JK Endofanera rallied wide into the stretch and swept past the duelling leaders from the five-horse Ron Burke brigade to win the $307,500 Dan Patch Free-For-All Pace on Friday night at Hoosier Park.
Brett Miller drove the four-year-old Art Major son to a 1:48.4 victory in the richest edition of Hoosier Park's signature race for trainer Jimmy Takter and the 3 Brothers Stables of New York.
The Burke-trained Bettors Edge (Ricky Macomber Jr.) fired across the track from post nine to take the lead off the gate over Lyonssomewhere (Andy Miller) and inside starter JK Endofanera. As he passed the opening quarter in a sizzling :25.3, Lyonssomewhere pulled the pocket and looped the early leader with 7-5 favourite Foiled Again (Yannick Gingras) racing up to challenge.
Foiled Again took over command at the half in :53.1 with fellow Burke stablemates Clear Vision (Trace Tetrick) left first over and a parked out All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley) second over in the outer flow.
Foiled Again and Clear Vision battled head-to-head past three-quarters in 1:21.1 with the latter taking over into the stretch and All Bets Off closing in. However, Brett Miller was able to maneuver JK Endofanera out from along the pylons and rallied outside of the top pair to score the two-length victory. JK Endofanera paid $6.40 to win as the 2-1 second choice. All Bets Off and Clear Vision finished second and third, respectively.
"The race didn't quite shape up like I thought it would," said Miller. "Heading up the backside, I was a little worried. In the middle of the last turn I said it was just up to God now because we were buried on the rail, we had no shot, and things just opened up...This stretch here is such a long stretch and we used it to our advantage.
"Jimmy just got the horse maybe a few months ago and he's told me all along this horse is the real deal, which we know that, he won the North America Cup for the Burkes. But since Jimmy had this horse, he said I expect big things from him and he showed it tonight."
The win was the third in eight starts this year for JK Endofanera, who is a 17-time career winner with purse earnings totalling more than $1.75 million.
Just one race prior, Indiana sophomore star Freaky Feet Pete effortlessly set a 1:48.2 divisional track record in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final, giving his connections the confidence to point the pacing colt towards the Breeders Crown.
"When he goes to the track, he just amazes me," said trainer Larry Rheinheimer.
The son of Rockin Image brushed from third to first after a :25.4 opening quarter and reached the half in :53.3. The overwhelming 1-9 favourite then began to draw away from his competition en route to three-quarters in 1:21 and through the stretch, with his final margin over nine lengths. The Big Year (LeWayne Miller) was second-best and American Virgin (Ricky Macomber Jr.) finished third.
"He's just like driving a nice car," said winning driver Trace Tetrick. "He'll let you do what you want, when you want to. When you ask him to go, he's all business.
"He was still strong at the the three-quarter pole and right through the wire. He's just an amazing animal."
After going nine-for-10 as a freshman, Freaky Feet Pete is now seven-for-eight in his sophomore season with earnings now amounting to $434,600 for owners Mary Jo and Marty Rheinheimer.
Undefeated in his sophomore season, Homicide Hunter also delivered on his 1-5 pari-mutuel promise with a track record performance in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for trotting colts and geldings.
Homicide Hunter, from the first crop of Mr Cantab and out of the Like A Prayer mare Evening Prayer, was content to allow 67-1 shot Jumpinthejailhouse (Ricky Macomber Jr.) to set the early pace and was trotting comfortably in fifth position throughout the first quarter-mile, which was clocked in :27.2. As the leader advanced to the half in :56.1, however, the Curt Grummel-conditioned gelding Homicide Hunter was given the green light by driver John DeLong to commence his advance.
Responding with ease, Homicide Hunter cleared the field and headed to the top of the stretch with a length and a half advantage. After hitting the three-quarter mark in 1:25.1, DeLong shook the reins at the gelding and the race for second was on. As he trotted to the wire, Homicide Hunter distanced himself from his pursuers and stopped the clock in 1:53.4, five lengths ahead of second-place finisher Bluebird Reverend (Rick Farrington) with Rockin Stein (Rick Plano) holding on gamely for third.
Homicide Hunter, who is owned by Dr. Patrick Graham, now shares the track record for three-year-old colts and geldings with Rose Run Parker, and when bettors cashed their tickets he provided $2.40. Homicide Hunter increases his win streak to 10-for-10 in 2015. His career resume is 20-13-2-3 and he has amassed more than $300,000 in earnings.
“Last year we had some problems with him trotting to the wire,” said DeLong. “This year there is absolutely no problem with anything he does. Not only is his record perfect, he is perfect. There is not one thing you can say about him that is not praise. He is a very nice horse to drive because his manners are the best you could ask for. It’s really a very special thing to be able to drive him and to see how he has matured from last year to this year.”
During the action-packed undercard, the fillies were the first to strut their stuff in the first two $75,000 Indiana Sire Stakes finals and each post time favourite certainly relished the spotlight.
Nora Rockwell, whose owner and trainer, Marlin Fry, was a bundle of nerves prior to the contest for three-year-old pacing fillies, proved the public was spot on and Fry had no cause for concern as she would let no other rival put their nose down first on the wire. The public’s overwhelming choice at 4-5, she captured her event in 1:51, which ties her lifetime mark.
White Metro (Jason Dillander), the second selection at 2-1, came away on top and led the field through the first quarter in :26.4, but Yannick Gingras, who picked up the drive this evening, confidently sent Nora Rockwell straight to the lead. She paced a half in a strong :54.3, with Rockin Good breathing down her neck and hit the three-quarter pole in 1:21.3. At the top of the lane, the favourite dispensed of that lass, but faced another challenge in Mystical Treasure (Brett Miller). Throughout the length of the stretch, Mystical Treasure attempted with every stride to overhaul the leader, but Nora Rockwell refused to be denied as she tripped the timer by a very long head, with Mystical Treasure annexing second-place and White Metro in the show slot.
“I knew there was no way I wanted to behind that horse and although I have not driven her before I was confident from the program lines, as well as how she felt, I had the horse to do it,” said Gingras. “She paced through some fast fractions, but she felt great right until the finish line. I am very thankful for the drive. I’m not here at Hoosier Park very often, but whenever you get the opportunity to drive a horse like this in a $75,000 race you are thrilled to have it. She definitely is a very nice filly and it was a pleasure to drive her.”
The daughter of Palone Ranger and the V P Finance mare Norma Rockwell paid $2.40 to win. She now sports a resume of 31-13-9-2 and has collected purse money of nearly $250,000.
After the scratch earlier in the day of what would have been the heavy favourite in Churita, the door was left wide open for any member in nine-horse field to rise to claim the crown in the three-year-old final for trotting fillies. The wagering public decided to cast their lot with the Ron Burke-conditioned Hannelore Hanover, who was sent to the gate as the 1-5 favourite.
It was Diamond Dagger (Joe Putnam), however, at 10-1 that took the field through the first panel in :28 and the half in :57. Midway to the three-quarter pole, the rest of the fillies decided to give chase with Jesses Promise (Dan Shetler) the biggest threat. After three-quarters in 1:26, Hannelore Hanover made her bid and it was a demolishing one. The filly, steered by Hoosier Park’s all-time leading driver in Ricky Macomber, trotted by the rest of her colleagues like they were standing still and continued to pour it on all through the homestretch. The duo stopped the clock in 1:55, which is a new lifetime standard for the daughter of Swan For All and the Dream Vacation mare All Society. Jesses Promise and Diamond Dagger were second and third.
Hannelore Hanover paid $2.40 to win and is the property of Burke Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, William Haas Jr. and Frank Baldachino. With her third victory of the season, the filly now possesses a career record of 16-4-8-2 and a bankroll of roughly $165,000.
“We only started her twice as a two-year-old because she was sore and we think she had a cranky attitude because of it,” said Jamie Rucker, Burke’s assistant trainer. “Also, we knew she was a nice filly and we would just bring her back this year. You have to be patient with her and let her do what she wants to do out there. Did she see how she totally changes her stride while she’s racing? For the first half [mile] she is kind of choppy, but she knows when it is time to go and she shifts into gear. Then she adjusts and is perfectly gaited. We are very pleased with her and think she is improving at the right time.”
(With files from Hoosier Park)