Three divisions of the third leg of Indiana Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings were held at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Friday, Aug. 27.
The pacing colts and geldings highlighted a 14-race card on a Friday evening that started hot and humid before a thunderstorm would halt the action for nearly an hour and leave a sloppy racetrack for the second half of the evening’s card.
Fulfullnmydestiny and trainer/driver James Yoder took full advantage of the dry conditions on the first half of the night, smashing the track record for two-year-old pacing geldings in the $47,500 first division (fifth race).
Leaving from post two, Fulfullnmydestiny and Yoder floated off the wings of the gate, settling mid-pack in fourth as Odds On Blockchain and Peter Wrenn led the field through a snappy :26.4 opening panel. As the pace slowed a bit on the backstretch, Yoder launched Fulfullnmydestiny with a quick rush to the front end, taking the field to the halfway point in :55.3. On the far turn, the gelded son of Tellitlikeitis began to separate from the field, opening up by six at the three-quarter station in 1:23. In the stretch, Fulfullnmydestiny maintained his lead, using a :27 quarter to stride home to a convincing seven-length 1:50 victory over Paw Patrol and Yourwishisgranted.
The time is a new track record for two-year-old pacing geldings at Harrah’s Hoosier. The previous mark of 1:50.3 was set in 2019 by former Indiana Sire Stakes champion and Milstein winner Odds On Osiris.
“I felt pretty good about him [Fulfullnmydestiny] coming in; he had been training great heading into tonight,” said Yoder. “He’s [a] versatile colt that you can do what you want with and there is just no bottom to him.”
Fulfullnmydestiny is a Brett Boyd Racing homebred out of the Fox Valley Gallant mare, Driven By Destiny. The victory was his second in five seasonal starts and, with the win, Fulfullnmydestiny has now banked $73,940 on the season for his connections.
Following the severe weather delay after the evening’s six race that left the track sloppy once racing restarted, Iwannabewithyou pulled off the 24-1 upset following a disqualification of second choice JK Victory.
In the early stages of the mile, undefeated Soaring Now battled with JK Victory before clearing through the :27 first quarter. The field remained in straight alignment up the backstretch, with Iwannabewithyou and John De Long trailing at one point by 15 lengths through the half in :551. On the turn, Iwannabewithyou began to narrow the gap, still trailing the field but within a more manageable eight lengths, as Soaring Now led the into the stretch through three-quarters in 1:23.3. In the stretch, Peter Wrenn squeezed the Nancy Takter-trained JK Victory through the passing lane to be first across the line, however, upon review, the judges deemed that JK Victory interfered with Topville Somrocket and Brandon Bates when making their move to the front and were placed fourth. In the meantime, it was Iwannabewithyou and John De Long who swept the remainder of the field following a powerful :26.1 final quarter for the second-placed-first victory in 1:51.2.
The gelded son of first crop sire Luck Be With You picked up his second victory in three career starts for trainer Dylan Davis and owner John Schmucker. Out of the Dragon Again mare, Bo Tox Hanover, Iwannabewithyou was bred Black Creek Farm and Hickory Hollow Stables. The $8,000 Hoosier Classic Yearling purchase has now banked $31,000 on the season. He returned $50 to his supporters at the betting windows.
Sire Luck Be With You picked up his second Sire Stakes victory on the evening, with Big Law pulling off the mild upset in the $47,000 third and final division.
Leaving aggressively from post three, Sam Widger guided Big Law to the lead in the early stages, putting up a :27.2 first quarter. Pressure came in the form of undefeated and heavily favoured Ponda Warrior and Brandon Bates, who cleared on the backstretch through a :55 half. Ponda Warrior held the lead at three-quarters in 1:23.2 under pressure from second choice The Longest Yard and Mike Oosting, with Widger continuing to wait patiently in the pocket awaiting racing room in the stretch. Widger steered Big Law to the passing lane, capitalizing on a :28 final quarter to score the victory by a quarter of a length in 1:51.4 over a hard-charging Incredible Badger and John De Long. Dalby Hanover rounded out the trifecta, finishing fourth-placed-third after contact with The Longest Yard in the stretch.
The winner is trained by Randy Hatton, who co-owns along with the breeder of the gelding, Oldfield Farm Inc. Big Law is out of the Fox Valley Barzgar mare Miss Lucy O. He has picked up three victories now in six starts in 2021, with earnings totalling $57,545. Big Law paid $21.20 to win.
Racing will continue at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Saturday, Aug. 28, with action kicking off with a $15,000 guaranteed Early Pick 5 in Races 1-5 following a $3,893.14 carryover from Thursday’s Late Pick 5. Post time is 6:30 p.m.
(With files from Hoosier Park)