Freshman trotting colts took their turn in the spotlight on Saturday (July 25) as two $40,000 divisions of Indiana Sires Stakes highlighted the evening’s 14-race card. After a busy week of stakes action at Harrah's Hoosier Park, the two-year-old competitors opened up their six-round series in impressive fashion.
Dismissed at odds of 12-1, Swingforthefences was able to overcome a first-over trip to pull the upset and score his maiden-breaking win in 1:57.1 in the opening division. With driver Michael Oosting at the lines, Swingforthefences scored the first win of his career from just two lifetime outings.
Leaving from post five, Swingforthefences was unhurried from the gate and found a spot along the rail in sixth. The 3-2 post time favourite, King Felix with Doug Rideout, did all the heavy lifting on the front end to set first-half fractions of :28.2 and :59.
When the field approached the final turn and three-quarter clocking in 1:28.3, Oosting had Swingforthefences out and on the attack from first-over. Using a :27.4 final quarter, Swingforthefences was able to track down King Felix and trotted strong to the wire to get the win. King Felix made a break just steps before the wire and was second placed third. Brookview Bolt and Sam Widger trotted evenly to finish third but were ultimately placed second.
Trained by Melanie Wrenn, Swingforthefences has now bankrolled $21,875 in his young career. The son of Swan For All-Sunday Yankee is owned in partnership by David McDuffee and L&L Devisser. Swingforthefences was bred by Concord Stud Farm.
The upset trend continued in the second division of the stakes action as Breckenridge and Dan Shetler sprung the 7-1 upset. Scoring in 1:58.1, Breckenridge made his game winning move down the backside and trotted strong to the wire to capture his maiden-breaking score.
After making a break behind the gate in his career debut last week, Shetler eased Breckenridge off the gate to settle along the rail in fifth through the opening quarter in :28. When the field straightened away down the backside, the heavily favoured Gucci Goo and Michael Oosting were calling the shots and Shetler had his mount pointed to the front. Breckenridge reached command at the third station in 1:29 and trotted strongly to the wire to keep the pocket-sitting Gucci Goo at bay.
“He’s had a little trouble with his manners behind the gate,” trainer, driver Dan Shetler noted after the victory. “Once you get him out of there, he’s fine. He’s a very nice colt who has plenty of ability, just needs to mind his manners.”
With the win, the son of Class Included-Dazzling Miss recorded his first win from two lifetime outs. Breckenridge is owned in partnership by Dojea Stables and Dan Shetler, who also bred the colt in connection with Sawgrass Farms LLC.
Live harness racing will continue at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Tuesday (July 28) with a 14-race card. With a daily post time of 6:30 p.m., live racing will follow a Tuesday through Saturday schedule and be conducted through Nov. 21.
(Harrah's Hoosier Park)