Sophomore trotting fillies kicked off the second half of their Indiana Sire Stakes schedule on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino and daughters of stallion Helpisontheway provided a sire stakes sweep as two divisions of leg five highlighted the 14-race card.
Stakes action got underway in the 12th race on the card as Helpoftheseason (pictured above) and Peter Wrenn teamed up for a gutsy win in the $49,000 first division.
Leaving the gate, Helpoftheseason protected her position on the inside, getting away second in the field of seven as LeWayne Miller hustled Yo Beth D to the front from the far outside through an opening quarter of :27.2. Wrenn wasn't content to sit the pocket for long in the early stages, wheeling Helpoftheseason out from second up the backstretch to take over from Yo Beth D through a hot opening half of :55.3. Helpoftheseason maintained control on the far turn as 3-2 favourite Swanya and John De Long jumped it off in tight quarters from fourth while beginning her rally as the fillies reached three-quarters in 1:25:2.
Helpoftheseason led the fillies into the stretch, set to face a two pronged attack as Yo Beth D launched her bid up the passing lane and Country Momma and Trace Tetrick applied pressure on the outside. Utilizing a :28.2 final quarter, Helpoftheseason dug in gamely in the stretch to hold Yo Beth D at bay by a head on the wire, stopping the clock in 1:53.4. Country Momma was third, with Swanya rebounding and rallying for fourth after the miscue.
Trained by Melanie Wrenn, Helpoftheseason scored her third victory in seven seasonal outings for owners Wrenn Racing LLC., John Schmucker and Running Wild Stables. Bred by Ben Wittmer Jr., the daughter of Helpisontheway-Torches Star has banked $85,545 in 2023 and pushed her career bankroll to $230,845.
In the $48,500 second division on the evening, Naturdays delivered as the 3-5 bettors' choice.
Starting from the far outside in the field of six, driver Matt Krueger opted to take back off the wings of the gate, landing Naturdays in fifth as Myrll Vally and LeWayne Miller cut the opening quarter in :28. Myrll Vally continued to have her way up the backstretch as the trotting fillies marched to the half in straight alignment in :56.4. Pressure would come to Myrll Vally on the far turn as Atta Girl Dani and Trace Tetrick led the charge first-over entering that turn, with Naturdays and Krueger in tow as Myrll Vally brought the field to three-quarters in 1:25.4.
As the field turned for home, Krueger gave Naturdays her cue, launching off cover and quickly grabbing a two-length lead in the lane. Powering home in a :27.3 final quarter, Naturdays fended off a late bid from Swan Fancy and John De Long up the passing lane to score by just more than two lengths in 1:54. Myrll Vally held for the show spot.
The victory was the third consecutive on the season for Matt Rheinheimer trainee and fourth in eight starts in her sophomore campaign. Owned by Alton, Debra and Brackton Miller, Naturdays pushed her seasonal earnings to $99,870 and her career bankroll over $160,000. Bred by Mervin Lehman, Orla Jay Bontrager, John Lengacher Jr. and Black Creek Farm, Naturdays is from the first crop of Helpisontheway and out of the Muscle Mass mare, Windsongmusclelady.
Harness racing continues at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Wednesday, Aug. 24 with a 14-race card featuring two divisions each for the two-year-old trotting colts and fillies. Due to the forecasted excessive heat throughout the week, first post for the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday cards at Hoosier Park will be 7 p.m., with the card for Thursday, Aug. 24 being cancelled.
(With files from Hoosier Park)