Fox Valley Landen (Kyle Husted) kept his top position atop the ICF 3-yeat-old male pacing division with his seventh consecutive victory Tuesday at the Du Quoin State Fair. (Patricia Fryman Photography)

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

HINSDALE, IL—After a season where a case could be made for about a half-dozen two-year-old male pacers to be named the 2022 ICF champion in the division, it’s been quite a different narrative as three-year-olds.

The Amy Husted Stable’s Fox Valley Landen had a respectable freshman campaign banking almost $30,000 with two wins and three seconds in 11 starts however what a difference a year has made for the muscular son of Somestarsomewhere.

Fox Valley Landen has already won in 1:50 flat twice this year, five seconds faster than the two-year-old mark of 1:55.

Fox Valley Landen (Kyle Husted) did have more trouble than usual to extend his winning streak to seven in a row Tuesday at the Du Quoin State Fair. It came in the $15,000 first division of the Dudley Hanover, thus solidifying his position as the leader in his class.

The winning margin was only a long neck over Fox Valley Patriot, cleverly driven by Casey Leonard.

Fox Valley Patriot took a quick lead with Fox Valley Landen settling in third and went to a slow 30.2 first quarter. Casey had Fox Valley Patriot on his way to another pedestrian panel when Husted took “Landen” out of third and brushed him to the front just before the 59.4 half with “Patriot” in the pocket.

It took a speedy 26 flat last quarter by the winner to hold on for his owners David Brigham (Concord, MI), John Schwarz Jr. (Wood Dale, IL) and Kyle Husted (Altamont, IL at the end of the 1:52.1parked-out mile.

The second Dudley Hanover division went a lot quicker, from start to finish, as the 6-5 favorite Fox Valley Jasper (Cordarius Stewart) was three-quarters of a length the best over a fast-closing Fox Valley Cayman (Casey Leonard).

Ghost Shark (Travis Seekman) took the field to first half fractions of 28 flat and :28.4 and soon after Cordarius hauled Fox Valley Jasper out of the pocket, where he raced outside of Ghost Shark through the third quarter (1:23.3) and went on to gain a 1:51.4 victory, a new lifetime mark for the Somestarsomewhere gelding.

The 8-5 favorite Fox Valley Jasper is owned by Doug Overhiser of New Smyma Beach, Florida and the Engle Stable of Northbrook, Illinois.

Two Gorgeous Efforts: The first $25,000 Director’s Cup for first season colt and gelding pacers saw Gorgeous Big Guy ($9.00), owned, trained, and driven by Michigander Tim Roach overcome a start from the second tier (11 post) and prove best in 1:52.3.

The Ashlee’s Big Guy colt showed a lot of fortitude in his initial Illinois start, going a rugged trip parked-out but still proving best over a game try by runner-up Erico Pallazzo (Casey Leonard). There were five lead changes going to the 56.2 half.

The Second Director’s Cup split turned out to be “no contest” as Guitar Man (Kyle Husted) was a dominating seven length winner in 1:51.3, thus far the fastest mile for an ICF two-year-old pacer.

Husted settled Guitar Man into seventh while others sped to a 55.2 first half. On the backside Kyle made his move with Guitar Man, and it was a bold one, as the Somestarsomewhere offspring powered to the front effortlessly and simply pulled away to his fourth win in five career starts for trainer Rob Rittof and his owners Doug Overhiser and Mark Winship if Canton, Illinois.

Chipping Away: Two $25,000 divisions of the Governor’s Cup for freshman male trotters were contested. In the first split Little Chipper ($18.40), nicely handled by Jared Finn, came away to an almost four-length triumph over the 3-2 favorite Fireballs Pride (Kyle Wilfong) in 1:57.2 for trainer John D Finn and owner Larry Longnecker of Summer. Illinois.

It was another upset winner in the second Governor’s Cup grouping as Lous Private Eye at 5-1 beat the division leaders Shady Maple Alstar and Deebo thanks to a nifty inside move in the stretch by his driver Casey Leonard.

The Steve Searle trained Lou’s Legacy colt, owned and bred by Flacco Family Farms of Alexis, Illinois, trotted the mile in 1:58.2 in his fifth career start.

Kevin Miller’s Double Parked pulled off a shocker in the $7,000 ICF aged mare pace showdown with a sizzling 1:50.2 clocking at 9-1. Driver Cordarus Stewart sent the Sagebrush mare to the front where she cut fractions of 27.2, 54.2 and 1:21.1 and held off the late rushing 1-2 heavy favorite Fox Valley Exploit by one and one-quarter lengths.

In the nightcap, the speedster He’zzz A Wise Sky (Kyle Wilfong) made it a sweep of the Illinois State Fair colt championships with a quick 1:49.4 victory in his first ever start on the Du Quoin mile oval. Fox Valley Gemini gave it a game effort, finishing one length behind.