Indiana-breds will battle for record purses Saturday, September 11 when Indiana Downs will play host to a lucrative night of racing. The 14-race program, billed as the Indiana Summer Championships, will boast $1.95 million in
purses. When the dust is settled, 10 new Indiana Sires Stakes champions will have been crowned.
The Peter Wrenn-trained trotting tandem of Msnaughtybynature and Earls Glider look to complete the season sweep of ISS preliminary legs and $200,000 finals. With a victory in Saturday’s 11th race, Scramble Ranger--Miss Naughty Pine filly Msnaughtybynature will add her fourth finals victory for owners Melanie Wrenn and The Kales Company. She has drawn Post 10 and will start from the second tier for Wrenn in the $200,000 final.
Earls Glider can add his second ISS finals victory Saturday night, but more importantly, he can add his name to a select group of sophomore trotters that have claimed the Hoosier Home Run Award. By virtue of winning the $200,000 final earlier this season at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino and taking the Maple City Trot at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds in Goshen, Ind., the Earl Of Stormont--Havannas Glider gelding is poised to complete the trifecta and earn the $25,000 bonus which comes with it. Earls Glider, owned by brothers Dan and Tom Courtemanche in partnership with Melanie Wrenn, has drawn Post 2 in the rich $230,000 final.
Sophomore pacers Dark Alley Sally and Royal Woods will also attempt to repeat in Indiana Sires Stakes finals action. Third Straight--Main Street Madam filly Dark Alley Sally has dominated the three-year-old filly ranks, winning the $200,000 final at Hoosier Park and reeling off nine wins for trainer Steve Carter while banking more than $225,000. Owned by Carter and his wife, Tammy, Dark Alley Sally has drawn the rail and will be guided by Josh Sutton.
Royal Art--Tigress Woods gelding Royal Woods has been impressive in his own right, flying late to win the first ISS final earlier this season. Since then he has put together a four-race winning streak for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, JJK Stables and Frank Baldachino. Lining up fourth behind the gate for trainer Ron Burke, Royal Woods will be driven by Ricky Macomber in Saturday’s $200,000 finale.
Freshman trotting colts Dream Kid and C O To Bluegrass will put their perfect records in ISS competition on the line in Saturday’s $200,000 final, slated as the night’s fourth race. Dream Kid, from the first crop of Cincinnati Kid, has yet to miss the board in seven starts, earning five wins while taking a mark of 1:57.2. The Burke Stable entry, owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, JJK Stables and Frank Baldachino, has won four straight, including an open stakes score in the $50,000 Circle City. Dream Kid has drawn Post 4.
C O To Bluegrass has earned victories in each of three $40,000 preliminary legs. Trained by Wrenn, the ABC Garland gelding shows six wins from eight starts and earnings of $74,550. Owned by Melanie Wrenn, Dan Courtemanche and Tom Courtemanche, the freshman will line up eighth behind the gate. Uncle Freddie, a five-time winner this season, is also a serious contender for trainer John Merkel. Dan Shetler will drive the Danish Delight gelding.
The $200,000 final for two-year-old filly pacers offers a well-balanced field as each of the 10 entrants has at least one $40,000 preliminary leg victory to their credit. Dr. Luel Overstreet will send out a pair of hopefuls in Socoteur Bluegrass and Maybeltr Bluegrass. The Whitefish Falls fillies have each banked more than $48,000 this season for trainer Ronnie Guhy. Also entered are multiple leg winners Endeavors Glory, and Rons Blue Angel, as well as Dollys Joy, a winner in four of six starts with a mark of 1:55.2 and earnings totaling $67,375.
Erv Miller will send out GD Airliner in the $200,000 final for freshman pacing colts. From the first crop of Panspacificflight, GD Airliner has scored wins in each of the three rounds of ISS competition. Andy Miller is slated to drive the gelding from Post 4. GD Airliner will square off against the Steve Carter-trained trio of Third Street Pete, Straight Dancer and Matts Date and the Tim Wilson tandem of Yankees In Six and Indys Eraser.
The $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for freshman trotting fillies also presents an evenly-matched group, with eight of the 10 starters showing multiple wins in 2010. Danish Delight filly B Delightfull tops the list with the most earnings of the group, with $57,046 on her card following four wins in six outings. The Bret Shultz pupil, a 1:58.4 winner this season, will start from the second tier in Post 10 for Mark O’Mara. Above The Bar freshmen Bar Lady and Bar Nancy will also contend for the title, as will ABC Garland fillies ABC Easter and Say Your ABC’s.
I Scoot Hanover gelding Robin I Scoot will try to repeat his victory in an Indiana Sires Stakes tune-up last week and take home top prize in the $100,000 final for older male pacers. A former ISS champion trained by Dan Perdue for Shady Lane Meadows, the five-year-old is on the cusp of passing $600,000 in career earnings. He will start from Post 2 for Wrenn. Also entering the final is the three-horse Steve Brannan entry of Freddyscooter, Rebelman and Rob V, as well as a trio of pacers co-owned and/or trained by Burke Racing Stable that includes Got Er Done, Evening Job and TGs Valuable Art, runner-up to Robin I Scoot last week.
V-Keys Starger will attempt to run her streak to five with a victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for older trotting mares. The seven-year-old Star Challenge mare narrowly won last week over Whybabywhy in 1:57.4. Trained by Jeff Brewer, she will start from the second tier for driver Ross Leonard. Whybabywhy and Wrenn have drawn Post 6.
(Indiana Downs)