Freddie Patton Jr, a recent inductee into the Illinois Harness Racing Hall of Fame, gets one of his youngsters ready to race. (Al Brodsky Photo)

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

 Even though it’s very early in the Illinois season for 2-year-olds, the Patton family has to be all smiles when it comes to their freshmen horses.

 At the recent Illinois Preview for juvenile trotters and pacers, Jamaica Patton sent out a pair of 2-year-olds and they both won. His uncle Freddie Patton Jr. had three young starters go postward and two were victorious. Freddie’s filly pacer Variant has stayed unbeaten in her young career and shows plenty of potential.

 All four of the Patton clan’s freshmen horses followed with wins at the Newton County Fair last week.

 Jamaica might have a talent youngster in Go Go Go Chrome who followed his triumph at Springfield with a romping 8 and one-half length win at Newton. The time of 2:08.2 was raced on a “good” half mile dirt surface. Go Go Go Chrome was a 2:01.1 winner at Springfield, dominating by eight and one-half for driver Archie Buford.

  Go Go Go Chrome chalked up another win with Buford yesterday at Rushville with a time of 2:09 flat.

  “Dr. McClain, who does the “breaking” on all my youngsters was high of Go Go Go Chrome from day one. He’s a nice friendly horse and he does everything you want him to do. I have his mother (My Mini Snickers) too. Her first foal is One Trip Chip who took a mark for me of 1:57.4 as a 2-year-old.”

 Jamaica’s other winner at the Illinois 2-year-old Preview was No Flies On Me and she was a dozen lengths the best in the first freshman filly trot division with a 2:04 clocking. The daughter of New Balance then preceded to win in 2:10 on a drying-out racing surface at Newton. The filly made it three consecutive wins with an easy victory yesterday with Buford at the Rushville Fair by about eight lengths in 2:08 flat.

 We’re only in the first week of July, however Freddie’s 2-year-old filly Vibrant has already chalked up four first place finishes in as many tries and has shown she could very well be a budding Illinois juvenile star.

 Owned by her breeder Bart Seales of Mason, Il, the daughter of Fort Knox captured her debut at the Carrollton Fair in 2:10 with a 28.4 last quarter. The Carlinville Fair was next and the filly no doubt raised a few eyebrows when she drew off by 17 and one-half lengths in 2:04.

 Vibrant knocked more than five seconds off that time when she posted a 1:58.1 (27.1 last panel) mile at Springfield, six lengths ahead of the rest of the field with family member Jordan Patton in the bike.

 This past Tuesday Freddie had her on the Illinois County Fair circuit at Rushville where she breezed in no-about-it-fashion by almost 10 lengths with Jordan at her lines. The time was 2:05.1.

 After a pair of second place finishes in her first two starts, JNM Vigin Star, a daughter of Somestarsomewhere, has rattled off three consecutive triumphs for Freddie, winning on 2-year-ods Preview Day by more than six lengths (1:59.3) and by almost five lengths (2:05.4) at Newton, both with Jordan driving.