Stand By You Man, driven by her trainer Mike Brink, goes postward Sunday after ICF stakes freshman trotting triumphs in her first two career starts. (Four Footed Fotos) 

By Mike Paradise, for the IHHA

 Long time Springfield, Illinois based horseman Mike Brink has had the same philosophy with his young horses every year: “Have their ready for the State Fairs and Super Night.”

 Being patient with his youngsters has always been a smart virtue for the 70-year-old Quincy, Illinois native and it’s paid off for Mike many, many times in his forty-plus years as a driver or trainer.

  Brink has sent a bevy of stake champions from his barn such as 2007 Illinois Harness Horse of the Year King Mufasa, Rock Hollywood, Allbeastnobeauty, Just By Design, Fistfullofdollars, Crooked Creek, Illinimight, and Tour Hall along with a number more.

  This year Brink could add a few more names to his impressive listing champion horses.

  Mike had three of his horses win Illinois State Fair Colt Stake championships last Sunday—two-year-olds Stand By Your Man, Fox Valley Julian and the three-year-old pacer My Daddys Revenge.

  His sophomore filly trotter Dawn Of Creation was a close second to Fox Valley Shania, beaten a half-length after flying home the last quarter ion 27 flat.

  Right on cue, My Daddys Revenge was at the top of her game, capturing both a $15,000 division of the Time Dancer stake at Du Quoin and her $23,500 ISCFS stake last Sunday at Hawthorne. The Revenge Shark filly has banked over $130,000 in 21 career starts for the Illinois owned quartet of Brink, Mark Brown (Chatham) Jeffrey Clauson, and Robert Lacey (Nokomis).

 Brink’s lightly raced well-regarded freshman trotter Stand By Your Man is in to “go” Sunday after capturing come-from-behind victories in a division of Du Quoin’s First Lady stake and last week’s ISFCS split in her first two career starts with Brink at the controls.

 “She’s racing Sunday to gain some experience with two stake legs (Fox Valley Flan) and the final three weeks down the road. Right now, she doesn’t know what to do out there (on the racetrack). We need to build up her confidence.”

  Stand By Your Man, a Lou’s Legacy filly out of the Deweycheatumnhome broodmare Little Riggs, was a $41,000 yearling buy at last year’s Walker Sale. “I like breeding so much that a couple of weeks ago I paid $34,000 for her sister What A Legacy.” added Brink.

 “I had Stand By Your Man already for the ISFCS at Springfield but a week before the race (which was rained out), there was blood all over my jog cart when I was ‘training her. It turned out she popped a ‘quarter” and that set her back a few weeks.

 “She has the potential to be a very good filly,” continued Mike. “She came home in 27 and 2 last Sunday. She wants to go fast, and I believe one day she could go in 1:55. But for now she has some learning to do.”

 We’ll catch up on Brink’s other two-year-old ISFCS champion Fox Valley Julian in tomorrow’s (Sunday) story.