Tuesday, August 4 was a night filled with stakes action at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. With five stakes events in total during the evening’s 14-race card, the two-year-old pacing colts and geldings were featured through three divisions and the two-year-old trotting fillies tussled in two.

The card saw victories from Virgo, Whats Your Beef and Hello Sweetie Boy for the pacing colts, and Country Girl Charm and Fantasia Flurry for the trotting fillies. With dominant performances from both, Country Girl Charm and Whats Your Beef both extended their win streaks to four and remain undefeated this season.

Setting the stage for a night of stakes action, Virgo rallied from mid-pack to dig in for a close victory with Trace Tetrick at the lines. When the gate opened, Madelines Blk Jack with Ricky Macomber Jr. took the lead and were looking for a back-to-back stakes victory. Virgo wasted no time in his quest for the front and began moving just after the first quarter in :27:1. He sat second-over through the half in :57:2, then maneuvered into second behind new leader, Jewels Virgin with John DeLong.

Virgo was able to grab command just after the three-quarters in 1:24:4, but his biggest threat was still behind him. Using a :27 final quarter, Virgo was able to hold off a hard-charging Jk Going West and LeWayne Miller, who had patiently sat in third most of the mile. In a heart-charging effort for the wire, Virgo got the win by a head and stopped the clock in a new lifetime best of 1:51.4. Jk Going West was second and Madelines Blk Jack fended off the field for third. Virgo paid $4.80 to win.

Virgo, a son of Always A Virgin-Star Of The Show, has won two of three lifetime starts. With the win, he now sports a lifetime bankroll of $24,125 for owners Howard Taylor and Jeffrey Billings. The gelding is trained by Dylan Davis and was bred by Dustin Miller.

Tetrick found the winner’s circle once again in the second split for the freshman pacing colts and geldings while steering Whats Your Beef to his fourth consecutive win. When the wings of the gate opened, Skyway Victor with Sam Widger paced ahead of the field to reach the first quarter in :26:4. Just before the half, Whats Your Beef grabbed the lead, while the field remained in straight formation through fractions of :55:3 and 1:24. Fiercely defending his win streak, Whats Your Beef crossed the wire and stopped the clock in 1:52, paying $3.20 to win. Skyway Victor settled for second while Bettorrock with Peter Wrenn held on for third.

“He races on the front mainly, but he’s pretty versatile,” Tetrick noted after the win. “Racing that way seemed like the best decision tonight, and that’s how we got there. He really dug in late in the stretch.”

Whats Your Beef is the son of Jk Endofanera-Kats Treasure and was bred by Jeff Jones and Scott Lester. Owned by W. Donovan, Joe Sbrocco, Kirk Nichols and Jaf Racing LLC, the colt has won all four lifetime starts and boasts a lifetime bankroll of $37,000. He is trained by Brian Brown.

The final division for the pacing colts and geldings saw a minor upset by way of Hello Sweetie Boy with John DeLong when the gelding grabbed his first career win. When the gate opened, Hello Sweetie Boy took a spot toward the back of the pack. On the lead, Never Easy Z Tam with LeWayne Miller called the shots, setting fractions of :27, :56:1 and 1:25:2 and braced for attack from the rest of the field. Hello Sweetie Boy waited until the stretch to make his attack and with a final quarter of :26:3, surge past the field. Hello Sweetie Boy scored his maiden-breaking win in 1:52:4. He was followed by PBR Street Gang with Trace Tetrick in second and TJs Indy Pacer with Sam Widger who staged a late rally for third. Hello Sweetie Boy paid $9.60 to win at the betting windows.

“He’s a tricky colt to drive,” DeLong revealed after the win. “Kim (Roth) has done a great job helping him relax so I can drive him. I wanted to race him off the cover and he really likes to chase horses in the stretch.”

The son of Aracache Hanover-Murvys Lady recorded his first win from three starts, now holding a lifetime bankroll of $17,825 for owner/trainer Kimberly Roth. Hello Sweetie Boy was bred by Mary Lea and Adele Jeffers.

Kicking off stakes action for the fillies, Country Girl Charm with trainer/driver LeWayne Miller maintained her undefeated status while establishing a new lifetime mark of 1:56:3. Going off as the heavy post time favourite, Country Girl Charm grabbed a spot in the middle of the pack through fractions of :27:3, :58:1 and 1:27:2.

As the field turned for home, Miller gave Country Girl Charm the go-ahead and she began to challenge the leading Guccios Lady with Melvin Schmucker. When the mile looked to belong to Guccios Lady, Country Girl Charm dug in and found a :28.1 closing kick to get the win. She was followed by Queen Of All with Doug Rideout who had also staged a gutsy rally in the stretch while Guccios Lady held on for third.

“For a filly, she’s very easy going,” Miller said. “She loves her job and so far, has shown she can race any way you want.”

The daughter of Whom Shall I Fear-Tymal Tatiana was bred by Daniel Frey Jr. The win was her fourth, giving her a perfect record out of four starts. Country Girl Charm now boasts a lifetime bankroll of $44,500 for owners Ryan Raber, Darvin Wagler, LeWayne Miller and Susan Garrels.

Wrapping up the action for the fillies, Fantasia Flurry recorded her first lifetime win with Ricky Macomber Jr. at the lines. Fantasia Flurry started the race taking a comfortable seat in third while Four Under Par with Doug Rideout and Treasure Gems K with Trace Tetrick swapped turns on the front through fractions of :28:2, :59 and 1:28:3. As the fillies turned for home, Macomber steered Fantasia Flurry into the passing lane where she was able to surge past the leaders, crossing the wire in 1:57:3. Four Under Par held on for second while Treasure Gems K settled for third. Fantasia Flurry paid $16.80 to win in the minor upset.

“It was my first time driving her and the only advice I was given was not to get out on front,” Macomber Jr. laughed in the winner’s circle. “It was a good trip; I knew I just had to get her in the passing lane and she’d make it.”

Fantasia Flurry, the daughter of Swan For All-Northern Mystique, sports a lifetime bankroll of $25,140 with her first win out of four starts. She is owned in partnership by trainer Christopher Beaver, William Rufenacht, Donald Robinson and RBH Ventures Inc. Fantasia Flurry was bred by Alan Troyer.

Indiana Sires Stakes action will continue at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Wednesday, August 5 with two divisions for two-year-old pacing fillies and two divisions for two-year-old trotting colts. With a daily post time of 6:30 p.m., live racing at Harrah’s Hoosier Park will follow a Tuesday through Saturday schedule and be conducted through November 21, highlighted by the return of the Breeders Crown October 30 and 31. For more information on the upcoming entertainment or live racing schedule, please visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.

(Harrah's Hoosier Park)