Travis Seekman will guide Rock N Republic in Thursday’s Du Quoin feature. (Terry Young Photo)

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

  It’s not often a harness horse substantially lowers his lifetime mark a 7-year-old for a new barn nevertheless that was the case for the Rock N Republic, now trained by veteran Illinois horseman Nick Prather who took over as the lessee on the Pet Rock gelding at the start of the year.

  Travis Seekman is back to guide Rock N Republic in Thursday’s co-featured 13th race, a conditioned event that carries a modest $5,000 purse for a strong fivr-horse field mostly with 3-year-old Illinois bred pacers.

 The younger opposition to Rock N Republic will have to step things up a notch to prove best because Rock N Republic comes off the fastest mile thus far on the Illinois circuit, s 1:50.3 clocking and could have gone faster if asked. The winning margin was almost four lengths, and he beat the likes of Illinois champions Fox Valley Landen and Fox Valley Gemini in a convincing manner.

  Rock N Republic left hard from the outside eight-hole with Seekman, and was parked to a swift 26.3 first quarter to make the lead. He briefly was in second at the 55 half but then retook command and finished off the field with a 27.2 final panel.

 Rock N Republic previously recorded a 1:51.3 mile as a 3-year-old at Scioto Downs and went one tick faster one year later with a 1:51.2 clocking at Hoosier Park. Nice miles but nothing like his romp on June 27th at Springfield, just his second start for Prather since sidelined for over three months.

 The pacer’s lifetime earnings of $188,188 and a record of 24 wins in 75 tries are solid numbers but would have been far greater if it wasn’t for earlier health issues, Rock N Republic only competed six times in his sophomore season, winning four of them, and only had another half-dozen starts as a 5-year-old, finishing first three times and still banking just under $45,000 in those two short seasons.

 Rock N Republic will start today from the outside five post. The first four slots will be manned by Dandy’s Freedom (Casey Leonard), a Cardinal division titleholder, Skyway Goliath (Issac Love), Sleazyandincharge (Wyatt Avenatti), and Fox Valley Cayman (Cordarius Stewart).

 The co-featured conditioned trot came up with a robust field of eight, headed by last year’s Illinois older division titleholder Marvelous Mystery to be driven by her trainer Curt Grummel. The 5-year-old trotting mare is looking for her third consecutive win when she leaves from the six-slot.

 Both recent Violet trot champions What A Legacy (Mike Brink) and Kays In Charge (Casey Leonard) are among her challengers, What A Legacy drew nicely with the rail and Kays In Charge, who likes to race up-close is in good shape with the four.

 Peekaboo Sal (Wyatt Avenatti), High Class Heidi (Jordan Patton), Gypsy Rose Lou (Juan Franco), Lous Amazon (Wyatt Avenatti) and Luling City (Jerome Daniels) round out the third race field.

 t’s not often a harness horse substantially lowers his lifetime mark a 7-year-old for a new barn nevertheless that was the case for the Rock N Republic, now trained by veteran Illinois horseman Nick Prather who took over as the lessee on the Pet Rock gelding at the start of the year.

  Travis Seekman is back to guide Rock N Republic in Thursday’s co-featured 13th race, a conditioned event that carries a modest $5,000 purse for a strong fivr-horse field mostly with 3-year-old Illinois bred pacers.

 The younger opposition to Rock N Republic will have to step things up a notch to prove best because Rock N Republic comes off the fastest mile thus far on the Illinois circuit, s 1:50.3 clocking and could have gone faster if asked. The winning margin was almost four lengths, and he beat the likes of Illinois champions Fox Valley Landen and Fox Valley Gemini in a convincing manner.

  Rock N Republic left hard from the outside eight-hole with Seekman, and was parked to a swift 26.3 first quarter to make the lead. He briefly was in second at the 55 half but then retook command and finished off the field with a 27.2 final panel.

 Rock N Republic previously recorded a 1:51.3 mile as a 3-year-old at Scioto Downs and went one tick faster one year later with a 1:51.2 clocking at Hoosier Park. Nice miles but nothing like his romp on June 27th at Springfield, just his second start for Prather since sidelined for over three months.

 The pacer’s lifetime earnings of $188,188 and a record of 24 wins in 75 tries are solid numbers but would have been far greater if it wasn’t for earlier health issues, Rock N Republic only competed six times in his sophomore season, winning four of them, and only had another half-dozen starts as a 5-year-old, finishing first three times and still banking just under $45,000 in those two short seasons.

 Rock N Republic will start today from the outside five post. The first four slots will be manned by Dandy’s Freedom (Casey Leonard), a Cardinal division titleholder, Skyway Goliath (Issac Love), Sleazyandincharge (Wyatt Avenatti), and Fox Valley Cayman (Cordarius Stewart).

 The co-featured conditioned trot came up with a robust field of eight, headed by last year’s Illinois older division titleholder Marvelous Mystery to be driven by her trainer Curt Grummel. The 5-year-old trotting mare is looking for her third consecutive win when she leaves from the six-slot.

 Both recent Violet trot champions What A Legacy (Mike Brink) and Kays In Charge (Casey Leonard) are among her challengers, What A Legacy drew nicely with the rail and Kays In Charge, who likes to race up-close is in good shape with the four.

 Peekaboo Sal (Wyatt Avenatti), High Class Heidi (Jordan Patton), Gypsy Rose Lou (Juan Franco), Lous Amazon (Wyatt Avenatti) and Luling City (Jerome Daniels) round out the third race field.

 It’s not often a harness horse substantially lowers his lifetime mark a 7-year-old for a new barn nevertheless that was the case for the Rock N Republic, now trained by veteran Illinois horseman Nick Prather who took over as the lessee on the Pet Rock gelding at the start of the year.

  Travis Seekman is back to guide Rock N Republic in Thursday’s co-featured 13th race, a conditioned event that carries a modest $5,000 purse for a strong five-horse field mostly with 3-year-old Illinois bred pacers.

 The younger opposition to Rock N Republic will have to step things up a notch to prove best because Rock N Republic comes off the fastest mile thus far on the Illinois circuit, s 1:50.3 clocking and could have gone faster if asked. The winning margin was almost four lengths, and he beat the likes of Illinois champions Fox Valley Landen and Fox Valley Gemini in a convincing manner.

  Rock N Republic left hard from the outside eight-hole with Seekman, and was parked to a swift 26.3 first quarter to make the lead. He briefly was in second at the 55 half but then retook command and finished off the field with a 27.2 final panel.

 Rock N Republic previously recorded a 1:51.3 mile as a 3-year-old at Scioto Downs and went one tick faster one year later with a 1:51.2 clocking at Hoosier Park. Nice miles but nothing like his romp on June 27th at Springfield, just his second start for Prather since sidelined for over three months.

 The pacer’s lifetime earnings of $188,188 and a record of 24 wins in 75 tries are solid numbers but would have been far greater if it wasn’t for earlier health issues, Rock N Republic only competed six times in his sophomore season, winning four of them, and only had another half-dozen starts as a 5-year-old, finishing first three times and still banking just under $45,000 in those two short seasons.

 Rock N Republic will start today from the outside five post. The first four slots will be manned by Dandy’s Freedom (Casey Leonard), a Cardinal division titleholder, Skyway Goliath (Issac Love), Sleazyandincharge (Wyatt Avenatti), and Fox Valley Cayman (Cordarius Stewart).

 The co-featured conditioned trot came up with a robust field of eight, headed by last year’s Illinois older division titleholder Marvelous Mystery to be driven by her trainer Curt Grummel. The 5-year-old trotting mare is looking for her third consecutive win when she leaves from the six-slot.

 Both recent Violet trot champions What A Legacy (Mike Brink) and Kays In Charge (Casey Leonard) are among her challengers, What A Legacy drew nicely with the rail and Kays In Charge, who likes to race up-close is in good shape with the four.

 Peekaboo Sal (Wyatt Avenatti), High Class Heidi (Jordan Patton), Gypsy Rose Lou (Juan Franco), Lous Amazon (Wyatt Avenatti) and Luling City (Jerome Daniels) round out the third race field.