Casey Leonard drove five of the 9 winning horses on Wednesday’s Downstate Classic at Decatur for ICF 3-year-old pacers and trotters. (Al Brodsky Photo)

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

  The third time is said to be the charm. Evidently that’s not always the case. It took a fourth attempt to successfully get the Downstate Classics for ICF 3-year-olds of both gaits and sexes raced at the Macon Country Fair n the Decatur racetrack.

 Let’s put the blame for delays squarely on the shoulders of our Illinois weathermen. They couldn’t keep the rain away (almost 6 inches since last week). Hence the constant postponements and rescheduling of the Decatur dates.

 The good news is that Downstate Classics for sophomores is now in the rear-view mirror thanks to the hard work of the Macon County Fair track crew and much to the delight of driver Casey Leonard who drove five Classic champions on Wednesday’s nine-race program, and they came early and often for the 47-year-old Harvard, Illinois horseman.

 Last year’s champion Kays in Charge certainly was in charge in the first $13,633-year-old filly trot division, blowing past Toughestofthetough (Juan Franco) in the lane to post her third consecutive win of the year, this one in 2:04.1 on the half-mile dirt track.

The winning Can’t Afford It filly is owned by the Marty Engel Stable of Northbrook IL and trained by Tom Simmons of Springfield, IL

 Casey was back in the winner’s circle when freshman champ Illinois bred Lou My Number used a second over trip to breeze by about five lengths in 2:04.2 in the following split for conditioner and co-owner Steve Searle of Grant Park, IL Pacesetter Gypsy Rose Lou (Curt Grummel) was second best.

 Back to greet the judges again was Casey, a one-length winner behind titleholder Louise’s Legacy in the initial $12,263 Downstate Classic of sophomore male trotters. The 2:06 mile was the son of Lou’s Legacy fourth in a row for the Erv Miller stable and his seventh in 14 career trips to the starting gate.

  It was Casey again getting the job done in the second colt and gelding trotting t Classic, this time coming from fourth and last to breeze in 2:05.1 for trainer Tom Simmons, keeping the Frontier Farms of Illinois bred youngster unbeaten in his first three starts of the year

The first of a trio of $9,792 second season filly pacers were next and Fox Valley Starlet, nicely handled by Wyatt Avenatti, ended Casey’s winning streak and did it in a convincing manner, timed in 2:00 flat on a track listed “good.” The Rob Rittof trained filly crushed the field by almost 16 lengths over runner-up Lady Ksenia, steered by Casey.

 One race later Casey took the longer route with Fox Valley Jasmine and still proved best, his fifth Classic triumph with the Erv Miller trainee, battling the inside 3-year-old Fox Valley Groupie (Travis Seekman) first over from the 1:02 half on. It was a narrow but compelling victory for Fox Valley Jasmin, who needed his season start three weeks ago.

  The third filly division was strictly no contest as Wildcat Abby (Cordarius Stewart) blew away the field when she romped to her 12th lifetime triumph in a snappy time of 1:59.2 by a widening 18 lengths for trainer Roshun Trigg and Mississippi owner Tim Williams.

 Erv Miller’s Fox Valley Pepper had little trouble following his last month’s win in Ohio with an easy triumph in the first of a pair of $13,863 Classics for 3-year-old male pacers, timed in 2:02.2

The Hart Walker stables’ Battlin Bob stayed perfect in his second season with a comfortable six length victory in 2:01.4, perfectly rated on the front end by driver Travis Seekman. The pocket horse Fox Valley Boxer (Casey Leonard) settled for second in the final Downstate Classic of the day.

 In his nine Downstate Classic drives, Casey had five winners, three seconds and a third.