Harrah’s Hoosier Park played host to a pair of $34,247 series finals on Friday, May 15, with Starlit Dan Dover rallying late to pull off a monster upset in the Expresson, while Fresh Face Yankee cruised on the engine as the heavy favourite in the Msnaughtybynature. Meanwhile, M M S Bud wired the field in the $30,137 Open Pace, which served as the co-feature on the 14-race program.
The Expresson was first for Indiana-sired trotting males who were non-winners of two or $30,000 USD lifetime as of March 15. Kyle Wilfong had the steer aboard the LeWayne Miller-trained Starlit Dan Dover, sent postward at odds of 23-1 from post two.
Off the wings, Starlit Dan Dover eased to the rail behind stablemate Nighthawk Zette (LeWayne Miller) into fourth while Kousin Karl (Trace Tetrick) led Ron Burke stablemate August Salazar (John De Long) to the quarter in :28.2. Sunday Swagger (Marcus Miller) was parked and pressing on the backstretch, before cruising to the lead at the halfway point in :57.
Heading to the three-quarters in 1:25.1, the field transitioned to two-by-two along the track from positions one through six led by Sunday Swagger with August Salazar to his outside and Starlit Dan Dover third-over. Down the stretch, August Salazar snatched the lead and opened up by three lengths midway through the stretch; however, Starlit Dan Dover exploded along the outside of the homestretch in :28.2 to hit the wire in a career-best 1:54.1, a quarter-length in front of the previously unbeaten August Salazar. Tuggin Thomas (Jordan Ross) staged a late rally from the backfield to be third, with Nighthawk Zette fourth.
The victorious three-year-old Dover Dan-Jeans And Heels gelding is owned by Richard Freese of Northfield, Ohio, L N Racing of Daleville, Indiana, Matthew Lamont of Simpsonville, South Carolina and Dynamic Stables of Grabill, Indiana. Starlit Dover Dan paid $42.20 to win as he improved to three-for-seven in his career.
In the filly counterpart, Fresh Face Yankee, the 2025 Indiana Sired Fair Circuit Champion, was a dominant front-end winner in the Msnaughtybynature to stay perfect on the year.
Trainer Jay Cross was aboard the 1-2 favourite as she left alertly from post four, trotting to the quarter in :28.3 with Make It Spicy (Kyle Wilfong) in the pocket from the rail. Fresh Face Yankee went unchallenged to the halfway point in :58 before Dial Nine One One (John De Long) dialed up pressure first-over and alongside the leader to three-quarters in 1:26.4.
Turning for home, Fresh Face Yankee turned away the first-over challenger before Make It Spicy took her shot from the pocket. Fresh Face Yankee gained separation in the stretch through as she trotted home into the wind in :28 to cross the wire two lengths clear of Make It Spicy in a career-best 1:54.4. Expressive Gal (Atlee Bender) secured the show spot, with Dial Nine One One rounding out the super.
Owned by Tim Smith of Spencerville, Indiana, the Crescent Fashion-Swan Yankee filly, who was $6,944 purchase at the 2024 Midwest Classic Yearling Sale, is now 12-for-18 lifetime.
In the race prior, M M S Bud continued his hot start to the season as he cruised to victory in the Open for driver John De Long and trainer Alvin Miller.
M M S Bud was all business from post six, shooting out of the gate to beat his seven opponents to the first quarter turn in :26.3, just ahead of Little Rocket Man (Kyle Wilfong). Getting caught on the outside, Ardens Ace N (LeWayne Miller) struggled to find an opening along the cones on the backstretch as Round Here Buzz (Atlee Bender) held in third.
M M S Bud stayed steady as he continued to lead the field to the halfway point in :54.2. Around the turn, M M S Bud and Little Rocket Man started to separate themselves from the rest of the field. M M S Bud continued to show the way to the three-quarter turn in 1:22.2.
Growing his lead down the stretch, M M S Bud opened up by two lengths while Little Rocket Man tried to gear up a rally from the pocket and Crooked Smile (Jordan Ross) began to close from the backfield. Despite drifting out late, M M S Bud held sway to reach the wire first by three parts of a length in 1:49.4. Crooked Smile got up for second while Little Rocket Man settled for third.
M M S Bud is a five-year-old Telllitlikeitis-Climate Hanover gelding owned by his trainer and partners Ted Comerford and Marvin Schwartz of Peru, Indiana. M M S Bud has won half of his six seasonal starts and now has 13 career victories with earnings totalling $435,561.
M M S Bud paid $7.40 to win.
Racing continues at Hoosier Park on Saturday, May 16 with a 13-race program set to get underway at 5:30 p.m. There will be live coverage of the Hoosier Park card on FOX Sports 2 from 8-11 p.m., where a national audience will watch as On To Norway attempts to score his 25th straight victory in the Open Trot in race 10.
(With files from Hoosier Park; photo of M M S Bud from a previous win)