Hoosier Park Racing & Casino’s leading driver, Trace Tetrick, stole the show on a stakes-filled Saturday evening, winning five of the 14 races, including four $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals.
Four new Indiana Sires Stakes champions were crowned during the evening that featured the first of five rounds of $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals for the freshman competitors and the second round of the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals for the three-year-old divisions.
The stakes finals began with Crunchess Finale and Darrel Wright continuing their winning ways, scoring their third consecutive victory in the $75,000 two-year-old trotting filly event with a 1:58 final time.
Using the same front-running tactics as she has in her previous two starts, Crunchess Finale looked every bit the part of an 8-5 favourite and left alertly from post eight. The freshman filly easily secured the lead and clicked off fractions of :28.3, 1:00, and 1:28.2 before finding another gear. As the field turned for home, the daughter of Abc Garland-Crunchess looked poised on the front and began to trot away from the rest of her foes. Using a :28.4 final quarter, Crunchess Finale coasted on to the wire to finish five lengths in front of Golden Big Stick and Brad Hanners. Heavily backed at the window, Crunchess Finale returned $5.40 to her backers.
The 1:58 victory was a lifetime best mark for the Dan O’Mara trainee, who remains undefeated this season. Owned by Joseph Hess, Crunchess Finale has now earned $50,500 from three lifetime outings.
In the very next race, Stickem Buck, driven by Ed Hensley, staged a big rally late in the lane to score his maiden-breaking win in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for two-year-old trotting colts in 1:58.2.
After a miscue at the start by the heavily favoured Airman Batten, the race appeared to be a wide open affair. Flashy Cantab and Tetrick left aggressively to set first half fractions of :29.2 and :59.2 before making a costly break around the final turn. Swan On One and Dave Magee inherited the lead after the break by the front-runner and appeared to be up to the task, but Stickem Buck loomed large in the background. Under urging from Hensley, Stickem Buck was able to track down Swan On One in the final strides of the mile to win by a nose. Slightly dismissed at the windows, Stickem Buck returned $12.60 to his backers.
From the first crop of Big Stick Lindy, Stickem Buck is trained by Roger Welch and owned by William C. Delong and William P. Delong. Stickem Buck has now earned $42,500 from two career starts.
In the pacing divisions of the two-year-old stakes, Tetrick doubled up winning both the filly and colt finals.
First, Tetrick guided Flight Cancelled to her second consecutive win in the $75,000 two-year-old pacing filly final with a final time of 1:55.
Leaving from the trailing post 10, Flight Cancelled was eased off the gate and settled along the rail in fifth while Heyhey Mahanah and Peter Wrenn carved out first-half fractions of :28.4 and :57.4. Approaching the final turn, Tetrick gave his mount the green light and she reached the leader’s wheel at the third station in 1:26. As the field turned for home, the top pair was neck and neck, but Flight Cancelled wasn’t finished. Using a :28.3 final panel, Flight Cancelled was able to wear down Heyhey Mahanah late in the lane to grind out the victory. As the betting public's second choice, Flight Cancelled returned $13 for the victory.
Flight Cancelled remains undefeated at two for Steve and Tammy Carter. The daughter of Panspacificflight-Goa BB now sports a career bankroll of $37,500 from two lifetime outings.
Just a few races later, Tetrick continued his winning ways and scored with Tom Simmon trainee Kelly D in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for two-year-old pacing colts in 1:52.4. Kelly D remains undefeated at two and equalled the national season's mark for his division with the win.
Kelly D left aggressively from post two to get the first call in :27.4, but quickly yielded the lead to Harfo Hanover and Hensley. Harfo Hanover led the way through the middle splits of :56.3 and 1:25.2 before feeling pressure on the outside from Camturo Rock and Magee. Harfo Hanover was able to put away Camturo Rock and dug in gamely down the lane, but could not hold off Kelly D, who exploded from the pocket. With a final quarter in :27, Kelly D finished two lengths in front of the hard-charging Tonis Affection and Sam Widger. As the public's third choice, Kelly D returned $7.40 at the betting windows.
The homebred son of Panspacificflight-U Olive is owned by Larry Breed and has won all three of his lifetime outings. Kelly D now sports a career bankroll of $51,525.
Tetrick also scored with Brian Brown trainee Colors A Virgin in 1:52.1 in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for three-year-old pacing fillies and Scott Galloway’s Double A Cash Hall in 1:54.3 in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for three-year-old trotting colts. His first win of the night came in the $25,000 consolation for two-year-old pacing fillies with Do U Mind for Brown.
The other sophomore finals were won by trotting filly Andis Alana and Lewayne Miller in 1:55.1 for conditioner Erv Miller and pacing gelding Next Thing Smoken in 1:50 flat with Peter Wrenn aboard for trainer Roger Cullipher.
(With files from Hoosier Park)