Published: July 23, 2008 10:43 pm            

Former pro football player fares well at Edgar County harness racing

Paris, Ill. — A former pro football player was the big winner in a full card of Illinois harness racing Wednesday at the Edgar County Fair.

Sixteen heats were run with Tuesday’s card that had been called due to wet track conditions combined with the 10 heats originally slated for the final day of racing at the fair, which will run through Saturday.

Antonious “Tony” Kimbrough drove three winners to victory in the program that ran about five hours in warm, pleasant conditions before a good crowd in the grandstands.

Kimbrough was in the bike for 3-year-old pacers SP Muskoka No Two and Acesdiamond, winning back-to-back events, and for 7-year-old pacer Mac’s Emily Flash.

Kimbrough is the trainer for all three horses and owns Acesdiamond and Mac’s Emily Flash.

He lives in Mississippi and played college football at Jackson State. He was a seventh-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos and was a wide receiver with the team when John Elway was quarterback. He says he has been involved in harness racing for about eight years.

Asked to compare winning in racing to catching a touchdown pass, he told track announcer Carl Becker, “I don’t have to worry about being hit by anyone.”

Two other drivers had two winners: Mike Johnson of Martinsville, Ill., and Jamaica Patton.

Johnson avoided trouble in the first race of the day with 2-year-old filly pacer LR Dancing Dream, edging Big Dollar at the finish. LR Dancing Dream is co-owned and trained by David Snyder of Martinsville.

Two pacers did not finish the race when their carts got tangled on the backstretch of the final lap. No injury was reported.

Johnson’s other victory came in the third-day card with 3-year-old colt pacer Remington Style. It is co-owned by Wilson Racing Stables, Ann Calvert of Marshall and David Yohe of Lima, Ohio, and trained by former Martinsville resident Tim Wilson Jr.

Johnson went outside as Remington Style edged Mo Valley Stoner at the finish and won for the third time this season.

Patton’s wins came with 3-year-old pacer Im All A Roan and 3-year-old colt trotter Supreme Victor.

Edmund Fitzgerald was one of the winners in free-for-all action. The 4-year-old pacer has won seven times in 52 starts.

Quick Thought, a 2-year-old pacer driven by Freddie Patton Jr., won for the fifth time in its last six starts and had the best time of the day, winning in 2 minutes, 1.4 seconds, unofficially a track record for 2-year-old pacers at Paris.



Second-day results

2-year-old filly pace, $5,180 purse

First division — LR Dancing Dream (Mike Johnson), Big Dollar, Wordclass Trebica, Tessie L, Walkininthemoonlite, Shrimyride dnf, Mountain Big Girl dnf, 2:05.2.

Second division — Not So Slim (Jerome Daniels), Poetic Conquest, Shiloh Sundance, Pargenta, Grace Place, Cuzurinittowinit, OG’s Millie, 2:04.4.

Nonwinners $5,000 pace, $1,500 purse

Filly-mare division — SP Muskoka No Two (Tony Kimbrough), Tori Seelster, Wenward Motion, Precious Sweetie, Amber Mack, Kickin Punkin, 2:09.

Colt-gelding division — Acesdiamond (Tony Kimbrough), Drop Kick, Ilovthisbar, RC Bad Boy, Movin Like Thewind, OB Toro, Idea Diehard, TE’s Elwood, 2:04.3.

2-year-old colt pace, $4,369 purse

Finish — Quick Thought (Freddie Patton Jr.), Arizona Gabe, Apache Hotstuff, New Golden Voice, Palmer Punkin, Lucky B Skipalong, 2:01.4.

Nonwinners $5,000 trot, $1,000 purse

Finish — BJ’s Sue (Darla Martin), Hollys Song, JL Callmebrother, Huddy Buddy, Donegonepostal, True Beck, Ain’t She Cute, 2:13.4.

Third-day results

3-year-old filly pace, $4,620 purse

First division — Im All A Roan (Jamaica Patton), Happily Hopeful, World Class Aruba, OG’s Bonnie Scotch, Apache Wells, Moveovermack, 2:05.

Second division — Golightyourworld (John DeLong), R Little Jillybean, Mac’s Kandi Kane, Foxy B Skipalong, AJR Cambuchet, 2:04.3.

3-year-old colt trot, $4,132 purse

First division — Supreme Victor (Jamaica Patton), Crobar, Terrific Triumph, Fox Valley Vatican, Roll On Tropicana, 2:09.1.

Second division — Vapor Image (Randy Crisler), Cardinal Vapor, EBM Chip’s Mark, Deucalion, Bit O Wyoming, 2:08.3.

Free-for-all filly pace, $1,500 purse

First division — Mac’s Emily Flash (Tony Kimbrough), Imakansasportsbabe, Fantasy Doll, Misty Rio, Cami-Able, OG’s Blu Flamingo.

Second division — Darlene (Terry Skinner), Electric Highlight, Beachy’s Destiny, Final Wife, Doubletime Isabel, Thunderstone, Cullinseed, 2:05.3.

3-year-old colt pace $3,878 purse

Finish — Remington Style (Mike Johnson), Mo Valley Stoner, More Than A Song, King Mouse, RD’s Parky dnf, 2:04.

3-year-old filly trot, $3,957 purse

Finish — Lunesta (Craig Banks), Fox Valley Sakaren, Forever Friends, Ting-A-Ling, Vanishing Mist, Ms Cheyenne, World Class Geneva, Feathers Legend, Dancinginthestreet, 2:12.4.

Free-for-all colt pace, $750 purse

Finish — Edmund Fitzgerald (Larry Brinkley), Hit The Beach, Eden Runner, No Emotions, Captain Rice, Reason To Dance, 2:03.1.

Free-for-all trot, $1,000 purse

Finish — Crossword (Leo Beckman), Riping Wind, Celebrity Yank, Double Duffey, Genesispriorityone, Great Energy, Genesisblazetheway, 2:07.

        

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