Freshman pacers and trotters will vie for top honours Saturday night, October 24 at Indiana Downs, as the Shelbyville track plays host a quartet of Indiana Sires Stakes finals. Purses for the four finales total $575,000, with three of the contests receiving purse increases when consolation races did not fill. The championship races will conclude the 2009 Indiana Sires Stakes program.
Msnaughtybynature will be favoured to repeat in the $150,000 final for two-year-old filly trotters. The Scramble Ranger--Miss Naughty Pine lass won the $125,000 series one final in a stakes record 1:57.2 for trainer Peter Wrenn. Since then, the filly swept each of three preliminary legs leading up to Saturday’s final. Owned by Melanie Wrenn and The Kales Company LLC, Msnaughtybynature will line up behind the gate on the far outside for driver Ron Wrenn in the night’s fourth race.
Call Me Ching, runner-up to Msnaughtybynature in the series one final, has drawn Post 5. The John Merkel trainee, a five-time winner this season, will be driven by Dan Shetler. Karas Secret, a Keep It A Secret filly owned by Benaire Farm, will start from Post 8 with Joe Putnam in the bike. The freshman collected a win in the $25,000 ISS series one consolation and enters the final after a win in the final preliminary leg.
The $150,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for freshman colt trotters looks to be a wide-open affair. Solvent, the longshot winner of the series one final, has drawn the rail for trainer Dave White. Jay Cross will sit behind the ABC Garland two-year-old for owners Ted Engel and Frank McCurdy. Bluebird Caviar, twice a winner in three preliminary legs, will be slotted in the outside post. The Above The Bar gelding is trained by Ron Burke and will be guided by Ricky Macomber.
ABC Photo, second-place finisher to Solvent in the $125,000 final, will enter Saturday’s contest off two qualifying efforts. The ABC Garland gelding will be driven by Trace Tetrick. Joining the group is Super Beat, lining up behind the gate in Post 5. The Verlin Yoder pupil has won twice this season, finishing twice in each of three preliminary legs leading up to Saturday’s final. Dan Shetler will guide the Super Ben Joe colt in the sixth race on the program.
Viking Kilowatt and Iron Claw will square off in the $150,000 final for freshman pacing colts in Saturday night’s ninth race. Viking Kilowatt enters the contest riding a four-race winning streak for Trent Stohler, who co-owns the Kilowatt gelding with breeder Howard Peterson. Second to Iron Claw in the $125,000 series one final, the freshman has drawn Post 8. Iron Claw will start from Post 2 for trainer and driver Charlie Conrad. The Speak colt has won 11 of 16 starts this season.
Three-time winner Marky Mike will join the two freshmen, starting from the far outside for trainer Dan Bowermaster. McStraight, a 1:54.3 winner his last time out, will line up in Post 5 for trainer Dan Perdue. Trace Tetrick will steer the Third Straight colt. Electric Oui and Ricky Macomber, on the board in each of three preliminary splits, will look to earn the victory from post six.
Several filly pacers could earn a victory in Saturday’s $125,000 final at Indiana Downs. Electric Presence enters the race on a three-race winning streak. The Electric Yankee freshman is trained by Nelson Willis for Sawgrass Farms LLC and will be driven by Sam Widger from Post 2. The filly has won each of her last two starts in lifetime best 1:55.4 efforts. Saras Lucky Charm, a 1:54.4 winner in her last start, will line up behind the gate eighth. The filly is trained by Wilbur Eash and will be driven by Dan Shetler.
Scruuppti, winner of the $125,000 series one final, will have to come from the outside post to collect another finals victory. The Kilowatt filly will be driven by Trace Tetrick for trainer Doug Hinklin in Race 10. Lets Go BB, a runner-up in the third preliminary leg, will start from the second tier for Ron Burke. The Dontgetinmyway filly is part of a Burke-trained entry. She will be driven by Ricky Macomber.
(Indiana Downs)