Lous Amazon (Casey Leonard) heads up Hawthorne’s Pop-Up series for state-bred freshman trotting fillies. (Terry Young Photo) 

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

  With a calendar page turned over to the month of November the last of the Illinois bred stakes are behind us and that usually means conditioned or claiming series have arrived. In this case, they have at Hawthorne on Saturday night where the first of three legs “Pop Up” series will be contested.

  Originally called the Winter Series on Hawthorne’s nomination series form, it was changed to the “Pop-Up Series.” Not sure why, maybe it’s to honor Pop Tarts, Corn Pop, or Poppin Corn (great with lots of butter) or maybe the name just popped-up on the Race Office computer,

 At any rate, there will be three legs of each Pop-Up series with $20,000 finals on the line on November 26th. Total points accumulated will determine the finalists.

 Most of the seven-horse field that makes up the fourth race $7,000 Pop-Up, are first season trotters that have participated in either the recent Fox Valley Flan or Kadabra state-bred stakes. Since this series is limited to ICF two-year-old trotters that are non-winners of $20,000 (F &M $25,000) lifetime, obviously none fared very well in most of their Night of Champions legs.

 The morning line favorite most likely will be Lous Amazon (Casey Leonard), one of two freshmen in the race from the Steve Searle stable. She got her name “Amazon” because of her size and that’s likely the main reason why she doesn’t get around the turns well and shows breaks in her last two Fox Valley Flan legs. However, the big daughter of Lou’s Legacy has shown ability. She was a competitive third in her September 24th “Flan” division and easily won a pair of Illinois Department of Agriculture races on Springfield’s all-dirt oval in mid-Summer.

  Lous Amazon took her mark of 1:58.1 at Hawthorne in mid-September, more than four seconds faster than any other trotter’s best winning mile in the field.

 Stable-mate Lous Enchantress (Todd Warren) is looking for her maiden win. Another of Lou’s Legacy offsprings owned and bred by Flacco Family Farms of Alexis, Illinois, the youngster went off stride on the lead in the Violet final. She’ll have to be caught tonight.

 Ally Baba (Brandon Bates), Lous Gambler (Clark Fairley), Change The Tune (Travis Seekman), Gritty Gator (Robert Smolin) and Moppies Mooss (Gary Rath) are the other first leg aspirants.

 The ICF two-year-old male Pop-Up series lured 15 entries and had to be split into two $8,000 divisions. The seven-horse third race grouping is anybody’s guess who will go off as the public’s choice.

  Who’zzz This Sky (Wyatt Avenatti), Mazin Blazin (Casey Leonard), Gotta Go Gram (Matt Avenatti) and Doctor Cruise (Kyle Husted) all are possibilities. Looking to pop at a double-digit mutuel are Downtownleroybrown (Travis Seekman), Fox Valley Bruin (Todd Warren) and Hezarengade (Phil Knox).

 Super Shark (Travis Seekman) and Fox Valley Carlos Kyle Husted) both 1:55.1 victories on their first season and are the pre-race co-favorites in the second male freshman pacing division.

 Super Shark, p.p. 1, from the barn of trainer Nick Prather, landed a start in the series with a field best earnings of $14,194, just $806 under the $15,000 series limit in money won.

 The pair will be tested by Almost Gone (Casey Leonard), Dandy’s Ship (Todd Warren), R Tyler Towne (Robert Smolin), April’s Big Guy (Cordarius Stewart), Ashlees Silver Guy (Brandon Bates) and My Buddy Steve (Wyatt Avenatti).

 The ninth race nightcap brings out a full field of ten pacers in the opening leg of the ICF two-year-old filly pacing group that haven’t made $15,000 as of October 15, 2023.

  Public favoritism is expected to be divided among Adalecia (Travis Seekman) and Mattie Shark (Juan Franco). However, the 8, 9 and 10 horses, Dandy’s Ms Swifty (Casey Leonard), Fox Valley Tatum (Cordarius Stewart) and Delight Moon (Todd Warren) all have shown at times they’re capable as well.

  Longshots Karatop Mooss (Phil Knox), Jimmylai (Kyle Husted), Carli Bay (Wyatt Avenatti), Amy Mooss (Gary Ryan) and Yankees Party (Brandon Bates) round out the filly field.