In just the third start of her sophomore season, Jesse Lane impressively returned to her winning ways and lowered the Hoosier Park track record for three-year-old trotting fillies to 1:55.3 on Wednesday, June 5 at Hoosier Park Racing and Casino.
With Mark O’ Mara at the lines, Jesse Lane scored her first win of the season in the featured event of the evening, the second round of the $30,000 Indiana Gold Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies, in a lifetime-best effort.
After a costly break in the opening round of sire stakes action, Jesse Lane entered Wednesday’s race fresh off a qualifying win in 1:59.1 at Hoosier Park. An Indiana Sire Stakes champion at two, Jesse Lane appeared to be back to form as she was able to overcome a taxing trip to win by a length over Ajuama, also an Indiana Sire Stakes champion at two.
Leaving from post three in the 10-horse field, Jesse Lane was unhurried out of the gate and landed along the rail in fifth. Justice First and Verlin Yoder were the first to get a call, but quickly yielded the lead to the betting favourite, Ajuama and Trace Tetrick, through an opening panel in :27.4. Ajuama secured the lead at the half-mile mark in :58.1 as a headstrong Jesse Lane was out and taking aim at the leader. The stage was set for a dramatic stretch battle as the field began to tighten and trot to the three-quarter mark in 1:28 with Ajuama still calling the shots.
When the field turned for home, the two champion fillies were head-to-head and began to trot away from the rest of the field. With a :27.2 final panel, Jesse Lane was able to wear down a tough Ajuama mid-way down the stretch to score her fourth lifetime victory. Ajuama finished second while Justice First used a ground saving trip to round out the trifecta. Jesse Lane returned $8.20 for the win.
Trained by Robert Reeser, Jesse Lane lifted her career bankroll to $206,806. The daughter of Jailhouse Jesse banked over $190,000 while winning three of 10 starts in 2012.
Owned by Black Dog Racing, Richard Crammer, Denise Dennis, and Robert Reeser, Jesse Lane lowered a Hoosier Park track record that stood for three years. The previous track record for three-year-old trotting fillies was 1:55.4, which was established by Fortunes Dream and Trace Tetrick in 2010.
The Indiana Gold Sire Stakes action will continue at Hoosier Park on Thursday, June 6 as two divisions of three-year-old trotting colts will go postward for $30,000. Both of the Indiana champion two-year-old trotting colts will be included in the action as Russell Mania starts from post five in the evening’s 12th race and Natural Herbie starts from post two in the 10th. The three-year-old pacing fillies will follow suit and highlight Hoosier Park’s card on Friday, June 7.
(Hoosier Park)