Custom Cantab used an impressive gate-to-wire effort to capture the featured event of the evening, the second round of $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies, at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Wednesday (July 4) and lower the track record in the process.
With Peter Wrenn at the lines, the pair trotted in 1:53, taking one-fifth of a second off the previous track record for three-year-old fillies on the trot, a record previously held by Muscle Baby Doll, Sunshine Delight and Meadowbrook Grace. The 1:53 victory marks the fifth track record that has been lowered over Hoosier Park’s seven-eighths-mile oval in 2018.
Leaving from post 8 in the talented field of 10, Wrenn wasted no time and sent Custom Cantab to the front through an opening panel of :27.3. Red Rose Swan and LeWayne Miller grabbed a pocket seat while Southerntucky and Dale Hiteman followed along intently in third.
Custom Cantab led the field through splits of :56.3 and 1:25.2 before ever feeling a threat from the rest of the field. Trace Tetrick had favourite Meadowbrook Grace applying pressure first-over as the field rounded the final turn, but Custom Cantab utilized a :27.3 closing quarter to put away Meadowbrook Grace and hold off all other challengers. Red Rose Swan used a ground-saving trip to finish second while Meadowbrook Grace had to settle for third-place honours. As the public's second choice, Custom Cantab returned $7.40 to her backers at the betting windows.
“She’s a perfect filly to drive,” Wrenn noted after the victory. “She seems to be getting stronger with every start and really just a pleasure to drive — she does everything you ask of her.”
After a win in her elimination last week, the Chris Beaver trainee made a clean sweep of the second round of the stakes to record her second consecutive Hoosier Park victory and fourth seasonal win from five outings. The daughter of Mr Cantab and Custom Model established a new lifetime best with the win and recorded her sixth lifetime win from 17 starts. Custom Cantab has now bankrolled $288,286 in lifetime purse earnings for owners Christopher Beaver, Donald E. Robinson and RBH Ventures Inc.
Live racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino continues on Thursday (July 5) with a stakes-filled 14-race card. With a daily post time of 6:30 p.m., live racing at Hoosier Park will follow a Tuesday-through-Saturday schedule and be conducted through November 10. For more information on the upcoming entertainment and live racing schedule, please visit www.hoosierpark.com.
(Hoosier Park)