Odds On Mr Mamba became the fastest two-year-old in harness racing history as he scorched the Harrah’s Hoosier Park surface in 1:47.4 to win his $91,667 Indiana Sire Stakes division on Thursday, Oct. 2.

The gelding, seeking his sixth straight victory, got away third in the evening's first race as Dancingdreamer (Dave Miller) blasted out from the five-hole and produced a :26 first quarter, but Dexter Dunn mobilized Odds On Mr Mamba down the backstretch to take over nearing the half in :54.1. The son of Odds On Equuleus-Honky Tonk Woman flew through three-quarters in 1:21.4, and he unleashed a :26 kicker to complete the record-breaking victory. Dancingdreamer chased him home to finish second by 1-3/4 lengths. Swiss Lights (Ricky Macomber Jr.) was third.

Odds On Mr Mamba shattered the prior world record of Sippinonsearoc, who covered The Red Mile in 1:48.2 last year. The mile also erased the 1:48.3 mark for a freshman pacing gelding, which was set by Elver Hanover in 2019 at The Red Mile.

The gelding also gained sole possession of the overall two-year-old record at Hoosier. The previous fastest mile for a rookie pacer was 1:49.2, a mark Odds On Mr Mamba shared with Fullfulnmydestiny and My Girl Ej.

Odds On Mr Mamba, a homebred for Odds On Racing, is trained by Melanie Wrenn. He is now six-for-seven with $262,941 in earnings. The gelding is not eligible for the Breeders Crown later this month. He returned $2.30 to win.

On To Norway won his 16th straight race in the second of three $47,569 Indiana Sire Stakes divisions for three-year-old trotting colts. He got away third from the rail while High Speed Swan (Atlee Bender) laid down a :27.2 opening quarter. Driver John De Long wheeled 1-9 favourite On To Norway first-over on the backstretch to take command just beyond the half of :56.1, and the gelding opened up by 2-1/2 lengths at three-quarters in 1:25.3. From there, On To Norway coasted home a wrapped-up four length winner and stopped the clock in 1:52.4. Fruit Snacker (Marcus Miller) got by High Speed Swan late to be second.

The win streak began for On To Norway following a second-place effort in his three-year-old debut. He is 16-for-17 this season for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Frank Baldachino, Michael Rosenthal, and Black And White Stable. Bennett Farms Inc. of Michigan bred the gelded son of Muscle Massive-One Class Act who has won 20 of 26 lifetime appearances and has now earned $449,828. He paid $2.20 to win.

Burke and De Long also teamed up to win the $92,361 second division for rookie pacing males with What Nooo Waaay in wire-to-wire fashion as the 6-5 favourite. Leaving from post five, the revved-up Ron Burke trainee took command of the field through a sizzling :25.3 opening quarter. He kept the six chasers strung out behind him as De Long kept the accelerator down through middle-half fractions of :54.3 and 1:22.4. Once in the stretch, What Nooo Waaay opened up with a :28 final quarter under De Long urging to win by 2-1/2 lengths in a career-best 1:50.4. Bro Romey (Bender) rallied for second, with Tells Pure Power (Macomber) finishing third.

What Nooo Waaay has now won three of eight starts, only missing the board once while racking up $175,310 in earnings. The Check Six-Tiffany Rocks As colt is a homebred for Burke Racing Stable LLC, William Switala, James Martin, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. He returned $4.40.

Driver Kyle Wilfong took the other two divisions for sophomore trotting colts as part of a six-win night for him, winning the first with Operator as the 2-5 favorite. Operator got away second from the rail in the scratched-down field of five as Eugene The Genius (Dexter Dunn) went to the top through a quarter of :28. Wilfong moved Operator to the top on the backstretch, and the gelding reached the halfway point in :56.4 before trotting to three-quarters in 1:25.3. Sprinting home in :27, Operator had to fend off a hard-charging Major Velocity (Clint Coy), who got within a neck of Operator on the wire. Eugune The Genius was third in the 1:52.3 mile, only a half-length back in a three-across battle to the line.

Trained by Jay Hochstetler, Operator has won half of his 10 starts this season for owners Connie and Homer Hochstetler, Robert Buddig, and Allen Schwartz. Bred by Christopher Nissley, the gelded son of You Know You Do-Crazyasclassic is an eight-time winner for his career with lifetime earnings $343,165 in 20 outings. The win price was $2.80.

In the third and final division for sophomore trotting colts, Wilfong guided Sure Did to a career-best victory. Sure Did got away sixth in the field of seven while 3-5 favourite Massive Desire (Trace Tetrick) steamrolled to the top through an opening quarter of :27.1. Bellsforall (Kevin Lambright) was parked and pressing on the backstretch, getting released to the top just past the half of :55.4 before rolling to three-quarters in 1:25.1 with Sure Did being towed into it from second-over in fifth. Sure Did pounced from off cover, trotting home in :28.1 and getting the jump on Massive Desire, who was hung up behind the retreating Bellsforall before coming up three parts of a length short to Sure Did, who scored in 1:54.1. Rj Dont Peachim (LeWayne Miller) got up for third.

Walter Haynes Jr. trains Sure Did, who has now won two of four starts on the year for owners Matthew Miller and John McGill. Bred by John Bontrager Jr., the gelded son of You Know You Do-Challax Hanover has won six of 17 lifetime outings and has earned $199,336. His win mutuel was $5.80.

Wilfong’s four other wins on the night came with Josie Rocksmyworld ($5.20, 1:53.2), Big Swig ($13.80, 1:54.4), Starlit Dan Dover ($71.40, 1:56.1), and Brookes Ocean ($6, 1:53.4).

Indiana Sire Stakes preliminary action concludes on Friday with a 14-race card set to get underway at 5:30 p.m. The card features two divisions each of the last rounds for three-year-old pacers, along with $20,000 USD eliminations for aged trotting mares and older pacing males. Friday night serves as the final tune-up for the $2.2 million USD Hoosier Champions Night on Friday, Oct. 10.

The upcoming card also includes a $10,000 guaranteed Early Pick 5 (Races 1-5) with a $2,500 carryover to go along with a $10,000 guaranteed Late Hoosier High 5 (Race 14), done in partnership with the USTA’s Strategic Wagering program.

(Standardbred Canada & Hoosier Park)