Harness Racing Scheduled Thursday At Illinois State Fair

Several area horseman will send their horses to the track with a post time of 11 a.m. and that includes driving champion Wyatt Avenatti who came to the Effingham County Fair and ended up with a day that many harness racing driver's dream about.

On Wednesday, July 31, Avenatti ended up winning six of the eight races on the card during the day and setting three Effingham County Fair records.

He drove Vel Cinderella to a victory in the Topline 2-Year-Old Filly and Colt pace with a time of 1:58.3, that broke the 80-year-old Effingham County Fair track record for the fastest mile ever by a two-year-old. Then in the Topline 3-Year-Old Filly/Colt Trot, he sat behind Justa Nother Bag and won in 1:58.3, taking 2/10ths off the record that had stood since 1987. He then took Great Seats to the win in the Topline 3-Year-Old & Up Colt/Gelding Pace in 1:54.4, which broke another record, this one in the all age category. The former record was 1:56.3.

Avenatti is just one of many drivers who will be appearing at the State Fair that also competed at the Effingham County Fair including local driver Kyle Husted.

Following are the 17 races on tap:

Race One

Two-Year-Old Colts & Geldings Trot

Total Purse: $3,750

1. Call Me Maevey (Travis Seekman), 2. One Trip Chip (Jamaica Patton), 3. Got The Grit (Jared Finn), 4. hopes De Vie (Mike Cox), 5. Lous Fortitude (Freddie Patton Jr.), 6. Classical Tucker (Matthew Avenati)

Race Two

Two-Year-Old Colts & Geldings Trot

Total Purse: $3,750

1. Sutton Chilly (Travis Seekman), 2. Yf Lucky (Jordan Patton), 3. Fox Valley Victor (Freddie Patton Jr.), 4. Fox Valley Garrett (Mike Brink), 5. Denny Lou (Chris Brown), 6. Winning T-bone (Kyle Wilfong)

Race Three

Two-Year-Old Colts & Geldings Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Mondaymorningmerle (Casey Leonard), 2. Western Trevor (Kyle Wilfong), 3. Son Of Skywalker (Michael Rogers), 4. Fox Valley Tango (Kyle Husted), 5. Captain Coondog (Wyatt Avenatti), 6. Star Man (Travis Seekman), 7. Mighty Ryker (Tyler  Stevens-Clemons), 8. Jimmy D Shark (Mike Cox)

Race Four

Two-Year-Old Colts & Geldings Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Galvanized (Jordan Patton), 2. Secret Party (Juan Franco), 3. Matt's Session (Wyatt Avenatti), 4. Tonto Returns (Marcus Miller), 5. That's The Star (Jamaica Patton), 6. Somegoodsomewhere (James Molitor), 7. Fox Valley Chuckle (Casey Leonard), 8. Captain Dee Tee (Kyle Wilfong), 9. Fox Valley Stoll (Kyle Husted)

Race Five

Two-Year-Old Colts & Geldings Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. L'il Decide (Travis Seekman), 2. Fox Valley Grit (Kelcey Perymond), 3. Fox Valley Boxer (Kyle Wilfong), 4. Fort Perry (Wyatt Avenatti), 5. Dandy's Storm (Kyle Husted), 6. Bold Victor (Marcus MIller), 7. Dandy's Freedom (Casey Leonard), 8. D And J's Familyguy (Jamaica Patton), 9. It's Monkey Do (Jordan Patton)

Race Six

Three-Year-Old Colts & Geldings Trot

Total Purse:  $7,500

1. Hope's Star (Jordan Patton), 2. Chipofftheblock (Matthew Avenatti), 3. Gritty Gator (Kyle Wilfong), 4. Fox Valley Harley (Travis Seekman), 5. Slipslide (Casey Leonard), 6. Loyz Hulk Smash (Marcus Miller), 7. Shady Maple Ace (Wyatt Avenatti), 8. De Storm Warrior (Jill Brown), 9. Lou's Miracle (Juan Franco)

Race Seven

Three-Year-Old Colts & Geldings

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Sailor Sam (Casey Leonard), 2. Gotta Go Gram (Matthew Avenatti), 3. Fox Valley Carlos (Kyle Husted), 4. Dandy's Ladies Man (Richard S. Finn), 5. Negotiator (Marcus MIller), 6. My Buddy Steve (Travis Seekman), 7. I Understand (Wyatt Avenatti)

Race Eight

Three-Year-Old Colts & Geldings Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Feelinlikeacaptain (Kyle Wilfong), 2. Coleada Party (Jamaica Patton), 3. Fox Valley Bruin (Casey Leonard), 4. Redhot Sky (Juan Franco), 5. Dandys Tornado (Richard S. Finn), 6. Ashleecoldmuffler (Mike Cox), 7. Scrappy Comingup (Cornelius Cavett)

Race Nine

Three-Year-Old Colts & Geldings Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Mazin Blazin (Casey Leoanrd), 2. Belles First Mooss (Gary Rath), 3. Downtownleroybrown (Juan Francl), 4. Ashlees Silver Guy (Marcus MIller), 5. Super Shark (Travis Seekman), 6. April's Big Guy (Mike Cox)

Race 10

Two-Year-Old Fillies Trot

Total Purse; $7,500

1. Unfailing Grace (Travis Seekman), 2. Durangos Diva (Casey Leonard), 3. Shady Maple Becky (Wyatt Avenatti), 4. Ohwhasheeeename (Mike Cox)

Race 11

Two-Year-Old Fillies Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Little Miss Loie (Marcus Miller), 2. Frontier Fantasy (Mike Cox), 3. Tulip At The Beach (Travis Seekman), 4. Lookin' Lovely (Kyle Wilfong), 5. Kiss My Mooss (Gary Rath), 6. Maypearl (Wyatt Avenatti), 7. In The Stars (Kyle Husted), 8. Lady Ksenia (Casey Leonard)

Race 12

Two-Year-Old Fillies Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Truly A Winner (Wyatt Avenatti), 2. Illini Treacherous (Travis Seekman), 3. Shark Two (Freddie Patton Jr.), 4. Trevors Renata (Casey Leonard), 5. Captain Sweetness (Jordan Patton), 6. Holeinthebottle (Matthew Avenatti), 7. Berts Uptown Girl (Kyle Husted), 8. Shady Maple Brigot (Juan Franco)

Race 13

Two-Year-Old Fillies Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Pd's Rum Runner (Wyatt Avenatti), 2. Fox Valley Hottie (Marcus Miller), 3. Littleoldme (Kyle Husted), 4. Miss Tootie (Travis Seekman), 5. River Girl (Casey Leonard), 6. Neigh There (Juan Franco), 7. Sammie Gram (Matthew Avenatti)

Race 14

Three-Year-Old Fillies Trot

Total Purse: $7,500

1. Lous Enchantress (Wyatt Avenatti), 2. Illini Isabella (Juan Franco), 3. Hope's Darlene (Freddie Patton Jr.), 4. Dandy's Girl (Gary Rath), 5. Lady Tru Grit (James Molitor)

Race 15

Three-Year-Old Fillies Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Platinum Shark (Marcus MIller), 2. Delight Moon (Casey Leonard), 3. Gorgeous American (Cornelius Cavett), 4. Fine N Dandy (Kyle Wilfong), 5. Shes Brookes Star (Wyatt Avenatti), 6. Ahhja (Jordan Patton), 7. Bingbingbing (Matthew Avenatti), 8. 8. Msgrant Twentyfour (Travis Seekman)

Race 16

Three-Year-Old Fillies Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Revenge Rosie (Kyle Wilfong), 2. Fox Valley Gina (Kyle Husted), 3. Jimmylai (Casey Leoanrd), 4. We Are Family (Travis Seekman), 5. Sg Clover Success (Jamaica Patton), 6. Mattie Shark (Kelcey Perymond), 7. Prairie Queen (Jordan Patton), 8. Itty Bitty Secret (Wyatt Avenatti), 9. Illini Belle (Marcus Miller)

Race 17

Three-Year-Old Fillies Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Fox Valley Taran (Marcus Miller), 2. Fox Valley Tatum (Kyle Wilfong), 3. U-c-dee-u-c-annie (Mike Cox), 4. Carli Bay (Kelcey Perymond), 5. Paradise Tomorrow (Wyatt Avenatti), 6. Dream (Juan Franco), 7. Hotlikemama (Cornelius Cavett), 8. Nae's Rendezvous (Travis Seekman)