The focus was on the freshmen on Wednesday (Aug. 25) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park as five Indiana Sires Stakes events — three division for trotting colts and geldings, and two for trotting fillies — highlighted the 14-race card.
The undefeated Ponda Adventure kicked things off in the $44,500 first division for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings, winning in front-end fashion for driver Trace Tetrick and trainer Erv Miller combination by four lengths over Words As Weapons S and Summit City Sonny in 1:54.2. The gelded son of Swan For All was bred by Pond-a-acres, and is the first foal out of Wildflower. Ponda Adventure is now a perfect five-for-five to kick off his young career, pushing his career earnings to $94,968 on the season for Louis Willinger, Jerry Graham and the Engel Stable of Illinois.
In the second division for trotting colts, the undefeated Dover In Motion followed suit and extended his unbeaten streak to four. Leaving from post four, Dover In Motion stayed patient in the early going for driver Ricky Macomber Jr. before brushing from third up the backstretch, clearing to the lead and never looking back for the remainder of the mile. Dover In Motion cruised to a seven-length, 1:54.4 victory over second choice Yo Mister and long shot Gustavo Flight. Jamie Macomber trains the gelded son of first-crop sire Dover Dan for owners M&M Racing and Norbert Joseph Maza. Bred by Lyle Dean Slabach, the $50,000 Hoosier Classic purchase now boasts earnings of $88,750.
The third and final division for trotting colts proved to be much closer at the line, with Swan Captain and John DeLong getting up by a neck in a thrilling three-across finish. Swan Captain rode the rail and charged home in a :27.2 final quarter to get up in time in 1:57.4 over the upset-minded Land Of Freedom and Dale Hiteman. Muscle Valley and Ricky Macomber Jr. rallied late on the far outside to narrowly miss and round out the trifecta. Trained by Roger Welch, Swan Captain was a $100,000 purchase from the 2020 Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale for owners Willam C. DeLong, William P. DeLong and Gordon Wright. The Sires Stakes score came as the maiden-breaking victory for the gelded son of Swan For All out of the Muscles Yankee mare Yoga. Swan Captain scored a mild 7-1 upset, returning $16.20 to win.
Trotting fillies kicked their night off with the $66,000 first division of Sires Stakes as the evening’s ninth race. After being parked three-deep in the first turn, Simply Right and Elliott Deaton landed in the pocket on the backstretch and converted the trip into an open-length 1:57 score. Sent off by the betting public at 5-1, Simply Right nabbed a three-length victory over favourite Macy, with Luv Lorelei and Robert Taylor getting up for third. Simply Right was an $87,000 purchase at the Lexington Select Yearling sale for owner Al Libfeld of Ontario. Bred by Alan and Larry Troyer of Indiana, Simply Right is a Swan For All full sister to Indiana Sires Stakes winner Shirley Goodness, out of the Credit Winner mare Stirling Debutant. Anette Lorentzon trains the filly, who earned the first win of her career in her third lifetime start and has banked over $50,000.
Callmesue took the $66,000 second split for trotting fillies, giving sire Dover Dan his second Sires Stakes winner of the evening. Callmesue made good on the pocket trip given by driver-trainer James Yoder, holding off a hard charging M Ms Dream by a slim nose, with the previously undefeated Fleurie finishing a quarter length back in third. The pint-sized filly by the Mr Lavec mare Lisas Mission has visited the winner’s circle in five of six starts on the season, trotting to a lifetime mark of 1:55.3. Bred by Richard Frey, Callmesue was a $14,000 Hoosier Classic purchase by the husband and wife team of James and Cheyenne Yoder, who are no strangers to top Indiana trotting fillies with the likes of stable star and Indiana Sires Stakes champion May Baby. Callmesue has now brought in $87,750 on the season for her connections.
Live racing will continue at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Thursday (Aug. 26) with a 14-race card. It will be the two-year-old pacing fillies' turn to step into the Sires Stakes spotlight, with two $68,000 third-round divisions set to round out the card in races 13 and 14. With a daily post time of 6:30 p.m, live racing at Harrah’s Hoosier Park will be conducted through Dec. 4. For more information on the upcoming live racing schedule, please visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.
(Harrah's Hoosier Park)