A full house at Harrah’s Hoosier Park got to see fireworks both on and off the track on Friday, July 4 as Rock Shines Again remained perfect on the season and Avanti pulled a 17-1 shocker in their divisions of the fourth leg of Indiana Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

Rock Shines Again made his first career appearance in the Indiana Sire Stakes in the $67,123 first split, leaving as the even-money second choice from the outside post six with Trace Tetrick in the bike. Tetrick hustled the Tyler George trainee away from the gate, sprinting to the top from the outside to lead the field to the quarter in :26.1. Tetrick let Rock Shines Again roll on the backstretch, pacing to the half in :54.2 when 4-5 favourite Chandler Bing (Jay Cross) pulled first-over from third. Chandler Bing worked to the leader’s wheel on the final turn while Rock Shines Again sped to three-quarters in 1:22.2.

Tetrick began to ask more of Rock Shines Again turning for home, and the gelding responded by separating from the field midway through the lane. Sprinting home in :26.2, Rock Shines Again romped by 3-1/4 lengths in a career-best 1:48.4. Pocket-sitter Rockin Mudslinger (Jordan Ross) finished second ahead of Starlit Millertime (Atlee Bender).

Owned by Richard Redder and T G Stable, Rock Shines Again is perfect through six starts this season since joining the George barn after a winless 11-start campaign at two. The gelded son of Rockin Image-Bikini Star has banked $66,477 on the season and $75,600 lifetime. 

In the $67,808 second split, Avanti and driver John De Long converted a perfect second-over trip to land a 17-1 upset. Scoring from post six, De Long placed Avanti in the sixth position early while Book The Fight (Tetrick) worked around Checking Out (Brad Ferguson) to take point after the quarter in :26.3. Book The Fight backed things down to the half in :55.1 when Avanti flushed the cover of 1-5 favourite Deal The Odds (Joey Putnam) entering the final turn. Deal The Odds wheeled alongside Book The Fight at three-quarters in 1:24 as Avanti stalked the dueling leaders.

Turning for home, Deal The Odds grabbed a short lead, with Book The Fight looking to counter to his inside and De Long tipping Avanti three-wide. Rolling home in :26.3, Avanti surged late to secure the victory in 1:50.4 by three parts of a length. Book The Fight finished a game second, with Deal The Odds third.

The victory was the second of the season in eight tries for the Missy Essig-trained Avanti, who is owned by Rocco Ruffolo and Fac Racing. The gelded son of Rockin Image-Sayulita has banked $77,536 on the year and $301,395 lifetime.

The Friday card kicked-off with a 1:48.2 front-end Little Rocket Man victory in the $30,137 Open Pace over Golden Bay N (Tetrick) and Alta Revelry N (De Long). Mike Oosting drove the winning nine-year-old son of Rockin Image-Gt Miss Royal for trainer Ken Rucker and owners Russ Beeman and Boomer Freeman. The ageless wonder has won six of eight on the year, and 74 times overall for his career in 127 starts, banking $2,052,587.

The Indiana Sire Stakes win with Rock Shines Again capped a triple on the card for George, who also won with Soul Rocker ($4.40) and Rolling Image ($5.40). The conditioner currently leads the Hoosier Park standings as he goes for his sixth straight training title.

A flurry of late prices triggered multiple carryovers into the 14-race Saturday card. There will be a carryover of $5,494 into the Early Pick 4 (Races 6-9) in addition to a $3,065 carryover in the Early Pick 3 (Races 2-4) and a $1,715 carryover in the Pick 6 (Races 4-9).

(With files from Hoosier Park)