Indiana's very best put on a show as 11 new Indiana Sire Stakes champions were crowned as part of Hoosier Champions Night at Harrah's Hoosier Park on Friday, Oct. 9.
The program was headlined by the eight $357,143 Super Finals for two and three-year-olds.
Two-Year-Old Filly Trot
Redice and driver Atlee Bender prevailed off a perfect pocket trip behind Erv Miller stablemate Ponda Crystal and Marcus Miller to score the win in the first Super Final of the night for two-year-old filly trotters.
Redice left from post three and allowed Ponda Crystal to take the lead through the first turn in :28.1. The pair continued their reign to the halfway mark in :58.3. Fine Wine (Jay Cross) maneuvered on the outside from fourth upto third. Ponda Crystal remained in control as Fine Wine lingered outside in second at the three-quarters in 1:27.4. Ponda Crystal began to drift wide in the lane, opening up the way for a loaded Redice, who was a three-length winner in 1:55.3. Fine Wine finished second, while Twister Sister (Tim Tetrick) rallied along the cones for third over Ponda Crystal.
Redice, a Rebuff-Fuzzy Dice filly who is now six-for-10 in her career, is owned by Ervin Miller Stables, Anhony Lombardi and Stepbystep Racing. Redice made a large deposit into her lifetime earnings account, which reached $428,924. She paid $3.60 to win as the bettors' choice.
Two-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace
Tell Me Its You pounced from the pocket to defeat the heavy favourite Mr Bear in the two-year-old colt and gelding pace for driver John De Long and trainer Alvin Miller.
Tell Me Its You crossed over to the cones from post five before releasing Mr Bear (Marcus Miller), who started to his outside in post six, just after a quarter of :26.4. Mr Bear cruised to the half in :55.3 and three-quarters in 1:24.2 with Tell Me Its You drafting the Miller helmet. Tell Me Its You peeled off the cover and got down to business in the lane, snatching the lead with a wicked :25.4 final kick to hit the wire in 1:50.3 clear by two lengths. Mr Bear was untouched in second while This Captain Rocks (Yannick Gingras) rallied for third five lengths behind at 91-1.
A gelding sired by Tellitlikeitis out of Kitty Hoyne, Tell Me Its You is owned by his trainer along with Twila Harts and Marvin Schwartz. He nearly doubled his lifetime earnings, which now totals $386,887, and sports a record reading 5-2-2 in 10 starts. Tell Me Its You paid $4.60 to win as the second choice.
Two-Year-Old Filly Pace
In the two-year-old filly pace, Fitterjake wired the field in another impressive display as she crushed in the lone sub-1:50 clocking on the evening.
Trained by Aaron Stutzman and driven by Scott Zeron, Fitterjake left from post one and fought off any opportunity of advancements with Owleos Pride (Dexter Dunn) settling in behind through the first quarter in :27.2. Fitterjake led the field to the halfway mark :56 before the tempo quickened to the final turn, with Owleos Pride out and at the leader's wheel as they cruised to three-quarters in 1:23.2. Fitterjake took off from there, pacing home in :26.2 and she sprinted away by 2-3/4 lengths to win in 1:49.4. JKs Fast (John De Long) was the quickest down the stretch from fifth to steal second while Owleos Pride settled for third.
The Hoosier Park two-year-old filly pace co-track holder has won six of her seven starts while earning $413,132 for owner James Miller. The homebred JK Endofanera-For Sharks Sake filly paid $3 as the popular winner.
Two-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot
Fifty And Famous overcame a trailing tier start and a long overland journey en route to a score in the two-year-old colt and gelding trot with Trace Tetrick in the sulky for trainer Luis Quevedo.
Leaving from post 10, Fifty And Famous was away sixth in the early stages while Nectar Of The Gods (Mike Micallef) charged to an early lead through an opening quarter of :27.4. So Joyful (John De Long) brushed to the lead on the backstretch, clearing just after a half of :57.1 while Tetrick squeezed Fifty And Famous off the cones to follow that move on the backstretch. Left first-over on the final turn, Fifty And Famous faced off with So Joyful at the three-quarter pole in 1:26. Battling at the head of the lane, Fifty And Famous continued to wear down the leader before trotting clear by 2-1/2 lengths to score in 1:54.3. So Joyful held for second, with Nectar Of The Gods finishing third.
Fifty And Famous is a John Barnard homebred son of Fiftydallarbill-Dance To Fame who has won four of his seven starts on the year. The colt now boasts a career bankroll of $273,896.
Three-Year-Old Filly Trot
Overcoming the far outside post nine, Bluebird Kazoom led wire-to-wire to take the sophomore filly trot with driver Jordan Ross aboard for trainer Henry Graber Jr.
The complexion of the race changed quickly when 3-5 favourite Fresh Face Yankee (Jay Cross) jumped it off at the start, while Bluebird Kazoom blasted off the wings to cross over in front of Help Cum Laude (Atlee Bender) and take the fillies to the first turn in a quick :27.1. Bluebird Kazoom remained in charge at the half in :56, before For Dayze (John De Long) moved first-over and moved alongside the leader at three-quarters in 1:24.4. The two fillies slugged it out from there, with Bluebird Kazoom getting the best of it late to reach the wire 1-1/2 lengths clear over For Dayze in 1:53. Help Cum Laude held for the show spot, 3-3/4 lengths behind the winner.
The three-year-old rookie daughter of Swan For All-Stella Kemp has won 12 of her 15 starts on the year, racking up earnings of $451,590 for owners Hillside Stables, Indiana Stable, Hickory Hollow Stables and Michael Rosenthal. The filly paid $6.80 to win.
Three-Year-Old Filly Pace
Whoomp has now served as Indiana Sire Stakes champion at ages two and three, as she decimated the field of sophomore pacing fillies by open lengths for the team of John De Long and Roger Welch.
Away from post two as the 3-1 second choice, Whoomp and arch-rival Somemore Blue (Marcus Miller) dropped the gloves early, with Whoomp stinging Somemore Blue to the opening quarter in :26.3. Somemore Blue had things her way to the half in :55.2 before Whoomp was back out for more on the final turn, nose-to-nose with Somemore Blue as the fillies reached three-quarters as a team in 1:24.3. Whoomp quickly put away that foe at the head of the lane, moving away from the field as she went on to score by 4-3/4 lengths in 1:51.1. Trailing tier starter Keeps Miss Dixie (Brandon Bates) navigated traffic to be second at 162-1, with Klorox Queen (Trace Tetrick) rounding out the trifecta at 36-1.
A homebred for William and Patrick De Long who co-own with Jesse De Long, Whoomp has won five of her 11 starts on the year and has finished no worse than second. The daughter of Rockin Image-Nightcap was won 13 of 24 races lifetime and went over the $1 million mark in career earnings.
Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot
In the biggest upset of the evening, Nighthawk Zette shook loose late to take a wild three-year-old colt and gelding trot at 39-1 with trainer LeWayne Miller in the bike.
Nighthawk Zette was away fourth from post three as favourite Tuggin Thomas (Trace Tetrick) quickly crossed over to take the field of 10 to the opening station in :27.2. Tuggin Thomas came underfire in the middle stages, with a parked and pressing Dan D Man Can (Atlee Bender) applying pressure through middle fractions of :55.4 and 1:24.2. Tuggin Thomas jumped it off at the head of the lane, leading LeWayne Miller to act swiftly and have to swing off the rail from third in line and give chase to Dan D Man Can. Despite the interference, Nighthawk Zette took flight late with a :28.4 last quarter and sweep clear by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:54.1. Dan D Man Can was a valiant second after having not seen the cones, with Inverness Ave (Kevin Lambright) finishing third.
After going winless in six tries at two, Nighthawk Zette has won seven of 17 on the year while pushing his bankroll to $320,028. The Swan For All-Zette Starlet gelding is owned by L And S Racing, Lyndar Stables and Richard Freese. Nighthawk Zette paid $81 to win.
Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace
Swiss Lights shook loose in the nick of time to win in a photo over even-money favourite Odds On Mr Mamba in an action-packed three-year-old colt and gelding pace for driver Trace Tetrick and trainer Jeff Cullipher.
Leaving from post four, Swiss Lights charged to an early lead before being immediately challenged by Door Dash (Yannick Gingras), who held a narrow advantage on the outside to trip the timer at the opening quarter in a hot :26.1. No sooner than Door Dash worked around Swiss Lights to clear, Odds On Mr Mamba (Pete Wrenn) charged from third to grab a short-lived lead before Dancingdreamer (Dexter Dunn) continued his overland journey and moved alongside at the half in :53.4. Wrenn released Dancingdreamer to the lead, before Door Dash was back out for more and at the leader's throat in three-quarters in 1:22.2 while Swiss Lights was buried third in line along the cones.
Dancingdreamer drifted off the cones, giving clearance to Odds On Mr Mamba, who fired through to grab the lead midway through the lane before Tetrick pointed Swiss Lights to a narrow gap between the retreating Dancingdreamer and Door Dash. Squeezing through the opening, Swiss Lights was fed racetrack just in time to nail North America Cup champion Odds On Mr Mamba by a head on the wire in 1:50.2. What Nooo Waaay (John De long) was just three parts of a length back in third at 39-1 to round out the trifecta.
Owned by trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing, Swiss Lights has won six of his 13 race on the year, hitting the board in every try. The Rockin Image-Shes Lights Out gelding has won nine of 22 lifetime, pushing his career bankroll to $669,433. Swiss Lights paid $7.20 to win.
Aged Finals
In the evening’s opener, On To Norway ($2.20), driven by John De Long for trainer Ron Burke, did the unthinkable by winning the first $107,143 final for aged male trotters after an early break left him 16 lengths behind the leader at the quarter. The 1-9 favourite won in 1:52 by a head over closer Revin For Dallars (Jordan Ross) with pacesetter Ponda Jet (Kyle Wilfong) a neck back in third. No stranger to the winner's circle at Hoosier Park, the four-year-old Muscle Massive-One Class Act gelding is owned by Burke Racing Stables, Frank Baldachino, Black And White Stable and Michael Rosenthal. On To Norway has racked up $1.8 million in lifetime earnings with 38 wins in 47 starts.
Lyin Eyes ($7.20), piloted by Joey Putnam for trainer Joe Putnam, cruised to a 1:50.4 victory in the aged pacing mares final by 1-1/4 lengths over the favoured Canttouchthese (John De Long) and Brooklets Rockette (Kevin Lambright). The five-year-old Odds On Equuleus-Miswave Hanover mare has won three straight for owners J P Racing, Joey Putnam and Crazy Parrot Farm. A career winner of 14 races in 67 starts, Lyin Eyes has banked $766,796 in her career.
Closing out the finals on the card, Little Rocket Man ($8.80), driven by Kyle Wilfong for trainer Ken Rucker, turned back the clock when he struck home late to beat out Rock Shines Again (Trace Tetrick) by a neck in 1:50.1, with Shooting In Place (Jordan Ross) less than a length back in third. The double millionaire notched career victory 89 in the process. Little Rocket Man is owned by Russell Beeman and Jack Beeman. The 10-year-old son of Rockin Image-GT Miss Royal is a three-time Indiana Sire Stakes champion.
The week of racing concludes at Hoosier Park on Saturday, Oct. 11 with a 14-race program set to get underway at 5:30 p.m. There remains one final Indiana Sire Stakes champion to be crowned on the year, as the Aged Mare Trot will serve as a non-betting race before the main card at 5:15 p.m.
(With files from Hoosier Park; photo of Swiss Lights winning on Oct. 9)