By Mike Paradise for the IHHA

The 2022 Illinois Harness Horse of the Year Funky Wiggle makes her belated season debut today after a long eight-month absence.

The Curt Grummel stable’s talented trotter, now four years old, goes postward in the eighth race in a “low-end” conditioned trot where she’ll have to buck the outside eight-hole.

Why refer to the race as “low-end “trot you might ask?

It’s a trot for non-winners of $5,000 in 2023 with a paltry $3,000 purse on the line, an embarrassing pot for a horse of Funky Wiggle’s stature.

Afterall “Funky” dominated the ICF three-year-old trotting division last year with multiple stake victories among her nine wins, amassed over $130,000 in purse earnings, and sped to a 1:51.4 mile at Du Quoin, the fastest ever for any Illinois bred gal on the trot, and just a tick off National Hall of Famer Kadabra’s all-time record for a state bred trotter.

“I won’t complain about the purse,” said trainer Curt Grujmmel, who shares ownership of Funky Wiggle with his brother Craig and their dad Leo. “I needed to get her a start and it was either this race or an Open and after her long layoff I didn’t want her going against the best at the meeting just yet.

The Lou’s Legacy mare qualified last week at Hoosier Park in a leisurely time of 1:59 flat, cutting fractions of :30.2, 1:00.4 and 1:30.4 before coming the last panel in 28.1, more than four lengths the best.

“She just coasted in her qualifier,” continued Curt. “I did ask her for a little more in the last quarter and she responded like she always does. She always gives her best out there.”

The current Springfield meet are non-wagering races.

“With no betting I can race her easy Friday. I’ll use the race to tighten her up a bit to get her ready for what’s ahead. It could be a long season for her. The upcoming Hawthorne meet goes all the way to the end of the year and maybe beyond.”

Taking on Funky Wiggle are a trio of Steve Searle trained trotters owned by Flacco Family Farms–Loulita, Louzotic and Lousraptor—along with Sudden Approach, Noble Prize and Creations Dream MV.

Driver Casey Leonard brought home SIX winners on Thursday’s Springfield card. (Photo Courtesy of Terry Young)

Curt has a very busy Friday afternoon ahead of him. Four other trotters from his barn are on the card, his 2022 two-year-old ICF champion Marvelous Mystery, and a trio of freshmen. Marvelous Mystery is in the sixth race for strictly ICF filly trotters. “I’m glad to get her back in her own class,” said Curt.

The winner of 10 of 12 starts in her first season has been taking on the likes of male ICF champions Goomster, Lousdobb, and older open company trotters at the Springfield meet.

Curt will send out Funky Wiggle’s two-year-old sister Calypso Moon (Casey Leonard) in race three and will drive the barn’s first-time starter Rainbow City, an Indiana bred, in the same event.

Later on the card (race 12), Curt will unveil the Sam Daddono owned and bred D’Louigi, a Lou’s Legacy colt out of the dam D Lee More who gave us the Illinois bred stakes winning filly trotter Coco D’Lascito (1:57.3) a few years ago.