Swandre The Giant and driver-trainer Brandon Bates continued their winning ways in the second round of stakes action Tuesday, July 31 at Hoosier Park as they scored their fifth-consecutive victory, this time in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Final for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Sent off as the 1-9 favourite, Swandre The Giant left alertly from post six grabbed a pocket seat behind Lite Years Away and LeWayne Miller. Lite Years Away dictated first half fractions of :27.1 and :56.2 while Swandre The Giant waited patiently in the pocket.
Lite Years Away continued to call the shots reaching the third station in 1:26.3 but Bates gave Swandre The Giant the green light and he ranged up and was matching strides with the leader turning for home. Swandre The Giant tracked down Lite Years Away and held off a late surge from Its A Herbie and Verlin Yoder to get the win in a lifetime-best 1:54.2 by nearly two lengths.
“That’s kind of what expected as far as the trip is concerned,” Bates said after the victory. “That other horse showed early speed and he [Swandre The Giant] trains off a helmet at home. He just has unbelievable manners, he will let you do anything you want with him—he’s a professional in every sense of the word.”
Swandre The Giant remains undefeated in five starts this season. Owned by Panic Stable, T. Ehardt, B.Hochman, R. Barone, the son of Swan For All-Adagio has now amassed an even $100,000 in lifetime purse earnings.
On the filly side of the stakes action, Grand Swan and LeWayne Miller followed suit and continued their winning ways in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Final for two-year-old trotting fillies, scoring in 1:55.4. With the win, Grand Swan made a clean sweep of the second round of the stakes action and recorded fourth consecutive victory.
Leaving from the trailing position, post 10, Grand Swan was unhurried from the gate and settled along the rail in sixth. Ricky Macomber Jr. had the post time favourite, Measuredperfection, pointed to the front and she quickly grabbed command from post nine.
Measuredperfection clicked off fractions of :27.2, :57.2 and 1:27.2 before feeling a threat from the rest of the field. Savannahs Lucy and Andy Shetler were the first to commit to the outer flow with Grand Swan in tow.
As the field turned for home, Miller tipped Grand Swan out from behind cover but Measuredperfection continued on the lead. Grand Swan dug into the leader late in the mile and took advantage of a costly break by Measuredperfection to coast on to the wire six lengths in front of Tatiana Romanova and John DeLong. As the betting public's second choice, Grand Swan returned $5.40 to her backers at the betting windows.
“The race didn’t work out exactly like I thought so we had to go to plan b,” trainer, driver LeWayne Miller noted in the winner’s circle. “I thought we had too much ground to make up turning for home but as soon as I asked her she found another gear.”
The daughter of Swan For All-Queen Mum recorded her fourth seasonal win from six outings lifetime. The 1:55.4 clocking established a lifetime best for Grand Swan as she pushed her career earnings to $97,625 for owners Grand Swan Racing, Go Fast Stable, and Leslie G. Cahn.
(With files from Hoosier Park)