They’re off at Springfield as the 2025 Illinois harness racing season got under way Tuesday with its Spring Previews (Patricia Fryman Photography)

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

 The 2025 Illinois harness racing season got under way Tuesday afternoon in Springfield with its popular Spring Preview for state-bred horses ages three and up. With 108 entries, a 17-race program, each with an equally divided $4,126 purse was on the line at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

 A trio of divisions for ICF 3-year-old filly pacers were first up on the Illinois Department of Agriculture program. A Very Nice Dandy, trained by Stanley Banks, came off the pace for driver Brandon Bates to gain a head decision over Captain’s Magic (Wyatt Avenatti) in 1:56.1.

 Fox Valley Groupie (Travis Seekman) stalked Violet champion Fox Valley Starlet (Wyatt Avenatti) and brushed past in the lane to take the second split for trainer Hart Walker in 1:56.2. with a 27.1 last quarter. Brandon Bates gave the Stephan Halford II trained Lotties Webb a winning 1:55.3 journey in the third grouping.

 The second season male pacers were next and in the first heat Hart Walker’s Battlin Bob (Travis Seekman) showed why he is one of the highly regarded sophomore state-bred pacers, easily prevailing in 1:54.3 in his season debut and doing it first-over. Fox Valley Boxer (Casey Leonard) was second best.

 Sleazyandincharge (Wyatt Avenatti) benefitted from a very slow 32 second panel and held off the late charging Dandy’s Freedom (Casey Leonard), The Gary Rath trained youngster paced the mile in 2:00 flat. Jim’s Big Boy received a pocket trip from trainer Jamaica Patton and nailed Fox Valley Silent (Brandon Bates) in the final strides of a 1:55.3 mile. Jim’s Big Boy trotted a quick 26.2 last panel.

 Multiple stakes titleholder Kays In Charge (Brandon Bates) was much the best for trainer Tom Simmons in the first of a pair of 3-year-old filly trotting divisions with a 1:59.4 clocking, The second split went to Toughestofthetough (Alexander Cante) who breezed in 1:58.3 for trainer Pete Leu.

 Hopes De Ve, (Cordarius Stewart), from the barn of Roshun Trigg, collared Call Me Maevey (Travis Seekman) in the late going and pulled away to a 2:00.2 victory in a division of the 3-year-old state-bred colt and gelding trot. Brandon Bates gave the Tom Simmons trainee Frontier Macho and a two-hole trip, and the gelding responded with a career best 1:58.2 mile in his season debut. The pacesetter Shady Maple Becker was second best in the second division.

 Nicely handled by Casey Leonard, Roan By Design chalked up her third consecutive victory of the season for trainer Leslie Miller in 1:54.1. The front-stepping Kizzzmelikeumissme (Wyatt Avenatti) took the bridesmaid role in the initial division of a trio of aged pacing mare events. The second group of mares saw Filly’s Revenge sprint to a fast 27 first quarter on her way to a 1:53.2 wire-to-wire triumph with Wyatt Avenatti for trainer John Fletcher. It was Matt Avenatti steering the Philip Cotton homebred Bingbingbing to a 1:53 front-end clocking in the fourth split.

 The ICF older male pacers followed, and Fox Valley Kodiak (Juan Franco) indicated he is ready for his 4-year-old season, showing a big move and drawing away in a 1:54.2 mile for veteran trainer Nelson Willis. Brandon Bates nailed down his fifth winning drive of the day with Fox Valley Ramero who got away with an unhurried time of 1:28 flat on the front-end in the second split. Fox Valley Gemini had to settle for second in his debut as a 10-year-old.

 A pair of aged trots wrapped up the long nearly five-hour program.  Marvelous Mystery, well-handled by her trainer Curt Grummel, looked good capturing the older mare event in 1:56 flat by more than five lengths, her 17th victory in 29 career starts. The 2023 Illinois Harness Horse of the Year Goomster dominated the trot for older horses and geldings coasting to a five-length victory with regular driver Travis Seekman with a 1:56 flat mile. The Cassis gelding caught the field in the stretch and drew away under a hold for Illinois owner Dennis Gardner.