Coach Jimi Lee Breaks Illinois' 6-Furlong Mark

James P. DiVito and Lee Battaglia's Coach Jimi Lee took advantage of a fast Hawthorne track Friday, shattering both the 25-year-old track and the state of Illinois record for six furlongs.

Sitting off fractions of :21.32 and :43.59, Coach Jimi Lee rolled on by the early leaders in winning Hawthorne's seventh race by three lengths and stopping the timer at 1:07.27.

Satan's Poppy, who went 1:08.20 on October 21, 1978, held the previous Hawthorne track record. Taylor's Special, racing at Arlington, held the state record when he went 1:08 on August 22, 1986.

Coach Jimi Lee was ridden by Jesse Campbell and carried 118 pounds. The win was the seventh on the 3-year-old's career and the DiVito trainee is now 3-for-3 at Hawthorne.

(Chart, Equibase)