Indiana Sire Stakes for the three-year-old pacing colts and geldings reached the midway point as round four of eight highlighted Hoosier Park's 14-race card on Friday, July 21. A lone $96,000 division for the glamour boys featured Coach Stefanos putting his undefeated 2023 record on the line, but last season's two-year-old champion, Buzzsaw Russ, pulled off the mild 9-2 upset in track record-equalling fashion.
Leaving from post two in the field of eight, driver John De Long was content to let Why Not Now and LeWayne Miller call the shots on the front end through the opening quarter of :27.2 as he settled Buzzsaw Russ into the pocket. Why Not Now had things his own way up the backstretch as LeWayne Miller tapped the brakes to the tune of a :28.1 second quarter to lead the field to the halfway point in :55.3.
Not content to leave Why Not Now alone on the lead any longer, driver Trace Tetrick gave Coach Stefanos his signal from third, quickly moving first-over to engage Why Not Now at three-quarters in 1:22.4, with Buzzsaw Russ stalking intently behind the duelling leaders as the field straightened for home.
In the stretch, De Long angled Buzzsaw Russ immediately to the inside to make it a three-across battle for the lead as Why Not Now and Coach Stefanos drifted out in the high speed pursuit of the wire. Buzzsaw Russ wasted no time shooting the gap, powering home along the pylons on the strength of a :25.2 homestretch blitz, capping off a sensational :52.3 back half to score by just over two lengths on the line in 1:48.2. Coach Stefanos nosed out Why Not Now for the place position.
The win was the second in six seasonal starts for the Missy Essig-trained gelded son of Rockin Image out of the Yankee Cruiser mare, Up Front Cruiser. Bred by Devon Beechy and Devon Knepp, Buzzsaw Russ has now banked $324,775 for owners Russell Beeman and Charles Weaver.
The 1:48.2 mile matched the track record for three-year-old pacing geldings established by JK Victory in the 2022 edition of the Hoosier Cup and gave De Long his third driving victory on the card.
The racing week concludes at Hoosier Park on Saturday, July 22. Two $48,500 divisions of Indiana Sire Stakes for the three-year-old pacing fillies highlight the 12-race card, which gets underway at 7 p.m.
(With files from Hoosier Park)