With Hoosier Champions Night on Friday, Oct. 9 rapidly approaching, the final leg of Indiana Sire Stakes continued at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Thursday, Oct. 1, with two-year-old pacing colts and three-year-old trotting colts doing battle.

Freaky Lover, driven by Anthony Miller for trainer Zachary Miller, nailed the favourite at the wire to capture the first $93,571 division for two-year-old pacing colts.

Away from post one, Freaky Lover let the field come to him as favoured Capt Peach (Trace Tetrick) accelerated past This Captain Rocks (Robert Taylor) to the first quarter in :27.3. The field stayed put behind the leader to the half in :56.2. La Captain Morgan (John De Long) started the charge from the back-end of the field while Freaky Lover travelled to the outer tier from third moving around the final turn to three-quarters in 1:25.1. In the stretch, Freaky Lover barrelled down the outside and got up late over Capt Peach by a head for the 1:53.3 victory. La Captain Morgan was third.

The winning Freaky Feet Pete-Ss Lover homebred gelding is owned by Zachary Miller and Edward Dobrowolski. Freaky Lover earned his fourth win in 10 starts, raising his earnings to $90,584. He paid $15.60 to win.

Three weeks after Tell Me Its You snapped his perfect record, Mr Bear got revenge on that rival with a victory in the second rookie male pace division.

Mr Bear, the odds-on choice driven by Marcus Miller, repelled Tell Me Its You (John De Long) into the pocket in the early scramble, then led to the quarter in :27.3 and half in :55.3. Mr Bear and Tell Me Its You started to pull away from the rest of the group going to three-quarters in 1:24. Tell Me Its You angled out in the lane, but Miller kept Mr Bear to task to hold off that opponent by 1-1/4 lengths for the 1:50.3 score. Another Mile Again (Trace Tetrick) took third.

In his eighth win in nine tries, Mr Bear increased his lifetime earnings to $321,827 for trainer Erv Miller and owners Ervin Miller Stable Inc., D&M Trading II LLC, Levi Bontrager and Laura Perniciaro. The Rockin Image-Mamas Lil Beach gelding was bred by Mark Adams and Timothy Sullivan. He paid $3.20 to win.

Inverness Ave returned to the Hoosier state and the winner's circle following his fifth-place finish in the Kentucky Commonwealth Series final, scoring a coast-to-coast victory in the $70,714 first division for sophomore trotting colts.

With Kevin Lambright aboard the Ernie Gaskin trainee, Inverness Ave blasted off the wings into the wind to assert himself on top of the seven-horse field moving to the opening quarter in :28.3. Inverness Ave had things his way from there, strolling through middle-half fractions of :57.1 and 1:25.3 with August Salazar (John De Long) in the pocket. No challenges materialized in the lane, and Inverness Ave cruised to a two-length win in 1:53.3. August Salazar held second, with Nighthawk Zette (LeWayne Miller) rounding out the triactor.

A winner in seven of 20 starts this year, Inverness Ave is owned by Theodore Engel, Doug Shore and Ernest Gaskin Stables Inc. The Bay’s Stable LLC, Polger Holdings LLC and Little E LLC bred the Helpisontheway-Arvika gelding, who has earned $330,660 and won nine of 31 starts lifetime. The win price was $6.20.

Tuggin Thomas was as advertised in the second sophomore male trot contest as the 1-5 choice crushed off a pocket trip provided by driver Trace Tetrick for trainer Ricky Macomber Jr.

Leaving from post two, Tuggin Thomas quickly tucked into the second spot with Bravo Alpha (Marcus Miller) crossing over to lead the charge to the opening quarter in :28. The order remained unchanged up the backstretch, with Bravo Alpha leading to the half in :56 and taking the field to three-quarters in 1:24.3. At the head of the lane, Tetrick right-lined Tuggin Thomas, and the gelding made quick work of Bravo Alpha before drawing off by 4-1/4 lengths to win in 1:52.4. Bravo Alpha held second, with Dont Talk Dirty (LeWayne Miller) finishing third.

Tuggin Thomas is now five-for-19 on the season for lessee Irwin Lampert. Aron Bontrager bred the Dover Dan-Classic Filly gelding, who has earned $153,579 during his career and won nine of 34 starts. The winner paid $2.60.

Indiana Sire Stakes action continues on Friday at Hoosier Park with three-year-old pacers closing out their prelims. There will be three divisions for fillies and two for colts, including the return of North America Cup champion Odds On Mr Mamba in the 12th race. First post for the Friday program is 5:30 p.m.

(With files from Hoosier Park)