The gifted Australian bred mare No Win No Feed makes her Illinois debut Monday at Hawthorne. (Plainridge Park photo)

By Mike Paradise for the I.H.H.A. 

 There’s a new mare in town and by the looks of her accomplishments she should have a strong impact in Monday’s filly and mare Open pace.

 The Australian bred No Win No Feed A. (Cordarius Stewart) makes her Chicago circuit debut in the fifth race $11,100 distaff Open with a dazzling résumé upon her arrival.

 The eight-year-old mare made over $300,000 racing in Australia before she acquired by the Erv Miller stable for Floridian Doug Overhiser in August of 2021.

 A large hunk of her Down Under bankroll came in 2019 when the Rocknroll Dance swept the Australian “Big Three” Group 1 events—the Bathurst Gold Bracelet Final, the Breeders Challenge, and the Breeders Crown Final.

 A year later in her first season in the United States she added another $236,205 to her career earnings while under the care of former Illinois based trainer Erv Miller and vaulted over the half million-dollar plateau in money won.

 No Win No Feed had 11 first place finishes in 2022, including Open wins at the Meadowlands, Philadelphia, Hoosier Park, and Plainridge Park. She finished second in her Breeders Crown elimination and secured the fifth-place check in the $400,000 championship and paced a career fastest 1:49 flat mile at Hoosier Park.

 The gifted mare was on the sidelines from December of 2002 through mid-June of this year and has since gone 3-for-14, adding almost another $50,000 on her card. Her best season mile came in an October Hoosier Open with a 1:51.3 clocking.

 No Win No Feed was allocated the seven-post in Monday’s eight-horse filly and mare open. Donna Holt’s Rock It Out (Casey Leonard) was assigned the outside slot by the Hawthorne Race Office. The Rockin Image mare has been triumphant in 3 of the last 4 distaff features at Hawthorne.

 There’s no shortage of strong challengers tonight with Skeeter Machine (Travis Seekman), Apple Valley (Juan Franco), Bombay Parkway (Brandon Bates), Tell The Dream (Todd Warren) and Wild Rosa (Kyle Wilfong), in that post-position order.

 Need Win No Feed’s stablemate Ilikemebetter A (Cordarius Stewart) also made the trip from Indiana Monday night. He was assigned the four slot in the third race $11,100 Open for male pacers where he takes on He’zzz A Wise Sky (p.p, 5, Kyle Wilfong) and Play Me Rock (p.p. 6, Travis Seekman). Between them the pair have captured the previous five Hawthorne Opens.

 Clearchoice De Vie (Todd Warren), Get E Up (Kyle Husted) and Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard) will look to pull off an upset from one of the first three posts.

 The third Open on Monday’s card is for trotters and it’s another very spirited event. The last four Open trots at Hawthorne have been won by four different horses.

 Last week’s winner Perlucky (Casey Leonard), from the barn of trainer Jim Eaton, was handicapped with the outside six-hole. A third place or higher finish will put the Lucky Chuck gelding over the $100,000 level for this season.

 Heath Bar (Cordarius Stewart) was awarded the pole while the two through five slots were drawn and went to Rockyroad Aldo (Kyle Husted), Scorecard Dan (Brandon Bates), Talk About Valor (Travis Seekman) and Annas Lucky Star (Kyle Wilfong), in that order.