consecutive events for trainer Mandy Archer. Shortly thereafter Warren obtained the New Zealander.

 Never Mind hasn’t started for about month and the question is: Does he need Monday’s outing? The trotter has been at his best locally racing up close and could be hurrying out from the starting gate along with likely Perlucky, Loulita, and Double A Goldrush.

 An early quick duel would enhance the chances of Bluebird Deacon getting to visit the track photographer a third straight time. Driver Atlee Bender has gone on record that his horse has been most effective coming from out of it and could be doing just that tonight.

 R & R for “Gemini:” It appears we won’t be seeing Illinois champion Fox Valley Gemini the final two racing nights of the meeting next week.

 “He’s probably done for the rest of this meeting,” revealed his driver, Casey Leonard. “There’s nothing major wrong with him but his feet have become a bit of a problem. When the track comes up hard, it’s not a good thing for him. He raced well in his first two starts of the new year, but you saw he wasn’t himself in his last January race.

  The Terry Leonard trainee, a multiple Illinois Harness Horse of the Year honoree, made another $44,000-plus in 2023 and has $7,800 on his card after a pair of victories last month. “Gemini,” now nine, boasts 61 career wins, almost all in Illinois, and $748,312 in purse revenues for Atwater, Illinois owner Jim Ballinger.

 Let’s hope we see the Illinois champion later in the year at Springfield.

 Wise Move: Not wanting to race against the Super Bowl extravaganza, Hawthorne has decided to move up its final Sunday racing of the meeting to 2 o’clock next weekend.

Bluebird Deacon looking for a threepeat