Chickadee (No. 7) tries to stay unbeaten as a two-year-old for the Amy Husted Stable in Friday’s sixth race. She’s two-for-two thus far. (Patricia Fryman Photography)

By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

Whoever came up with the adage “The Older You Get, the Faster Time Seems to Go By,” most likely wasn’t talking about horse racing, nevertheless the saying does apply to many of us concerning the current Hawthorne’s downstate harness racing meeting.

The two days of racing eight-week meeting concludes with a mind-boggling 20 race program on Friday afternoon at the State Fairgrounds and boy, did this summer meeting go awfully fast.

It seems like it just melted away.

Speaking of melting, more than five continuous hours of racing today with an extreme heat advisory (98 degrees is expected with a heat index of up to 115 degrees) throughout the afternoon perhaps wasn’t the wisest decision concerning the well-being of horsemen, their help, track employees, and racing fans.

Maybe an one hour break in between two 10-race programs to cool off might have been a better option.

Be that as it may, the show will go on despite the scorching weather conditions and one of the more intriguing races on Friday’s card comes early. The third race pits the reigning ICF Harness Horse of the Year Funky Wiggle against a much tougher field than she easily disposed of last week in her four-year-old debut.

Co-owner, trainer and driver Curt Grummel will leave with Funky Wiggle with three-time Springfield meet winner Reign And Shine (Jamaica Patton) and Illinois long-time trotting queen Annas Lucky Star (Juan Franco) inside of him with posts one and two, respectively.

Charles Arthur’s three-year-old Whatta Year, multi-Illinois sakes titleholder Lousdobb (Casey Leonard), and the sharp mare La Lolita (Matt Avenatti), are the other trotting aspirants.

Friday’s first race has a strong field of three-year-old state bred pacing fillies in what looks like a preview of the division’s Illinois State Fair Colt Stake showdown on Thursday, August 17.

It’s headed up by Erv Miller Stable’s Fox Valley Leah (Cordarius Stewart) already with four season wins, including a sparkling 1:51.4 victory that came in the filly’s Violet division on June 22nd, just her fourth lifetime start. She was unraced as a wo-year-old.

Fox Valley Leah will be tested by Some Dancing Star, Runaway Delight, Fox Valley Cha Cha, My Daddy’s Revenge, Rona Nae, 2002 ICF freshman filly Fox Valley Kia, and Dandy’s Showtime.

Friday’s fifth race brings out most of the crème de la crème state-bred sophomore pacing colts and geldings. All eyes will be on the Husted stable’s Fox Valley Landing (Kyle Husted), riding four race winning streak that includes a wicked 1:50 flat mile in last month’s Cardinal stake division.

Fox Valley Landen drew the coveted rail for trainer Amy Husted, making the task of ending his current division rein even more problematic.

The Somestarsomewhere offspring will be confronted by Kage Daniel (Juan Franco), Fox Valley Patriot (Cordarius Stewart), Fox Valley Steeler (Casey Leonard), Unhynged Speed (Matt Krueger) and Fox Valley Cayman (Travis Seekman) from posts two through six, respectively.

Illinois champion Fox Valley Gemini (Casey Leonard) could move one step closer to 60 lifetime victories in race seven. The eight-year-old star of the Terry Leonard Stable fracked up No. 58 a week ago when Casey found a small opening in the late going.

“Gemini” will go the gate with five season wins in six outings when he takes on (from the rail out) Joe McDude (Jamaal Denson), Skyway Gymmaster (Cordarius Stewart), Great Seats (Wyatt Avenatti), Toxic Rock (Travis Seekman), Fox Valley Ozzy (Gary Rath) and Showboat Shooting (Juan Franco).

The Gary Rath stable’s Fox Valley Ozzy, the reigning ICF sophomore male pacing champion, will be making his initial start in his home state as a four-year-old after eight outings at Running Acres, several in Opens Handicaps at the Minnesota track.