Travis Seekman drove his 1.000th career winner Friday at Springfield (Four Footed Fotos)

Mike Paradise, for the IHHA

When Travis Seekman guided last season’s ICF champion freshman male trotter Goomster to a notable victory over a strong field of Illinois breds in Friday’s second race at Springfield it was an omen that good things were likely going to happen.

And they did… five races later.

The Nicole Wilfong trained pacer Downbytheocean blew away his seventh race foes to give Travis his 1,000th career victory, a magical milestone for any harness racing driver.

The 33-year-old Seekman began his driving career some 33 years ago as a 16-year-old on the Wolverine fair circuit. His father Joe is a Michigan Hall of Fame trainer closing in on 1,500 winners coming out of his barn.

Travis’ 999th dash winner came with Goomster who reasserted himself as the trotter to beat in this season’s three-year-old state-bred division, putting away a formidable field consisting of three other 2022 Illinois champions— Lousdobb, Marvelous Mystery and Annas Lucky Star—along with Kadabra championship runner-up Nico Man.

Groomster’s owner and trainer Dennis Gardner turned over the lines on his Cassis trotter to Seeman Friday and the Michigan native made the most of his first opportunity to guide the youngster, winning with a 1:55 flat mile.

Goomster trotted a quick 27.3 first panel to have command, however Seekman was able to give the gelding a pair of soft 29.4 middle quarters. A 27.4 last quarter was enough to hold off the closing Lousdobb (Casey Leonard) by almost one length.

Later in the program Travis began his long climb to the 2,000-win level, bringing home the freshman Deenbo to a six-length romp in 2:01 flat for the Gardner stable.

“He” Just Keeps Going: The “He” in this instance is the three-time Illinois Harness Horse of the Year Fox Valley Gemini. The illustrious Terry Leonard trained eight-year-old, aptly handled by regular driver Casey Leonard, Friday made it four-for-four on this season with a 1:51.1 mile, thus far the fastest mile at the current Springfield meeting.

With a remarkable 57 lifetime victories (in 110 starts), obviously “Gemini” has been terrific just about anywhere he has raced, and the Illinois State Fair Grounds is no exception. In 14 trips to the gate at Springfield the Jim Ballinger of Atwater, Illinois owned gelding has stopped at its winner’s circle 11 times, to go two seconds, and a fourth.

Second Day Notes: Casey Leonard led all drivers with four winners. Travis Seeman had three and Jamaica Patton two, including the Illinois champion mare Skeet Machine’s 32nd lifetime triumph . . . Three of Casey’s winners came behind youngsters from the Tom Simmons stable: The three-year-old Fox Valley Presley, and the two-year-olds JR’S Strike Three (2:00.3) and Fox Valley Ramiro (1:56.2), the younger brother of Simmons’ Fox Valley Cayman. Fox Valley Ramiro romped by six seven lengths, closing in 27 flat . . . Fox Valley Presley’s successful 1:55 mile from the eight-hole where he was used hard (28 flat) to get to the top, likely insured the $35,00 yearling buy a start in the upcoming Cardinal Pace . . . Downbytheocean’s 26.2 last panel was the fastest final quarter on the card.

First Day Notes: When Hosea Williams’ four-year-old trotting mare Eris (Juan Franco) captured Thursday’s second race it was her first victory, ending a long losing streak. She had gone winless in her initial 40 career starts for her Chicago trainer and owner . . .Carroll and Diane Hayes of Williamsville, Illinois started two distaffers on the card and this made winner’s circle visits. The three-year-old filly Red Clover (Travis Seekman) rallied for her first season win in 1:55.2. One race later their game six-year-old mare Reign And Shine, nicely handled by Jamaica Patton, got her nose in front at the wire over Latin Lover in a conditioned trot with a 1:56.1 mile. . . Matt Krueger had a driving triple on the Thursday’s 13-race program while Travis Seekman, Juan Franco, Cordarous Stewart and Phil Knox each had two dash winners . . .