Driver John De Long took three divisions, and trainer Henry Graber Jr. doubled in the final legs of the Indiana Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies and three-year-old trotting fillies at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
Two-year-old pacing fillies kicked off the stakes festivities with their $93,056 first split won by Rock The Charm, who pulled a minor upset at 6-1. Leaving from the rail, Rock The Charm got away in the third spot for De Long while Its My Story (Trace Tetrick) charged to the top through an opening quarter of :26.4. The seven fillies raced single file through middle-half fractions of :55.4 and 1:24.3. Its My Story brought the field into the stretch before 1-2 favourite Milliondollarimage (Jordan Ross) pounced from the pocket with Rock The Charm following that move. Once tipped off the Ross helmet, Rock The Charm fired home in :26.1 to roll by the favourite late, winning by three parts of a length in 1:51.2 over Milliondollarimage. Its My Story was third.
The effort by Rock The Charm was a career best. The filly has now won two of seven lifetime starts for trainer Tabby De Long. Jesse De Long bred the daughter of Rockin Image-Seventimesacharm and co-owns the earner of $171,930 with John and William De Long. The win price was $15.40.
The De Long clan scored another win in the $88,194 second division, this time with the Roger Welch-trained Whoomp, who entered off a win in the Kentuckiana Stallion Management in her last. Saddled with the outside post eight, John De Long angled Whoomp into fifth early while Tell It Like This (Tetrick) grabbed early control through a first quarter of :27. Whoomp moved off the cones just before the half in :56.4, driving first-up around the final turn and into third as Tell It Like This reached three-quarters in 1:25. Somemore Blue (Marcus Miller) popped the pocket and moved around Tell It like This in the stretch before Whoomp steamrolled late in :26 to nail Somemore Blue by a half-length in 1:51.3. Tell It Like This held sway for the third spot.
Whoomp has now won three races in a row and seven of 12 lifetime, good for earnings of $308,536. William and Patrick De Long bred and co-own the daughter of Rockin Image-Nightcap with Jesse De Long. The filly returned $4.
John De Long teamed up with Graber to take the second $70,139 division for three-year-old trotting fillies with Miracle Maven as the 8-5 second choice. Miracle Maven settled in the third position on the first turn while favoured Fifty To Win (Marcus Miller) trotted around Bluebird Lola (Atlee Bender) to the top through a quarter of :26.4. Fifty To Win tapped the brakes to the half in :56.1 when Miracle Maven marched first-over and into second on the final turn with Fifty To Win reaching three-quarters in 1:25.1. Miracle Maven moved alongside Fifty To Win in the lane, and the two slugged it out the length of the stretch before Miracle Maven got up by a head in 1:54 with a bottled-up Bluebird Lola finishing third.
Miracle Maven has now won five of nine starts on the year and 10 times in her career in 18 tries for owners Hillside Stables, Indiana Stables LLC, Frank Baldachino, and Beasty LLC. The daughter of Dont Letem-Bad Babysitter has banked $435,198 lifetime. She provided a $5.40 payout to her backers.
The first division for the sophomore trotters went to the Graber-trained Better Takem, who delivered a 7-1 upset at the cones for driver Ross. Better Takem secured the pocket trip behind A Million Dances (Mike Oosting), who swept down from the outside post nine to cut the quarter in :27. Oosting grabbed leather to the half in :57.1 when even-money favourite Martz Seven (Kyle Wilfong) started her first-over charge to three-quarters in 1:26.3. A Million Dances and Martz Seven went at it in the lane while Better Takem was desperate for racing room. She found a lane the cones and won by a head in a three-horse photo over A Million Dances and Martz Seven in 1:54.3.
A winner in three of nine starts this season, Better Takem races for owners Graber and Indiana Stables LLC. The daughter of Dont Letem-Barmaid has now earned $393,001 with seven victories in 17 career attempts.
Sire Stakes action continues on Thursday at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with two-year-old pacing colts and three-year-old trotting males stepping into the spotlight for their final legs ahead of Hoosier Champions Night on Friday, Oct. 10. Two-year-old sensation Odds On Mr Mamba headlines a pair of divisions for the pacers in the first race, while On To Norway seeks his 16th consecutive victory in the second of three divisions for the trotters.
(Hoosier Park; photo of Miracle Maven winning on Oct. 1)