Erv Miller made a clean sweep of the stakes action at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Wednesday, July 13 and had a total of four training wins on the evening’s 14-race card. Two $70,000 divisions of Indiana Sires Stakes for the two-year-old pacing fillies were featured on the evening card as the fillies squared off in the opening round of their six-leg series.
Beauty N Grace, with driver Atlee Bender in the bike, made her pari-mutual debut a winning one as she captured the opening division impressively in 1:51.2.
Beauty N Grace left alertly to grab the lead from post four and led the field through splits of :26 and :56.1. Just as the field approached the half, Trace Tetrick had the heavy favourite, Sleazy Mama, up to take command and she would lead the field by a length through the three-quarter clocking in 1:26.1. Sleazy Mama appeared to be up to the task but Beauty N Grace wanted to have final say. Employing a :27 final quarter, Beauty N Grace surged passed Sleazy Mama to get the win by nearly two lengths.
Beauty N Grace paid $9.80 to win as the 7-2 third choice.
Bred by Victory Hill Farm, the daughter of Tellitlikeitis-Safta Perry recorded her first lifetime victory. Beauty N Grace is owned by Bowie Racing, Rocco Ruffalo, Louis Willinger and Rick Howles.
Not to be outdone by her stablemate, JKs Lucky Lou turned in an impressive performance of her own to capture the second stakes split in a new lifetime best of 1:51.4 with driver Trace Tetrick in the bike. JKs Lucky Lou is now undefeated in two starts this season.
Tetrick wasted no time and sent the heavy betting favourite to the front from post three. JKs Lucky Lou clicked off fractions of :27.1, :55.3 and 1:24.2. Turning for home, JKs Lucky Lou was on top by three but Tetrick would have to ask her for a bit more as Plan To Tell and Jimmy Whittemore staged a big rally late in the lane. JKs Lucky Lou dug in gamely to get the win by a neck over Plan To Tell. Shadowrage and Andy Shetler utilized a ground saving trip to capture third.
JKs Lucky Lou returned $3 at the betting windows.
With the win, JKs Lucky Lou has now bankrolled $40,000 lifetime from her two starts. Owned in partnership by Douglas Overhiser, Rocco Ruffolo and Rick Howles, JKs Lucky Lou was bred by David Yoder and Daryl Lehman.
Indiana Sires Stakes action will continue at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Thursday, July 14 with two divisions for the two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
(With files from Hoosier Park)