Jammin Joshua saved his best for when it counted most, scoring a two and one-half length upset in the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for freshman colt pacers Saturday evening, October 22 at Indiana Downs
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Driven by Sam Widger, the Allamerican Captor-My Girl Maddie colt sprinted away from the field in the turn and stopped the timer in a lifetime best 1:52.2. The contest was one of four lucrative finals held Saturday at the Shelbyville track.
Lining up behind the gate in post three, Jammin Joshua settled in behind Brown Titan (Trace Tetrick) and Js Tango (Andy Shetler) through a :27 first quarter and :56.1 opening half. Racing to three-quarters (1:24.4), Widger pulled from the pylons and played catch me if you can with the third choice. Up by five lengths at the top of the stretch, Jammin Joshua was well in hand as Fridaynightflight and Josh Sutton closed on the leader to finish second. Brown Titan finished third while favoured Next Flight In was seventh after racing off the pace throughout the mile.
The victory was the sixth in 11 starts for Jammin Joshua, now a winner of $209,622. Bred by David Wayne Yoder, the colt is owned by Emily Gaskin and trained by her father, Ernie Gaskin. The winning time knocked a full second off Jammin Joshua’s lifetime mark.
Favourites failed to prevail in each of the four $200,000 finals Saturday. Sweetasmusic set the trend early in the program, defeating Cincinnati Star by three and one-half lengths in the $200,000 final for two-year-old filly trotters. Tabbed the second choice, Sweetasmusic collected her third seasonal win for trainer and driver Walter Haynes Jr. with a 1:58 effort.
Drawing Post 3 in the 10-filly field, Sweetasmusic followed favourite Cincinnati Star early, trotting sixth as Antie M and Richard Reisert controlled the tempo with fractions of :28.3, :58.3 and 1:28.2. Racing up the backside, Tetrick moved Cincinnati Star first up and Haynes followed suit. The two fillies advanced to second and fourth on the outside trotting through the turn, with Sweetasmusic poised for the stretch drive. The Gut Instinct-Music In Motion filly closed out the mile with a :29.1 last quarter to earn the biggest victory of her young career. Js Tango crossed the wire third to round out the trifecta.
Bred by John Stoll and Phillip Wittmer, the filly shaved two full seconds off her previous best in the win. The trotter is owned by Haynes and Michael Brown. Runner-up in the first Indiana Sires Stakes final earlier in the season, Sweetasmusic pushed her seasonal earnings to $217,100.
The closest finish of the night came in the fourth race, the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for freshman colt trotters. Dontfusswithruss and driver Joe Essig Jr. withstood the late charge of slight favourite Trottin Tiger and Widger to win by a head in 1:59. The victory marked the fourth straight win for the Elegant Man-Ml Jezebel homebred.
When the gate folded, Essig floated the gelding out from Post 8 before marching to the top after a :29.2 opening panel. Dontfusswithruss proceeded to click off fractions of :59 and 1:28.3 as My Muscleman and Sutton advanced on the outside racing into the turn. The Roger Cullipher-trained two-year-old dispatched his challenger and opened up by two lengths at the top of the stretch. But Widger was underway with Trottin Tiger, reeling in Dontfusswithruss with every stride. But the leader was able to hold on late, narrowly reaching the wire first.
Bred and owned by Jacalyn Beeman, Dontfusswithruss picked up his sixth win in 13 starts. With the victory the homebred increased his earnings to $216,810.
After sitting in the pocket throughout the mile, Miss Millie and Tetrick capitalized on an opening along the rail in the stretch to capture the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for freshman filly pacers by three parts of a length. The Dontgetinmyway-Miss Mica two-year-old slipped up the rail to win pick up her third career win in 1:54.4. Favourite Sheza Cool Cookie finished sixth.
Roberts Ideal and Ricky Macomber Jr. left for the lead from Post 9 at the start as Tetrick dropped in second from Post 5 with the homebred. Miss Millie sat through fractions of :27.2, :57 and 1:25.2 as American Girl and Peter Wrenn advanced on the outside to challenge Roberts Ideal. In the lane, Tetrick and Miss Millie found the room they needed, surging to the front late as Lima Calliope and Tyler Smith came flying on the outside late to nip Roberts Ideal for second.
Owned by Ted Comerford, listed as breeder with Twila Harts, Miss Millie set a lifetime mark with the win. The filly, trained by Alvin Miller, has earned $155,200 this season for her connections. Her dam, Miss Mica, was also campaigned by Comerford and Miller.
(Indiana Downs)