Trotting Grace, foaled and raised at the University of Illinois and sold in the UI 2016 yearling consignment to the Illini Classic Sale, dominated her 3 year old trotting peers at the Illinois State Fair on August 11th and 15th. Trotting Grace set consecutive personal-best win records, while pushing her lifetime earnings to over $102,000. The best Illinois-bred 3 YO fillies assembled on August 11th for the $6,000 Illinois State Fair Stakes Elimination for Illinois conceived and foaled (ICF) trotters, and 10 trotting fillies lined up behind the starting gate for race #1 of the Illinois State Fair. As the gate folded, Trotting Grace’s stablemate, Maui Momma, wasted no time in getting the announcer’s call into the first turn, and maintained the top position to the quarter mile marker in 28.3 seconds. Trotting Grace settled into 4th in the first turn and stayed there past the quarter until Driver Kyle Husted sensed the outer flow advancing to his filly. In danger of being trapped on the rail, Husted pulled Trotting Grace from 4th and exploded past the top three trotters to quickly take the lead past the half mile marker in 58.1 seconds. Trotting Grace continued to trot effortlessly past the ¾ mile station, and extended her lead to 3 lengths in a time of 1:27.2. At this point, the only question was how much the margin of victory might be for Trotting Grace. While Husted glanced back to the field, the only contender appeared to be Trotting Grace’s stablemate Maui Momma who was making no headway toward catching the leader, and the rest of the field struggled to keep up with the powerful Trotting Grace. Down the stretch, Trotting Grace extended her lead with every stride while under no urging at all. As Kyle Husted sat quietly in the sulky, Trotting Grace glided under the finish wire with 4 ¾ lengths to spare in front of Maui Momma in a new lifetime record of 1:54.4.
In the $25,000 Illinois State Fair Championship Final for ICF 3 YO Trotting Fillies on August 15th, carded as race # 9, Trotting Grace took no chance of encountering traffic trouble, as she blasted from the gate at the beginning of the mile and never looked back. The result of her effort was another dominating win in another new lifetime mark of 1:54.2. Despite getting perfect trips behind the powerful winner, White Pants Fever and the rest of the field could only watch helplessly as Trotting Grace once again opened up huge margins on her competitors and then coasted home without urging to a 5 ¼ length score over White Pants Fever and Maui Momma.
Trotting Grace is owned by Bill Wright and Mystical Marker Farm, and Trainer Steve Searle. Trotting Grace is sired by the University of Illinois stallion Cassis, and out of the UI-owned broodmare Maevey Gravy. Maevey Gravy was the ICF Champion Trotting Filly of the Year during her 3 YO campaign, with a record of T, 3, 1:55 ($190,110). Trotting Grace is the first foal of Maevey Gravy, and the UI Horse Farm looks forward to the exploits of future offspring of Maevey Gravy.
Watch Trotting Grace’s State Fair wins here: