Round six of Indiana Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies highlighted the Wednesday, Aug. 21 action at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with a pair of $66,438 divisions on the 13-race card. The favourites prevailed in each division as Danger destroyed her competitors and Hail Broadway put on a show to extend her win streak to four on the year.
Sent off at 3-5 from the rail in the first division with trainer Robert Taylor doing the driving, Danger delivered with a career-best effort to take the first division.
Taylor settled the bettors' choice into second early while Black Gold (James Yoder) grabbed early command to lead the field of six to the quarter in :27.3. Danger popped the pocket on the backstretch to take the lead to the half in :56.4 before taking the field to three-quarters in 1:26.1 alone on the engine.
Turning for home, Danger opened up by two lengths while Black Gold tipped from second keeping a 9-1 upset bid alive late in the lane. Trotting home in :28, Danger held the challenge of Black Gold at bay, crossing the wire 1-1/4 lengths in front of Black Gold in 1:54.1. Skyway Paige finished third to round out the trifecta.
Danger has begun her career in style, winning five of six starts in her three-year-old rookie campaign with the lone defeat being a runner-up finish in leg five of Indiana Sire Stakes. Bred by Steve Stewart and Chris Beaver, the daughter of Swan For All-Chim Swift has banked $107,122 for owners Anthony Lombardi and George Golemes.
Hail Broadway and driver Jordan Ross wouldn’t let the bettors down either as they teamed up to get the job done at 1-5, cruising to an easy victory in the second Sire Stakes division.
Leaving from post five, Ross hustled Hail Broadway to the lead entering the first turn before Agent Of Fortune (Robert Taylor) took charge to her outside through a quarter of :28. Agent Of Fortune cleared on the backstretch before Taylor grabbed in the front-stepping filly to the half in :57.4. Watch Miss Tucky (Brandon Bates) charged first-over into the slow middle-half to move into second on the outside of a boxed-in Hail Broadway while Agent Of Fortune led to three-quarters in 1:27.1.
The sprint for home began at the top of the lane, with Agent Of Fortune leading the charge home as Hail Broadway bump-drafted the Taylor helmet awaiting the passing lane. As soon as the rail opened up, Hail Broadway powered to the lead within a matter of strides before trotting away by two lengths on the line with a :27 final quarter to stop the clock in 1:54.3. Agent Of Fortune held for second and Truly Unbelievable (John De Long) rallied for the show spot at 71-1.
Trained by Luis Quevedo, the streaking Hail Broadway has won five of nine races thus far in her three-year-old campaign. John Barnard’s homebred daughter of Swan For All-Pray With Me has blossomed at three with earnings of $217,603 on the season following a two-year-old campaign in which Hail Broadway banked $11,245 in 12 starts last year.
Both Sire Stakes winning trainers, Robert Taylor and Luis Quevedo, conditioned a pair of winners on the Wednesday card. John De Long led all drivers with three wins on the evening.
Live harness racing resumes on Thursday, Aug. 21 with a 13-race card that includes two divisions of Indiana Sire Stakes for the sophomore trotting colts and geldings. Thursday also contains $10,000 guarantees on both the Late Pick 4 (races 10-13) and Hoosier High Five (race 13). Free online racing programs are available nightly on the Harrah’s Hoosier Park website. First post on Thursday is 6:15 p.m.
(Hoosier Park)