Strong Poison kicked off her sophomore season with a bang at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in the featured event of the evening, the $115,000 Nadia Lobell Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies, on Friday, June 30.

With Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the bike for trainer Ron Burke, Strong Poison converted a second-over trip into a 1:48 victory and established a new track record for sophomore pacing fillies, a stakes record and a new lifetime-best in the process. The previous track and stakes record of 1:48.2 was established by Reflect With Me and Andrew McCarthy in 2020.

Leaving from post three, Strong Poison was eased off the gate to find a spot along the rail in fifth while Sweet Amira and Peter Wrenn were the first to get a call through the opening quarter in :26. Southwind Bella and Brandon Bates benefitted from a pocket-trip while the heavy betting favourite, McSeaside and Trace Tetrick, were next in line third.

The hot pace continued as Sweet Amira clicked off middle fractions of :53.2 and 1:21.1, and when the field turned for home, McSeaside was on the attack from first-over with Strong Poison in tow. Sweet Amira was bracing for the cavalry charge behind her but wasn’t going down without a fight. Just as Sweet Amira began to give way, Strong Poison was winding up and ready to strike.

Using a :26.3 closing kick, Strong Poison was able to wear down McSeaside and hold off a late surge from the pocket-sitting Southwind Bella to get the victory. McSeaside finished third.

Sent off at odds of 5-1, Strong Poison returned $12 to her backers at the betting window.

“Ronnie [Burke] has done a great job getting her ready,” Wrenn Jr. noted after the victory. “I wasn’t sure with it being her first start how strong she would be but it was good to land second-over and she raced phenomenal.

“I had a game plan coming into the race: I knew I just wanted to move her late,” he continued. “It worked out with some hot fractions up front. I had to move her a littler earlier than I would have liked but she was running over the horses in front of us and was ready to go. She’s a super talented filly who knows her work.”

Strong Poison notched the first win in her first start of 2023 after a two-year-old campaign in which she won five of 14 starts and banked $429,226. The daughter of Always B Miki-Fiyonce is owned by Burke Racing Stable, J&T Silva Stables, Knox Services and Beasty. Strong Poison was bred by Steve Stewart and Charles and Julie Nash.

Live harness racing continues at Hoosier Park on Saturday, July 1 with a 12-race card starting at 7 p.m.

(With files from Hoosier Park)