Indiana Downs played host to a lucrative $2 million Super Night program Saturday, September 10 where a group of 10 Indiana Sires Stakes champions were crowned
. It was a tough night for favourites, as only four reached the winner’s circle. In one of the biggest upsets of the night, and the closest finish on the 14-race program, 50-1 Summit City Earl edged favorite Trottin Tiger by a neck in the $200,000 final for two-year-old colt trotters in a time of 1:59.3.
Jason Dillander picked up the drive in the night’s fourth race, lining up seventh in the field of 10 freshman trotters. The duo got away third as My Muscleman and Josh Sutton clicked off :29.1 and 1:00.3 fractions. Sam Widger moved Trottin Tiger from fourth racing to the half, advancing first over to second by three quarters (1:29.4). In the stretch, Dillander and Summit City Earl squeezed between a fading My Muscleman and surging Wayland Ivy to set their sights on the favourite. The two freshmen engaged in a spirited finish, with Trottin Tiger relinquishing the lead before coming back along the inside late.
“When we first turned for home I thought we had a good shot at some money,” Dillander said of the stretch drive. “We got by them and I felt like they were coming back at us at the wire.”
A four-time winner in 11 starts for trainer Byron Hooley, Summit City Earl picked up his biggest payday with a seasonal best performance. Bred by Melvin Schmucker, the Earl Of Stormont-Stone Cold Fox gelding is owned by Hooley’s Summit Pacing Acres. The win pushed his seasonal earnings to more than $137,000.
“It was just so unexpected,” said an enthusiastic Hooley. “He’s just been a solid starter. He just got it done tonight.”
When favourite and undefeated gelding Next Flight In made a break racing to the half, it immediately changed the complexity of the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for two-year-old colt pacers. Fridaynightflight, winner of the Fox Stake nearly a month ago at Indiana Downs, seized the opportunity, winning by nearly three lengths in 1:53. Josh Sutton guided the Panspacificflight colt to victory over Fritz Bow and Mykindachip.
“I had a perfect trip behind one of the best in the race,” Sutton noted. “Once I tipped off his back I knew I had it.”
Driving the Roger Welch-trained two-year-old, Sutton left sixth and joined Fritz Bow in the outer flow through a :57 opening half. With Jammin Joshua and Sam Widger on the lead, Fritz Bow moved up to second by the three-quarter mile marker. Sutton and Fridaynightflight made their move in the stretch, pacing a :27.3 final panel to earn the win.
The gelding, a three-time winner this season, is owned by Welch, Bo De Long and Pat De Long. The freshman, now a winner of nearly $170,000, was bred by Nina Paddock.
Favourites were toppled in each of the four Indiana Sires Stakes events for sophomores Saturday night. Demanding Force, sent off at 16-1 odds, found racing room late rocketed on the outside to win the $200,000 final for three-year-old colt pacers by three parts of a length in 1:52.1. Josh Sutton piloted the Dontgetinmyway-Deal Offthe Bottom gelding to his second straight win, followed by Flight Elal and Lost Jewels.
“We beat a couple of great horses last week. Tonight, when he got out, he just exploded,” the driver offered.
Starting from the second tier, Demanding Force settled in third behind the entry of Flight Elal (Peter Wrenn) and Casino Captor (Dan Shetler) through a :56.4 opening half. Lost Jewels and Ricky Macomber were the first to challenge first up, leaving from fourth to advance to second as the field reached three quarters in 1:24.2. Pinned along the pylons in third, Sutton waited for his opportunity to get out, angling three wide in the lane and overtaking the second and third-place finishers.
Bred by David Yoder and owned by Benita Simmons and Clinard Racing LLC, Demanding Force added his sixth win in 11 starts. Trained by Tom Simmons, the gelding has earned $174,000 this season.
Pacific Sun Rae and Trace Tetrick, second choice in the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for sophomore filly pacers, did it the hard way Saturday, enduring a first-over trip to win by a length and a quarter in 1:53.3. Will Panout closed late for second while Dollys Joy finished third.
Drawing the second tier, Tetrick and his filly settled in fourth through the turn as Ashleysnflight and Kayne Kauffman commanded the field of 10. Sitting through a :27.1 opening quarter, Tetrick left the pylons with Pacific Sun Rae, racing first up through the backstretch before assuming the lead at the top of the lane, pacing home in :28.2 to win her third straight.
“I was a little nervous when he came first up,” said trainer Alvin Miller, who co-owns the filly with his son, Zachary, and Ted Comerford. “I was also nervous when he cleared that early in the lane, but everything worked out. This filly is really sharp right now.”
The Panspacificflight filly was bred by Duane Miller. The victory improved her seasonal earnings to more than $190,000.
ABC Garland filly Lakeview Fest completed a sweep of both Indiana Sires Stakes finals for sophomore trotting fillies Saturday night with a gritty 1:58.1 triumph in the $200,000 final. Driven by Mark O’Mara, the Dan Shetler trainee moved to the front at the half and trotted to the wire a quarter length in front of Bar Nancy. Bar Lady finished third to the favourite.
“She’s been the most productive horse for me,” breeder and owner Lester Raber explained. “You’ve got to give credit to Dan for that.”
The finals victory was her sixth in 11 starts, and the third Indiana Sires Stakes final for the homebred. Lakeview Fest now possesses career earnings of $464,750.
Like Lakeview Fest, sophomore trotting colt Dream Kid also completed a sweep of Indiana Sires Stakes finals in 2011. The son of Cincinnati Kid, driven by Ricky Macomber, finished a length in front of Roydon in a lifetime best 1:56.3. Genesis Mercury finished third. Bred by Devon Beachey, the three-year-old is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, JJK Stables and Frank Baldachino. Dream Kid has earned nearly $500,000 in his career.
Cincinnati Star and Tetrick took control after the quarter and never looked back, winning the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for freshman filly trotters in 1:59.2. Sweetasmusic finished two lengths back in second, with Antie M third. The Cincinnati Kid lass, bred by Double Spring Farm, is trained by Steve Carter. Peggy Carter, Sheila Hummel, Robert Reid and Great American Stables, LLC own Cincinnati Star, a winner of more than $175,000 this season.
Kerosene and Peter Wrenn capitalized on breaks by leader Insatiable Desire and challenger Miss Millie in the lane to capture the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for two-year-old pacing fillies in a lifetime best 1:54.1. Bonos Lassie paced a length and a half back in second with longshot Hoosier Amber third. The homebred, owned and trained by Krista Williams, earned her fifth win in seven starts. The I Scoot Hanover filly has earned just shy of $152,000.
Stalwarts Go On BB and ABC Mercedes added to their legacies with impressive wins in Indiana Sires Stakes finals for older pacers and trotters. Go On BB earned her 64th career victory with a 1:54 effort in the $120,000 final for pacing mares. The favourite finished one and one-quarter lengths ahead of Dark Alley Sally. High Speed Life, the other half of the Ron Burke-trained entry, paced third. Driven by Ricky Macomber Jr., the Dontgetinmyway seven-year-old pushed her earnings to more than $1.3 million. She is owned by Frank Baldachino.
ABC Mercedes romped in the $120,000 ISS final for older stallion and gelding trotters, leaving the field behind by more than eight lengths in a time of 1:56. Trainer Joe Putnam piloted the ABC Garland six year old, owned by Larry Miller. The victory was the 46th of ABC Mercedes’ career, coming in 75 starts. Now with nearly $830,000 on his card, the Perry Coblentz-bred gelding continues to inch toward the $1 million plateau.
(Indiana Downs)