For the second consecutive year, Foiled Again turned in an all-age track record performance in $200,000 Indiana Pacing Derby at Indiana Downs.
Harness racing's richest pacer of all-time lowered his own record by one-fifth of a second to 1:49.1 over a track rated 'good' on Saturday evening for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke.
Razzle Dazzle (John Campbell) finished second and the winner's stablemate, Foreclosure N (Dave Palone), was third. The other Burke entry of Annieswesterncard (Ricky Macomber Jr.) finished fifth.
Iam Bonasera (Peter Wrenn) left quickly from post four in the field reduced to six with the scratch of St Elmo Hero, but the parked out Foreclosure N rolled up to take over command at the :26.2 first quarter.
As Foreclosure N led the way towards the half in :54.4, Gingras sent Foiled Again first over from fourth and cleared to command. Razzle Dazzle chased after the new leader as they raced by three-quarters in 1:22.3. The top two battled down the stretch with Foiled Again digging in to win for the 65th time in his career.
Foiled Again paid $2.20 to win as part of the 1-9 favoured three-horse Burke entry.
The victory was Burke's third in a row in the Indiana Pacing Derby. He previously won the 2010 edition with Won The West and swept the top three spots in 2011 with Foiled Again leading the way over stablemates Atochia and Annieswesterncard.
The lion's share of the purse pushed Foiled Again's career bankroll to $4,625,900. The eight-year-old Dragon Again-In A Safe Place gelding is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and JJK Stables LLC.
Another track record was broken during the card when Bettors Edge swept by his rivals in the stretch to win the $250,000 Monument Circle for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings in 1:49.3.
Easy Again (Montrell Teague) posted a :26.3 opening quarter before giving way to the pocket-pulling A Rocknroll Dance (Peter Wrenn). His lead was short-lived though with Sweet Lou (Dave Palone) rolling up to take over as the field raced to the half in :53.4 and Hurrikane Kingcole (Dan Dube) hot on his heels.
Hurrikane Kingcole cleared to command past the midway mark and reached three-quarters in 1:20.4 with Bettors Edge and driver David Miller next up. Hurrikane Kingcole was swarmed down the stretch by Sweet Lou and Bettors Edge with the late-closers fanning across the track. Bettors Edge pushed ahead as the wire approached and held off Dynamic Youth (Andrew McCarthy) by a quarter length and Sweet Lou for his first major stakes victory.
The time of the mile lowered Art Official's sophomore record by one-fifth of a second.
Bettors Edge paid $7.40 to win.
Linda Toscano trains the homebred Bettors Delight-Spring Wind gelding for Brittany Farms and Val Dor Farms. Bettors Edge has earned the majority of his $607,590 bankroll this year with six wins, four seconds and four thirds from 21 starts.
E Z Noah and driver Jason Dillander took the lead at the half, turned back Mcerlean (Tim Tetrick) and held off Wahine (Dave Palone) to win the $50,000 consolation in 1:51.3 while Mortal Zin (Ricky Macomber Jr.) finished third. The Western Terror-Her Mattjesty gelding was part of the favoured Ross Leonard entry and is owned by Vip Internet Stable LLC and Baron Racing Stable.
Driven by Trace Tetrick, Upfront Billy overcame an outside post 10 start and wore down favourite Uncle Peter to win the $260,500 Oliver Trotting Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings.
Uncle Peter (Jimmy Takter), part of the popular entry, established the lead from post five and carved out fractions of :28.2, :56.4 and 1:26.2 before Upfront Billy shook loose down the lane from mid-pack and edged by to win in 1:55 flat by half a length. Uncle Peter was second with Fushion Man (Tyler Smith) finishing third.
Upfront Billy paid $15.80 to win.
The Andover Hall-Angel Pie gelding is owned by trainer William Wilbur Zendt and Ed Mullinax. Unraced at two, Upfront Billy now boasts nine wins, two seconds and three thirds on his 21-race record with earnings climbing to $293,291.
With Canadian reinsman Scott Zeron aboard, 6-5 favourite World Cup found room along the pylons to overtake pacesetter Gawain Nourrir (Ricky Macomber Jr.) down the stretch and hold off a late surge from first over Harbor Point (Dan Shelter) to win the $50,000 consolation by a neck in 1:56.3. Overandovervictory (Sam Widger) came in third. The Yankee Glide-Sheena Hall colt is trained by Frank Antonacci and owned by Lindy Racing Stable, Robert Rudolph, and the T L P Stable.
Saturday’s card are included two $40,000 Circle City divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies, which were won by Rubys And Pearls and Pretend To Be Nice, and one $67,400 division for sophomore pacing fillies, which went to American Girl.
Dave Magee pulled Rubys And Pearls from the pocket down the homestretch and rushed past pacesetter and eventual third-place finisher American Lassie (David Miller) to win in 1:57.1. Favourite Canadian Justice (Peter Wrenn) closed well from the backfield to place. Richard Schrock trains the Vaporize-Reggae Ruby filly, who shaved one-fifth of a second off her lifetime mark, for breeder Jodi Peacock and co-owner Arthur Reynolds.
Pretend To Be Nice also prevailed off a two-hole trip for driver Sam Widger and trainer Ernest Gaskin. The Conway Hall-Sloppy Kisses filly made her move at the top of the stretch and drew off by two and a half lengths to win in 1:56.1 over favourite Aunt Mel (Marcus Miller) and pacesetter Feel The Pressure (Andy Shetler). Co-breeder Janice Rubin shares ownership of the winner with Mary Katz, Domenic Catton, and Darla Gaskin.
Driven by Peter Wrenn, post 11 starter American Girl fanned widest of all down the lane and surged by her fellow late-closers for the 1:52.2 victory. Podges Lady (Yannick Gingras) and Molly Brown (Trace Tetrick) finished second and third, respectively. Ernest Gaskin also trains this Arts Chip-L Dees Lourdes filly for owners Darla Gaskin and Stanley Rosenblatt.