Juan Franco will be driving the Gary Rath stable’s first-time starter DNT Touchemymooss in today’s Illinois 2-year-old Preview at Springfield. (Terry Young Photo)     



By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

 The long and unpredictable road begins Saturday for 144 state bred juvenile colts and fillies with the well-liked Illinois Preview for two-year-olds.

 The vast majority of today’s hopefuls will be competing for the very first time and being inexperienced about racing you can expect the unexpected, hopefully of the good variety.

 A 12-race program, each with a $3,896 purse, will be contested on the Illinois Fairgrounds at Springfield with its mile dirt oval and its wide pair of turns making it much easier for those youngsters who have maneuvered the tight turns on Country Fair tracks the past few weeks,

 Needless to say, there is no wagering on today’s freshmen Preview with so many first-time starters.

 We did come up with some tidbits that you might find interesting:

 The Kevin Miller trained 2-year-old filly pacer Fox Valley Barbie, winner of her last two races by a combined 17-plus lengths, is the younger sister of Erv Miller’s Fox Valley Barbie who came in from Ohio with a victory and two days ago won a Downstate Classic in 2:02.2 on the Decatur fair track.

 Speaking of easy wins, the Freddie Patton Jr’s Variant (Jordan Patton) won at Carlinville earlier this month by over 17 lengths in 2:04, making her 2-for-2 at the age of two.

 The Dave Avenatti stable’s Shady Maple Caddy (Wyatt Avenatti) carries a three-race unbeaten streak into today’s first race filly trot, the last couple by a combined 21 lengths.

 Stevanna Turner’s Incredible Stevie (Brandon Bates) seeks her fourth in a row in the first division of the colt and gelding pace for trainer Mike Rogers. The Sagebrush homebred is a half starter to Incredible Filly, winner over $100,000 lifetime and 30 career victories for Turner

 Four of the six starters in the second male pace division are sons of Illinois sire of the year Somestarsomewhere: Somenthkmorestars ($26.000), Designedtobeastar ($25,000); Fox Valley Quincy ($22,000), and Fox Valley Endzone ($15,000) “Quincy’s” dam Kimmy has long ties to the Illinois breeding program. Kammy’s first foal back in 2015 was Fox Valley Hijinx (1:51.3). Next came Lilly Von Shtupp (1:52.3). Later she had Fox ValleyPatriot (1:51.3). All three made over six figures in their careers.                                 

 Conditioner Mike Brink’s freshman stablemate Captain Gal, who has the rail in the fourth 2-year-old filly grouping of pacers sold for $30,000 at the Walker sale as a yearling. She’s by Captain Trevor, out of the Jate Lobell broodmare Grandiose

 A second 2-year-old Preview, hosted by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, will be held a week from today (June 21) at the Fairgrounds. The draw for Hawthorne’s opening week program at Springfield is Monday, June 16th. Horseman can contact Hawthorne’s Race Office to enter or go online to do so for the 3-year-old Violet and Cardinal stakes of both gaits.