Just one week after hosting the $1 million Hoosier Champions night, Hoosier Park continued the stakes action with an exciting 14-race card on Saturday, October 26. In its 20th season of live harness racing, Hoosier Park hosted divisions of the Madison County and Circle City Stakes for two and three-year-olds for the first time ever.
E L Titan and Riina Rekila kicked off the stakes action with a 1:57.1 score in the opening division of the $44,950 Madison County stakes for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters. Using a sharp, front-running effort, the son of Muscle Hill was able to hold off a late charge from Justice Jet and Ed Hensley to score his third win of the season. Owned by Erkki Laakkonen, E L Titan is trained by Rekila and has now amassed $94,557 during his freshman season.
The recently crowned Indiana Sire Stakes champion, Rose Run Parker, followed suit in the second split of the $45,250 Madison County stakes action for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings with a 1:58.2 victory. With Ricky Macomber Jr. in the bike, Rose Run Parker was able to track down horses late in the lane to win by two lengths. Sired by Jailhouse Jesse, Rose Run Parker extended his win streak to five and notched his ninth win of the season.
Sweetnsinful and Sam Widger scored in the only division of the $83,600 Madison County stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies in 1:54. Widger sent the American Ideal filly to the front from the start and never looked back. Trained by Homer Hochstetler, Sweetnsinful scored her fourth win in nine starts this season and sent her bankroll over the $200,000 mark.
The freshman trotting fillies were up next and Kween Mightus broke her maiden in a big kind of way taking her $42,550 split of the Madison County stakes. Driven by Hoosier Park’s leading driver, Tyler Smith, Kween Mightus was sent to the front and reached the wire in 1:57.3 to finish two lengths ahead of her nearest rival. Trained by Krista Williams, the daughter of Earl Of Stormont was making her 11th start.
Luck Is All Ineed and Trace Tetrick took the second split of the stakes action for two-year-old trotting fillies with a 1:58 victory. Trained by Tom Harmer, the Muscle Mass filly benefitted from a pocket trip to score her third win of the season from eight starts. Luck Is All Ineed sent her bankroll over $134,000 for her connections of Harmer and Gregg McNair.
Three splits of the Circle City stakes for three-year-old trotting colts were contested and it was King Mufasa who reigned supreme with a 1:56.3 romp. With Hall of Famer Dave Palone in the sulky, King Mufasa extended his win streak to five in his Hoosier Park debut. Sired by Powerful Emotion, King Mufasa is trained by Mike Brink and owned by Mystical Marker Farms and H.W. Wright.
Punxsutawney and Pete Wrenn turned a sharp, front-running effort into a 1:54.4 score in the second split of the Circle City stakes action. Sired by Glidemaster, Punxsutawney scored his fourth win of the season from 14 outings. Owned by Jerry Graham, Punxsutawney is trained by John Butenschoen and now sports a seasonal bankroll of $157,388.
Pine Credit and Marcus Miller took the final split of the stakes action for three-year-old colt trotters with a 1:55.4 victory. Trained by Erv Miller, the son of Credit Winner was able to find late racing room in the stretch to score his third win of the season.
Thatll Be The Rei and Mike Micallef extended their win streak to four with a 1:51.3 score in the opening division of the $40,350 Circle City stakes for three-year-old pacing colts. The Michigan champion is trained by Mike Micallef and has won 15 of 22 seasonal starts. Owned by Daniel Courtemanche, Thatll Be The Rei has earned $185,242 through two seasons of racing.
Silver Devil and Jason Dillander scored a 21-1 upset in the second division of the $40,350 Circle City stakes for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers. Rallying from well off the pace in the stretch, Silver Devil used a :26-second final panel to score his ninth win of the season in 1:53.1. Trained by Nick Giberson, the sophomore son of Duneside Perch sent his career bankroll over $50,000 with the victory.
Totally Kissed and Sam Widger followed suit and pulled a slight upset in the first split of the stakes action for two-year-old pacing colts with a 1:52.1 score. The son of Total Truth got up in the final strides to score his third win of the season in a lifetime-best effort.
Kingofthejungle continued the upset trend and scored a 14-1 surprise in his split of the $49,300 Madison County stakes for two-year-old pacing colts. Driven by Pete Wrenn, Kingofthejungle rallied from well off the pace to score in a lifetime-best effort of 1:52.3. Trained by Dirk Simpson, the gelding is sired by Well Said has now won four of 12 outings.
(With files from Hoosier Park)