Local Animal Named Illinois Harness Horse of Year

(CAPTAIN GREEDY AND J.D. FINN)

Captain Greedy, a three-year-old trotter owned by J.D. Finn of Newton and Chuck Doehring of Brownstown, was named Illinois Harness Horse of the Year recently in a statewide vote by members of the United States Trotting Association. The award was officially presented Saturday night in Springfield.

 With Finn serving as trainer-driver, Captain Greedy won major stakes races from June thru September, capped by a victory in the Su Mac Lad Stakes on September 12 at Balmoral Park near Chicago. The homebred finished in the money in 15 of his 17 starts while earning $90,000.

 Captain Greedy becomes the second Illinois Horse of the Year to be trained and driven by Finn, who also earned honors in 1996 with Koochie.

 Voters also named Dinky Dune the Illinois-bred Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year for Newton-based owner-trainer Dane May, on the strength of six wins and $84,000 in earnings. Bred by Fair Meadow Farm of Altamont, the colt cemented top honors for his division with a win in the $100,000 Pete Langley Memorial in Chicago in September.