Three Area Harness Horses Reach Winner's Circle

 Clark Fairley rallies first-time starter Bigday Bombay to the win.           Kurt Becker photo

By KURT BECKER

MARTINSVILLE, IL -- Three harness horses with Effigham County connections reached the winner's circle Tuesday evening at the 75th Martinsville Agricultural Fair, while horses from Fayette, Jasper, and Coles counties also notched victories on the 11-race prograrm.

Bigday Bombay, owned by the Coles County partnership of Clark, Kay, and Elizabeth Fairley, got things started by winning on debut in the Illini Colt Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings in 2:05.1. Trainer Clark Fairley was also the winning driver.

Hot To Trot Sparky, owned by Fayette County residents Charles and Cary Doehring, of Brownstown, went to the post 30 minutes later and won the $1900 Illini Colt Stakes for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings in 2:13. Trained and driven by Jordan Patton, Hot To Trot Sparky won for the second time in three days after winning on debut last Saturday at the Macon County Fair.

Murray's Layaway, owned by Darla (Martin) Lohman of Effingham and Lacy Longnecker-Motch of Bridgeport, captured the $2800 Illini Colt Stakes Three-Year-Old Trot by a margin of nearly seven lengths, winning for the first time in 15 career starts. Lohman trained and drove the winner, who covered the one-mile distance in 2:13.3.

Altamont trainer Ray Hanna scored two wins on the card, nabbing a pair of divisions of the Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association Pace with Pretty Iris and He Gone Jack, respectively. Todd Warren, a native of Casey, came home from Chicago and drove both winners for Hanna and finished with four victories total on the evening.

Splitting the two wins by Hanna was a triumph by Dinky Dune in yet another division of the IHHA event, for Jasper County owner-trainer Dane May, of Newton. Warren once again had the winning drive.

In other action, Emsroscopcoletrain finished fourth for owner Jacob Roedl of Edgewood in the $5000 Great Midwest Trot, while BBR Lady finished fifth for owner Elizabeth Roedl. Royal Swan Hunter and Loyz Say When, owned by Jackson Loy of Beecher City, were sixth and seventh, respectively.

In the $5000 Great Midwest Pace, Kandi's Fortune finished fourth for owners Brian and Kandi Herzog of Beecher City, while Asah Da Pacea was fifth for owners Erica Colman-Loy and Jackson Loy.

Aniemaybombay, owned and trained by Jacob Roedl, finished fourth in the $1700 Illini Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies, while Ima Cheaten Girl was fourth for the same stable in the $1600 Illini Stakes for freshman trotting fillies. In the freshman colt trot, Loyzhonkeytonkhero finished second on debut for owner Jackson Loy, and Balance Bean finished fifth for Jacob Roedl.

In the Illini Three-Year-Old Trot, Big Approach led for the opening three-quarters of the mile before finishing third for owner Elizabeth Roedl. while Lohman trained and drove Sage' N Fra to a fourth-place finish in the Illini Three-Year-Old Pace.

In the IHHA Pace, TE's Smoothas Silk finished fifth behind Pretty Iris for owner T.E. Harre Jr., formerly of Brownstown, while Flying Marvin took runner-up honors in a separate division for Jacob Roedl.

The downstate fair circuit moves next to the Ilinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, where a program of Illinois-bred racing is scheduled for June 15.

Pretty Iris cruises home in front for Todd Warren.                                 Kurt Becker photo