Favourite Roydon and second choice Bluebird Elian won their respective Indiana Sires Stakes divisions Friday, July 29 at Indiana Downs

. The two $40,000 divisions were the first of four preliminary rounds for sophomore colt trotters. The contests highlighted a program that featured several events for Indiana-sired horses.

Roydon and driver Rick Farrington used a pocket trip to their advantage, putting a head in front of Dream Kid and Ricky Macomber Jr. at the wire in a time of 1:58.1. Starting from Post 4, the CJs Secret colt reached the front and posted a :29.3 opening quarter before Dream Kid assumed control. Farrington and the favourite sat through fractions of 1:00.1 and 1:30, and used a :28 last quarter to narrowly overtake the leader at the wire. R G Rocket and Dave Magee finished third.

Roydon is owned and trained by Aaron Stutzman. The victory was the sixth in eight seasonal starts for the sophomore, now a winner of more than $152,000 in 2011. Bred by Marlin Dean Fry, the trotter possesses career earnings of $261,233.

Bluebird Elian and trainer Dan Shetler took control from third after a :30.1 opening quarter and trotted to a one and one-quarter length victory Friday, stopping the clock in 1:57.4. Favourite Genesis Mercury raced second followed by Queens Lonely Earl in third.

A son of Southwind Elian, Bluebird Elian added his second win in six starts this season. Owned by the Erv Miller Stable and Leland Mathias, the colt has earned $288,000 in his career.

Friday’s program also featured two $10,400 events for Indiana-sired freshman colt trotters.

Trottin Tiger, a gelded son of Mossy Oak rebounded from a break before the quarter to clear the field by four and one-quarter lengths at the wire. Driven by Sam Widger, the Mark Gillenwater-trained trotter tripped the timer in 1:58 in his first career win. Gillenwater co-owns Trottin Tiger with Kevin McKinney.

In the second division, Earls Big Punch and Peter Wrenn nosed out favourite Dontfusswithruss at the line in 2:00.3. The victory was the first in two starts for the Earl Of Stormont gelding, owned by Melanie Wrenn and Glider Stables and trained by Wrenn. Earls Big Punch is a full brother to Earls Glider, a multiple Indiana Sires Stakes finals champion and winner of nearly $500,000.

(Indiana Downs)