It was the freshmen pacing fillies’ turn in Indiana Sires Stakes action at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Wednesday (July 10). Four $36,500 first-round divisions for freshmen pacing fillies highlighted the evening’s 14-race card.

After heavy rains in the area, the track was rated sloppy and the divisions provided a mix of favourites and prices, with victories from Priceless, Foxy Rigger, Mystical Carrie and Flirtinwithtrouble.

Kicking off the stakes action, post-time favourite Priceless (Brandon Bates) made her career debut a winning one by turning in a gate-to-wire performance. Priceless went right to the front, closely followed by Rocksann (John DeLong) and Princess Sharktank (James Yoder). The field remained single file through fractions of :27.4, :57.4 and 1:26.1. With a final quarter of :27, Priceless coasted on to the wire with a five-length lead and stopped the timer in 1:53.1. Rocksann finished second and Princess Sharktank rounded out the trifecta.

“I figured I was going to step out and see how the race unfolded,” trainer-driver Brandon Bates stated after the victory. “I put her on the front and she did the work. She does everything right and acts like an aged horse.”

“Kevin Miller trained her down this winter and then contacted me about taking her because he wanted her to be centrally located,” Bates continued. “He did a great job with her.”

In her first lifetime start, Priceless paid $3.20 to win, and brought her lifetime earnings to $18,000. The daughter of Rockin Image and Btwnyurheartnmine is owned by Kevin Miller and Bert Hochsprung.

In the second division, the betting public backed Foxy Rigger and Trace Tetrick, and they were able to deliver a victory. Once the gate opened, Western Sierra (Bates) went for the lead, with Passionate Tigress (Odell Cross) in second and Foxy Rigger following in third. By the first quarter in :27.2, Western Sierra came first-over and moved to the lead. Once the horses hit the half in :56.1, Foxy Rigger wanted her turn on the front and had taken over, leaving Passionate Tigress in second and Western Sierra in third.

At the third quarter in 1:25.4, Foxy Rigger began to bolster her lead, two lengths ahead of the field. Stopping the clock at 1:54.1, Foxy Rigger had a five-length lead on the rest of the field, while Western Sierra finished second and Elite Five (Kyle Wilfong) finished third.

“She can be a little tough at times,” trainer Brian Brown expressed after the race. “We’re going to add some equipment and go from there. I have to give credit to Tim Lane, who trained her down all winter. He and his girls did a great job with her. We purchased her after her second qualifier. She’s my kind of filly. She’s a big, strong, beautiful filly.”

Post-time favourite Foxy Rigger paid $2.60. The daughter of Riggins and Foxy Angel is owned by Country Club Acres, L&H Management Services, Richard Lombardo, Green Racing and Tim Lane, and now boasts $23,250 in lifetime purse earnings.

The Sires Stakes card proved to be a good night for trainer James Eaton, who swept the final two divisions. Mystical Carrier and driver Mike Oosting staged a big rally late in the lane to find the winner’s circle in 1:54.2 in their split of the stakes action.

When the gate opened, Kickin Up My Heels (Tetrick) went right to the front from post seven, while Seventimesacharm (DeLong) followed in second. The field remained in straight alignment through fractions of :28.3, :58.2 and 1:27.2, with Mystical Carrie and Oosting waiting patiently in third. Once the pack reached the stretch, Mystical Carrie was given the green light and she ranged up to challenge the leaders. With a final quarter of :26.3, she paced strongly to the wire to get the win over Kickin Up My Heels. Mystical Carrie paid $8.40.

“Last week was her first start, so we were just getting a feel for her,” Oosting noted after the victory. “I couldn’t have asked for a better trip — it was the perfect trip. She’s a very nice filly.”

Mystical Carrie is trained by James Eaton. The homebred daughter of Tellitlikeitis and Mystical Victress brought her lifetime earnings to $20,500 for Mystical Marker Farms.

Eaton found the winner’s circle once more on the evening in the last division of the stakes action, as Flirtinwithtrouble and John DeLong bested their rivals in 1:54. Once the race began, Molon Labe (Dale Hiteman) went right to the lead, followed by Townline Adios (LeWayne Miller) and Always In Motion (Tetrick) occupying the third spot. When the field reached the first quarter, Always In Motion made a bid at the leaders and reached command by the half in :57.1. By the time the horses passed the three-quarter mark, Delong had Flirtinwithtrouble out and firing, and she secured the lead turning for home. Flirtinwithtrouble paced strongly to finish three lengths in front of a hard-charging Odds On Madison (Peter Wrenn).

Slightly dismissed at the betting windows, Flirtinwithtrouble returned $8.40. The daughter of Tellitlikeitis and Rock N Roan now sports a lifetime bankroll of $21,750 for owners Mystical Marker Farms, Phillip Langley, James Eaton and John Schwarz Jr. Flirtinwithtrouble is now two-for-two this season.

Indiana Sires Stakes action will continue at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Thursday (July 11) with four $36,500 divisions for the two-year-old pacing colts and geldings. The 14-race card will also feature the $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 beginning in race three and a $10,000 guaranteed Hoosier High-5 in race 14.

(Harrah's Hoosier Park)