Indiana-sired freshman trotters were the featured attraction at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Wednesday (Aug. 16) as the evening’s 14-race card was highlighted by the third round of Indiana Sires Stakes for the two-year-old trotters.
Ponda Title turned in another dominant, gate-to-wire performance to capture her split of the stakes action and extend her win streak to five in the process. With Kyle Wilfong in the bike, Ponda Title used a sharp, front-running effort to hold off a hard-charging Skyway Paige and LeWayne Miller to score in a new lifetime best of 1:55.
With the win, the daughter of Muscle Massive-Elin remains undefeated in five starts this season for trainer Jay Hochstetler. The 1:55 clocking established a new lifetime best for Ponda Title as she pushed her career earnings to $114,250 for owners Connie Hochstetler, Robert J. Buddig and Allen Schwartz.
In the opening division of the stakes action for the trotting fillies, it was Somebody Special and driver Trace Tetrick who converted a pocket trip into a 1:56.3 victory. Using a :28 closing quarter, Somebody Special was able to track down the pacesetting Black Gold and James Yoder and hold off a late surge from Crystal Swan and LeWayne Miller to get the victory.
Trained by Erv Miller, Somebody Special remains undefeated in three starts in her young career. The homebred daughter of Swan For All-Lima Simplicity is owned by Ervin Miller Stable and Geis Enterprise, and has now earned $40,700.
Flirtnwiththepilot and Peter Wrenn were able to overcome post 10 to go gate-to-wire in the first $67,500 division of Indiana Sires Stakes for the trotting colts. Stopping the timer in 1:57.1, Flirtnwiththepilot was able to hold off the heavily favoured Gruesome Twosome and Daryl Bontrager to get the win by a length.
Trained by Melanie Wrenn, the gelded son of Pilot Discretion-Savannahs Lucy recorded his third win from four lifetime starts. Owned in partnership by S&R Racing Stables, Bottom Line Racing LLC, Hickory Hollow Stables and Wrenn Racing, Flirtnwiththepilot now sports a lifetime bankroll of $51,545.
Team Wrenn swept the trotting colt divisions as they were also victorious just a few races later with Elhelpski in the final division in 1:56.3. Elhelpski made his game winning move down the backside and held off Flight Number One and John DeLong late in the mile to get the win by nearly two lengths.
Elhelpski recorded his second win in just three lifetime starts. Owned in partnership by S&R Racing Stables, Bottom Line Racing LLC and Wrenn Racing, Elhelpski has now amassed $70,800 in lifetime purse earnings.
Indiana Sires Stakes action returns to Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Thursday (Aug. 17) with one $133,000 division for two-year-old pacing fillies. The evening’s 14-race card will also feature a $10,000 guaranteed Late Pick-4 pool in Races 11-14 and a $10,000 guaranteed Hoosier High-5 pool in Race 14.
(Hoosier Park)