Published: June 25, 2009 11:33 pm         

Photo finishes highlight final day of racing

Martinsville, Ill — The best was saved for last in Illinois harness racing at the Martinsville Agricultural Fair.

Six races were on Thursday’s card, marking the last of three days of harness racing at the fair, and a nice crowd was in the stands for the action in spite of warm, humid weather conditions.

Two divisions of the 2-year-old filly race were run and both resulted in photo finishes and a review of objections filed by drivers.

In the second — the fifth race of the day — five horses were going for their first career victory and the field stayed bunched from start to finish with Delta Dawson, driven and co-owned by former Martinsville resident Timothy Wilson Jr., fifth most of the way but not far back of the leaders.

The filly began its bid for the lead in the final quarter and won by a nose following a review of pictures of the finish, with all five horses still bunched at the finish.

“This was one of the great filly races in the county fairs,” said track announcer Carl Becker.

Delta Dawson, owned by Wilson Racing and Ann Calvert of Marshall, made its first start a winning one.

Wilson has been the winner three times in the Great Midwest Pace but says he doesn’t do much driving anymore. He isn’t sure if the pacer will be in the field for races at Paris next month. “We’ll have to look at it,” he said after the race.

In the first division, the photo was between Miss Johnson and World Class Katie, which was declared the apparent winner before objections were reviewed.

Following that review, Miss Johnson was declared the winner and World Class Katie was fourth since rules state the violated horse — Valpo Hospicenurse — must be placed ahead of the other horse involved in the incident.

In that same race, Terry Skinner was thrown while driving Hurricane Tinia. The driver was not injured.

In the first feature race of the day, Lane’s Game led most of the way to win the Great Midwest Trot.

The 3-year-old was driven by Fred Finn Jr., cousin of trainer J.D. Finn, who has trained at least four other winners of the event and has driven four winners. J.D. Finn was in the bike for third-place finisher American Muscle. He came back to drive No More Games to victory in the third race.

Mary Lea Jeffers is the owner of Lane’s Game. She also owned the winner in 2005.

Kappy Krunch, driven by first-time race winner Michael Rogers, won the Great Midwest Pace.

Tom Simmons is the trainer. He was the driver of 2008 winner Jolly Lester, which finshed second in a $165,000 race at Balmoral Park later in the season.

The Great Midwest Trot and Pace both were run for the 60th time. Both first were contested in Chicago but have been features at Martinsville for more than 50 years.



Great Midwest Trot, $9,074 purse

Results —- Lane’s Game (Fred Finn Jr.), Mystical Prayer, American Muscle, Soaring Sadie, Three Buck Chuck, 2:04.

Great Midwest Pace, $10,684 purse

Results — Kappy Krunch (Michael Rogers), Lively Party, Apache Glitter, Oliver Brown, Kh Kh Kh Hero, Rowdy Romance, 2:02.

2-3-year-old open trot, $1,000 purse

Results — No More Games (J.D. Finn), Dafforize, BR Thirty Two, Miss Alina B, Brady’s Star, Redlightmeansgo, 2:07.1.

2-year-old colt pace, $5,584 purse

Results — Mountain Big Boy (Jerry Mims Jr.), Burnthemidnightoil, Tide Master, Bar B’s Apache Cam, Whersmeluckycharms, Justshowmetheway, 2:04.4.

2-year-old filly pace, $6,119 purse

First division — Miss Johnson (Randy Crisler), Incredible Brandy, Valpo Hospicenurse, World Class Katie, SM Special, 2:08.4.

Second division — Delta Dawson (Timothy Wilson Jr.), Saucy B Skipalong, Miss Queen B, Lilly Filly, The Assassinator, 2:06.3.