The best and brightest Indiana has to offer battled for record purses and the title of Indiana Sires Stakes champion in the Indiana Summer Championships held Saturday, September 11 at Indiana Downs
. The 14-race card featured 10 lucrative finals and nearly $2 million in total purses, yielding highly-competitive races, fantastic finishes, and a number of upsets.
Earls Glider and Msnaughtybynature completed the series sweep in their respective divisions, each winning impressively for trainer and driver Peter Wrenn. Sophomore trotter Earls Glider put on an impressive performance, wiring the field and drawing away by more than seven lengths to capture the $230,000 final for colts in a time of 1:57.4. Dakotas Final and Sam Widger raced second, followed by Earls Dreamofglory, driven by Trace Tetrick.
The Earl Of Stormont gelding extended his record to 11 wins in as many attempts for owners Melanie Wrenn, Dan Courtemanche and Tom Courtemanche. Sent off as the 1-9 favourite, Earls Glider also earned the Hoosier Home Run award and $25,000 bonus after winning the Indiana Sires Stakes final earlier this season, as well as the Maple City Trot at the Elkhart County Fair in Goshen, Ind. The three-year-old raised his seasonal earnings to $383,000.
Msnaughtybynature followed suit in the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for three-year-old filly trotters, completing the series sweep with a 1:57.3 effort. With Wrenn in the bike, the Scramble Ranger filly took control of the race after a :58.4 half and never looked back, trotting to the wire three lengths in front. Malia O and Widger finished second while Hoosier Jodi and Andy Shetler raced third.
The heavily-favored filly improved her record to 10 wins in 11 seasonal starts. Owned by Melanie Wrenn and The Kales Company, Msnaughtybynature added her fourth Indiana Sires Stakes finals victory. The victory raised her seasonal tally to $365,644, and career earnings now top $590,000.
The card featured several upsets, and the tone was set in the first race on the program. Widger, guiding homebred Say Your ABCs, pulled the first stunner of the evening in the $200,000 ISS final for freshman filly trotters. Sent off at 22-1, The ABC Garland filly edged favorite ABC Easter and Dan Shetler by half a length in 2:00.1. Bar Lady and Wrenn were third.
Bred and owned by Lynn Wilfong, Say Your ABCs picked up her sixth win in 12 starts. Trained by Brett Wilfong, the filly took a new mark and improved her seasonal earnings to $153,258. She returned $46.60, $19.60 and $8.40.
The upsets continued in the night’s second race as Don Swartzentruber’s Yourcomindown edged Ripkens Red and Andy Miller by a nose in 1:57.3 to win the $100,000 final for older trotting mares. Favorite CJs Super Secret finished third for Dave Palone. Sent off at 11-1, the five-year-old Evangelism mare earned her second seasonal win. Driven by Rick Farrington, Yourcomindown equaled her lifetime best in the victory, raising her bankroll to $126,338. She paid $24.80, $13.4 and $4.20 in the upset.
Bluebird Elian, a 25-1 long shot, knocked off heavy favourite Dream Kid to win the $200,000 final for freshman colt trotters Saturday night, scoring a 1:58.3 victory. Andy Miller piloted the Erv Miller-trained entry to his first career victory. Hardrock Kid and Jay Cross finished third. From the first crop of Southwind Elian, the colt was making his fourth start for owners Leland Mathias, Erv Miller Stable and John Carver. He returned $54.20, $11.40 and $6.80 to his backers.
Favorite GD Lana bucked the trend of upsets with a stretch rally that earned her top prize in the $200,000 final for sophomore pacing fillies. Twotwentypower and Ricky Macomber finished third. Driven by Ed Hensley, the Kilowatt filly sprinted home in :28.2 and caught a weary Dark Alley Sally late in the mile to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.4. Half of the Dan Perdue-trained, Lewis Dickerhoof-owned entry, GD Lana set a lifetime mark in the victory. The win pushed GD Lana’s career earnings to $159,525.
More upsets ensued as 7-1 Flight Elal soared to a 1:53.2 victory in the $200,000 final for 2-year-old colt pacers. The Panspacificflight homebred, owned by Pacey Mindlin and Kenneth Cohen, collected his fourth win of the season. Trained by Jim Dailey, Dave Palone was in the bike for the victory. The gelding was followed across the wire by Paco Labrook and Tetrick, while favorite GD Airliner finished third but was placed fourth. The win boosted Flight Elal’s seasonal earnings to $145,875.
Dollys Joy, sent off as the second choice, captured the $200,000 ISS final for two-year-old filly pacers in a time of 1:56. Sam Widger guided the Pilgrims Punch-Neils Joy freshman to victory for Brian and Charles Stephens. The homebred, now a five-time winner, has earned $167,375. Six Mile Annie and Tetrick finished three and one-half lengths back. Socoteur Bluegrass, part of the favored Luel Overstreet-owned entry, finished third with Wrenn in the sulky.
Marky Mike, another long shot, scored a 1:53.4 upset in the $200,000 final for three-year-old colt pacers. At 25-1, the Mark Johnathan gelding, driven by Farrington, put a neck in front of favorite Royal Woods and Macomber at the wire. Marky Mike is owned by Dan Bowermaster and Alroy Chow. Bowermaster trains the gelding, now a winner of $179,825 this season. The gelding improved his career earnings to $237,075, and paid $61.20, $9.60 and $7.60 in the victory.
Favorite Freddyscooter dashed home in :26.3 to win the $100,000 final for older stallions and geldings Saturday night. Driven by Tetrick for breeder, trainer and co-owned Steve Brannan, the I Scoot Hanover five-year-old stopped the clock in 1:51.2. Robin I Scoot finished second while Rob V, the second of three Brannan entries, finished third. Freddyscooter has earned $421,455 for owners Brannan and Frederick Shiery.
(Indiana Downs)