Dee Rocks and driver Sam Widger turned in a dominant performance in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Final for two-year-old pacing fillies to find the winner's circle on Wednesday, July 12 at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.
Scoring in 1:53.3, the rookie filly recorded her fifth consecutive victory to remain undefeated and also established a new lifetime best in the process. After three consecutive victories at Hawthorne Racecourse, Dee Rocks made her first Hoosier Park start a winning one taking her split of the Indiana Sires Stakes eliminations last week.
Leaving from post five in a talented field of 10 for the final, Widger sent Dee Rocks away from the gate to grab a pocket seat behind the early pacesetter Ezpay and Ricky Macomber Jr. Ezpay got the first call through the opening panel in :27, but quickly yielded the lead to Dee Rocks just before the half-mile mark.
Dee Rocks led the field through splits of :56.1 and 1:25.1 before being joined on the outside by Laila J And Ginger and John DeLong approaching the final turn. Gate Speed and Todd Warren were well placed second-over while Always Woggy and LeWayne Miller were looking for racing room third on the rail.
As the field turned for home, Dee Rocks was on top by three lengths and began to put her talent on display as she paced away from the rest of the field. In a :28.2 final quarter, Dee Rocks coasted on to the wire to finish three lengths in front of a hard-charging Always Woggy. Ezpay utilized a ground-saving trip to round out the trifecta.
As the 3-5 post time favourite, Dee Rocks returned $3.40 to her backers at the betting windows.
“Training down she was great,” trainer Dossie Minor noted in the winner’s circle. “She’s easy to get along with and loves her job. I think she races better off the back, but she was strong tonight.”
The daughter of Rockin Image-Incredible Katie is a homebred, owned and bred by Ronald Phillips and John Carver. Dee Rocks has now amassed $58,000 in lifetime purse earnings.
Live racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will continue on Thursday, July 13 with a 14-race card featuring a $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 pool in races three through six. Post time is 6:30 p.m.
(With files from Hoosier Park)