Southern Rocketop wins Ill Colt Stakes final in 1:54.1

Southern Rocketop, who tied the world record of 1:55.3 for 2-year-old trotting geldings on a mile track in his elimination for the Illinois State Fair Colt Stakes Friday, Aug. 8, obliterated the record Thursday evening in the $50,000 final by 18 lengths in 1:54.1. Brian Carpenter was at the lines as the son of Psychic Spirit scored his fourth straight victory and fifth of the year in seven starts.

In his elimination he went wire to wire in fractions of :28, :57.1 and 1:27.2 and Thursday it was evident a new world mark was well within his grasp as he again went wire to wire with fractions in :27.4, :56.2 and 1:26.1 with Carpenter up.

Claude Powers of Winchester, Tenn., bought the gelding’s dam, Summer In The City, by Donerail, when she was in foal to Southern Rocketop, from breeder Paul Fontaine. Powers, who has owned harness horses for less than a decade, then turned to Monique Bernardi to train the highly talented freshman.

After winning his season debut, Southern Rocketop had some shoeing problems, which Bernardi solved with the advice from her farther, noted Michigan trainer and ferrier, Elpedio Bernardi. The result was a nine-length win in the second leg of the Maxter at Hawthorne in 1:57.3 and a 1:56.2 triumph by 5 1/4 lengths in the final before coming to Springfield.

The 2-year-old trot final was just one of six $50,000 finals that concluded the six days of harness racing at the Illinois State Fair.

In the 2-year-old filly pace Fox Valley Topaz remained undefeated with a 1:52.1 victory, narrowly edging Called To Love at the wire. Driven my Mike Oosting, the Sportsmaster lass scored her fifth straight for the Engle and Rucker Stables and trainer Ken Rucker.

The Engle and Rucker stables were hoping Fox Valley Slammer could also keep his race record perfect in the colt and gelding pace final, but Slammer finished sixth as Enzo The Baker and Dave Magee scored his third straight victory with a 1:51.3 mile. David McCaffrey trains the Cole Muffler gelding for Scurto Stables, Anthony and Michael Somone, and Leon Johnson.

In other finals, Fox Valley Lover (Vaporize) won the 2-year-old filly trot in 1:58.3 for driver Dale Hiteman, trainer Joel Smith and owners Paula Smith and James Runyan; Westside Gritty (Sportsmaster) captured the 3-year-old filly pace in 1:50 for driver Brent Holland, trainer Erv Miller and owners John Carver, John Fodera and Joseph Petrera; and Chugwater Gal (Valley Victor) took the 3-yar-old filly trot in 1:55 for Magee, trainer Nick Giberson and L&L DeVisser LLC.  

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