On Higher Ground (Ridge Warren), the 2019 Springfield freshman trotting champion, returns to his home state Sunday at Hawthorne in the $20,000 Plesac prep. (Four Footed Photos)

By Mike Paradise

  It’s the last lap Sunday night for ICF two and three-year-old trotters to earn a starting berth in next weekend’s Night of Champions lucrative finals at Hawthorne.

 On tap are three divisions of the Kadabra for state-bred freshman male trotters, a pair of splits of the Fox Valley Flan stake series for juvenile fillies of the same gait, along with a single event of the 3-year-old Beulah Dygert Memorial filly series and the Erwin F. Dygert Memorial for second season colts and geldings. All with $25,000 pots on the line.

  A quartet of $20,000 prep races for the older Illinois bred horses of both sexes and gaits ae also sprinkled throughout the 13-race program and with some interesting developments occurring in the Carl Becker Memorial aged trotting mare division and the Plesac for male trotters three and upward.

 Returning after a two-month layoff is the 2022 Illinois Harness Horse of the Year Funky Wiggle fir the Curt Grummel stable. Curt will drive the now four-year-old mare away from the four slot in the second race five-horse field.

 This will be the daughter of Lou’s Legacy’s only third start of the year after a 16-race freshman campaign that saw her capture nine ICF stake races and bank over $130,000 for owner and breeder Dr. Patrick Graham of Lockridge, Iowa.

 Funky Wiggle has been plagued much of the season with lameness issues. Nevertheless, she showed eight days ago she was ready for the Plesac, trotting in 1:58 flat with a second-place finish in her qualifier.

 Illinois long reigning trotting queen Annas Lucky Star (Kyle Wilfong), along with Louzotic (Travis Seekman), Reign And Shine (Cordarius Stewart) and Lolita (Casey Leonard) will provide the opposition.

 A surprise entry into the Plesac is the now six-year-old trotter On Higher Ground (Kyle Husted). Illinois Standardbred followers might remember the former Mike Brick trainee who was the Springfield champion at two in 1:55.1, and the third-place finisher in the 2020 Erwin Dygert championship.

  The Cassius gelding was sold later that year and all he’s done since is make money for his proprietors. As a four-year-old in 2021 he raked-in over $105,000. At five he added another $118,510 to his card. This season he’s made almost $160,000 while racing for the Jennifer Bongiorno stable and lowered his career mark to a quick 1:51.2 mile, taken at Pocono Downs.

 Awaiting On Higher Ground is the defending Plesac champion Talk About Valor (Travis Seekman) with the outside six-post, along with Louscardamon (Kyle Husted), Heath Bar (Jack Killeen), Lousdobb (Casey Leonard), and Lousraptor (Cordarius Stewart).

 Shark Shocker: Platinum Shark, patiently handled by Brandon Bates, pulled off the surprise of Saturday night when the ICF freshman filly came from out of it and popped at odds of 57-1 in the first $25,000 Incredible Tillie stake series division.

  The $116.20 winner is trained by Mike Brink and is owned by the Illinois trio of Darin Tournear (Liberty), Michelle Blackburn (Springfield) and Josh Carter (Williamsville).

  The victory, worth 50 series points. vaulted the Revenge Shark gelding from 21st place in the standings to a top 10 finish and a starting berth in next week’s $100,000 (est.) Incredible Tillie championship.

 Well rated by Travis Seekman, Hypeyourbestieup ($7.60) held off the late rushing Fox Valley Sadie (Kyle Husted) to gain a neck victory in the second Incredible Tillie division with a 1:55.2 clocking.

 Another Somestarsomewhere offspring, Hypeyourbesttieup is trained by Jamaica Patton who co-owns the ICF pacer with Cedric Daniels of Jackson, Mississippi.

  The 1-2 favorite Chickabell (Kyle Husted) put on a game winning performance in the third Incredible Tillie split, proving best by a head over Stevie Mae (Brandon Bates) in 1:55.1.

  Leaving from the outside nine-post, Chickabell was three-wide in the first turn, settled into fifth, took plenty of air racing outside of Fox Valley Tasa before clearing to the front, put away a strong challenge from Fox Valley Kia (Phil Knox), and held off a late rush by the pocket horse Stevie Mae (Brandon Bates).

  Brandon Bates was back in the winner’s circle after guiding My Daddys Revenge ($3.00) to a comfortable two and on-half length triumph in the first $25,000 Plum Peachy division for state-bred filly sophomore pacers. The 80-1 longshot Senorita Mouse (Kyle Husted) was second in the 1:53.4 mile.

  Winning trainer Mike Brink (Springfield, IL) shares ownership of the Revenge Shark filly with Lori Searle, also of Springfield.

  The Erv Miller stable’s Fox Valley Leah (Cordarious Stewart) won for the ninth consecutive time in the second Plum Peachy grouping although she was all-out to be a neck better than Rona Mae (Brandon Bates) in the 1:55 flat mile.