Hoosier Park Racing & Casino highlighted the Wednesday, August 24 card with a pair of $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals and it was Hoosier Park’s leading driver, Trace Tetrick, who teamed up with trainer Erv Miller to sweep both divisions.
It was the third round of five $75,000 preliminary finals offered throughout the stakes season for the freshman fillies.
Hah ChaChaCha made amends for last week’s second-place finish in the eliminations to pull the 7-1 upset and score in a new lifetime best of 1:53.3 in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for two-year-old pacing fillies. Tetrick made his game winning move down the backside and Hah ChaChaCha did the rest to finish two lengths in front of her next closest competitor.
Leaving from the trailing post 10, Hah ChaChaCha settled along the rail in sixth while Amazing Arya and John DeLong were setting the early tempo. Amazing Arya dictated fractions of :26.4 and :55.2, but Jason Dillander had the heavy post time favourite, Firstup, out and firing.
Firstup grabbed the lead just before the third station in 1:24.3, but her lead would be short-lived as Hah ChaChaCha made a sweeping move to the lead and never looked back. Always Giggling and Andy Shetler staged a determined rally late in the lane, but would have to settle for second-place honours while Pretty Image and Dale Hiteman were third. Hah ChaChaCha returned $16.80 to her backers at the betting windows.
“She had to work hard tonight off of that trip,” Tetrick noted after the victory. “We made a bridle change after her elimination last week and she responded gamely tonight. There was a head wind and the conditions weren’t ideal, but she raced great.”
The homebred daughter of Always A Virgin-Miss Atm notched her fifth victory from nine lifetime starts. Owned by Shim Racing LLC, Hah ChaChaCha has now bankrolled $73,313 for her connections.
Coming off the victory in the pacing filly final, Miller and Tetrick were holding a hot hand in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for two-year-old trotting fillies and Foxy Swan delivered as the 3-5 post time favourite. Foxy Swan solidified her divisional dominance in the two-year-old trotting filly ranks as she scored an easy two-length victory and second $75,000 final win on the season.
Driving confidently from the start, Tetrick pulled Foxy Swan just past the half and she maintained a clear advantage all the way to the wire. Stopping the timer in 1:58, Foxy Swan used a :29.2 final quarter to hold off a late charge from Doug Rideout and Ajessia. Donnas Dream and Robert Taylor rounded out the trifecta. As the heavy betting favourite, Foxy Swan returned $3.80 at the betting windows.
“She raced great,” Tetrick said. “She got to sit in for a good portion of the trip and was strong all the way to the wire. Erv [Miller] and his team have been doing a great job keeping them sharp all season.”
Owned by the Ervin Miller Stable and Anthony Lombardi, the daughter of Swan For All-Fox Valley Click has now won four of seven lifetime outings. With the win, Foxy Swan sent her seasonal earnings over the $100,000 mark as she has now amassed $107,286 lifetime.
The Indiana Sires Stakes action will continue at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Thursday, August 25 with the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Three $20,000 eliminations for the three-year-old colt and gelding trotters will also compliment the 14-race card for Thursday.
Live racing at Hoosier Park will follow a Tuesday through Saturday schedule with a daily post time of 5:45 p.m.
(With files from Hoosier Park)