Driver Dexter Dunn made his way to Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Friday, Sept. 13 and swept the two richest races in the state of Indiana, taking the $527,027 Peter Haughton Memorial with Maryland before Champagne Problems scored in the $412,162 Jim Doherty Memorial.
The two-year-old trotting colts stepped into the spotlight first in the Haughton, with Maryland sent off as the 6-5 favourite in the field of 10.
Leaving from post eight, Maryland and Dunn found themselves the widest of a four-across battle for the lead going into the first turn, with Father TJ (Tyler Buter) first to the quarter on the inside in :27.1. Hidalgo (Yannick Gingras) pressed on to the lead briefly before Maryland assumed command and slowed the tempo to the half in :57.4. The top trio remained in straight alignment on the final turn, with Maryland leading the field to three-quarters in 1:27.
Maryland began to assert himself at the top of the stretch, trotting clear by three lengths midway through the lane with Hidalgo fending the others off for the minor spoils. Sprinting home in :27.1, Maryland crossed the wire 3-1/4 lengths clear, stopping the clock in 1:54.1. Hidalgo held for the place position, with Eugene The Genius (Mike Oosting) beating out Father TJ for show.
“Quite a few sprinted out of there which you expect in a race like this,” said Dunn in the winner’s circle. "Once we got to the front, we got things pretty cheap and he sprinted home and felt great tonight.”
Trained by Marcus Melander, Maryland entered the Peter Haughton off of a 17-1 score upset score in the $575,000 William Wellwood in a career-best 1:53.4. Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, the son of Chapter Seven-Crucial is owned by Courant Inc., Pcw Racing LLC., Holly Lane Stud East Ltd., and Sstewartrthorn Stable. Now a winner of three of six starts, Maryland sports a career bankroll of $575,257.
“He’s been such a good horse from the start,” said Melander. “He felt like a good horse when we trained him down. He’s classy and did it easy tonight.
“We gave him a little bit of time off this summer but feel like he’s coming into the fall extremely sharp.”
Dunn hinted that Maryland will have his sights set on another major prize next weekend, as the star rookie will head back north of the border for the Mohawk Million.
Maryland secured his spot in the $700,000 USD Breeders Crown final and a starting gate position between one and five with the victory in the Haughton.
The Nancy Takter-trained Champagne Problems followed suit and secured her spot in the Breeders Crown with a front end score in the Jim Doherty Memorial for two-year-old trotting fillies.
Leaving from post seven as the 5-2 second choice, Dunn slotted Champagne Problems third early as Royal Mission (Scott Zeron) hustled to the front from post nine to cut the quarter in :27.3. Dunn sent Champagne Problems to the front down the backstretch, taking command before reaching the halfway point in :57.1. No challenge came on the far turn to Champagne Problems, who had things her way to the three-quarter pole in 1:26.3.
Champagne Problems began to pour it on at top of the lane, trotting clear by 2-1/2 lengths with an eighth to go while Royal Mission battled Pink Chou Chou (Gingras) for the place spot. Takter stablemate Pink Chou Chou continued to close in deep stretch, but Champagne Problems coasted to a 1-1/2-length victory in 1:54. Royal Mission held for third to round out the trifecta.
“She was a little fired up in Canada her last couple starts,” said Dunn of her Peaceful Way Stakes starts, a second in the elimination and fourth in the final. “Nancy made a few changes since then and she was back to normal tonight and raced great.”
The daughter of Tactical Landing-Miss Caviar was a $35,000 yearling purchase has banked $447,712 for owners Rojan Stables, Family Business, Patrick Hoopes and Caviart Farms. Bred by Southwind Farms, Champagne Problems has won four of seven starts in her debut season.
Streaking Sabonis Crushes In Hoosier Cup
Sabonis headlined Friday's undercard, crushing in the $101,351 Hoosier Cup for Indiana-sired three-year-old pacing colts for his 11th consecutive victory. The Hoosier Cup was featured along nine divisions of Indiana Sire Stakes with purses on the night over $1.7 million.
Sent off as the bettors' choice at 1-9 from the rail, regular pilot Joey Putnam got Sabonis away in good order third early while Midnight Rocker (Trace Tetrick) led to the first quarter in :27. Putnam moved Sabonis from third on the backstretch, taking command before reaching the half in :55.1. Putnam cut Sabonis loose entering the final turn, powering away by 3-1/2 lengths at three-quarters in 1:22.4.
The fast-break by Sabonis continued turning for home, racing away by 5-1/2 lengths midway through the lane with M Ms Bud (Pete Wrenn) and Dale Yea (Marvin Luna) racing for place. Putnam geared Sabonis down in deep stretch, relenting late to cross the wire clear by 1-1/4 lengths and stopping the clock in 1:49.3. M Ms Bud finished second and Dale Yea was third.
Trained by Aaron Stutzman, Sabonis has won 14 of 15 on the season while banking $531,257 this year alone. Owned by Pat Miller, the son of Tellitlikeitis-Gypsy Bellevue has only tasted defeat twice in his career, hitting the board in all 16 of his lifetime outings.
Along with the Hoosier Cup, the penultimate leg of Indiana Sire Stakes for rookies pacers and sophomore trotters were contested on the 14-race card.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies
A race after Putnam and Stutzman won with Sabonis, the duo immediately followed it up with a victory in the $91,892 first division of Indiana Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies courtesy of Brookview Fancy. The 2-5 favourite grabbed command early from post five, before outlasting a surging JK Pearl Stone (Wrenn) to record her fifth consecutive victory with a clocking of 1:52.2. Heart Song (Tetrick) finished third.
The $13,000 bargain buy at last fall’s Hoosier Classic has earned $194,945 during a six-race campaign. James Miller owns the daughter of JK Endofanera-Get Your Armor who was bred by Brookview Farms.
Canttouchthese rebounded from a defeat to Brookview Fancy in her last outing to score in the second division. Driver John De Long secured the pocket position behind JKs Flirty Girl before squeezing through traffic turning for home to cross the wire 2-3/4 lengths clear in a career-best 1:52.3. Vel Cinderella (Tetrick) closed from second-to-last turning for home to be second and Wunderkindbluechip (Jordan Ross) finished third.
The homebred daughter of JK Endofanera-Cant Touch This was bred by William and Patrick De Long along with Douglas Riccolo. A winner in four of her six starts this season, the Roger Welch trainee has earned $131,973.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts
Odds On Brahmastra was able to overcome post position eight to score his maiden-breaking win when it mattered --- in the fifth round of Indiana Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings -- in 1:51.1. Driven by Peter Wrenn in a $62,838 division, the son of Odds On Equuleus-Mach Some Noise took advantage of torrid first-half fractions of :26 and :53.4 and utilized a :27.1 closing kick to get the win by a head over Big Al Derosa (Jordan Ross). Checking Out (Scott Zeron) also rallied well late for third. Sent off at odds near 30-1, Odds On Brahmastra returned $61.20 for the win.
Owned and bred by Odds On Racing, Odds On Brahmastra scored his first win in seven starts. The freshman colt is trained by Melanie Wrenn and boosted his lifetime bankroll to $38,104.
Chandler Bing utilized similar tactics to score in the second division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings in 1:50.4. Ahva Sholum (Kyle Wilfong) was responsible for the first-half splits of :27.3 and :56 while Chandler Bing waited patiently off the pace. Driver Jay Cross found late racing room down the lane and Chandler Bing responded gamely with a :26 closing quick to get the win by half a length over Avanti (John DeLong). The Family Man (Michael Oosting) rounded out the trifecta. Chandler Bing returned $24.60 for the upset victory.
Trained by Alvin Miller, the two-year-old gelded son of Tellitlikeitis-Northern Beauty scored his third win from seven starts this season. Owned in partnership by his trainer and Twila Harts, Chandler Bing now sports a bankroll of $93,565 and a new lifetime mark.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies
The favourites delivered in front-end fashion in a pair of $67,568 Sire Stakes divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies. Hail Broadway and Jordan Ross took command from the outset, having things their way on the lead before sprinting away from pocket-sitter Agent Of Fortune (Robert Taylor) with a :27.1 final quarter to stop the timer in 1:54.1. Somebody Special (Scott Zeron) edged out Star Pilot (Tetrick) for the third spot.
Trained by Luis Quevedo, John Barnard’s homebred daughter of Swan For All-Pray With Me has won six of her 11 starts on the year while earning the bulk of her $269,051 career bankroll.
Robert Taylor did one better in the second division, teaming up with Danger to overcome post nine. Parked to the quarter in :27.4, Danger was able to back things down in the middle half before rocketing home in :27.2 to score a 3-1/4-length score in a career-best 1:53.4. Skyway Paige (LeWayne Miller) finished second and Starlit Dora (Mike Oosting) was third.
Taylor also trains for owners Anthony Lombardi and George Colemes. Bred by Steve Stewart and Chris Beaver, the three-year-old rookie daughter of Swan For All-Chim Swift has won seven of her eight races while sporting earnings of $153,744.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts
Dashing Danny continued his divisional dominance in a $67,568 split of the Indiana Sire Stakes for sophomore male trotters, scoring in 1:54.1 with regular pilot Kyle Wilfong in the bike. Winning near gate-to-wire fashion, Dashing Danny reached the lead just after the quarter :28 and went on to dictate fractions of :57 and 1:26.2 before trotting away from his competition. Dashing Danny finished two lengths to the good over Flirtinwiththepilot (Peter Wrenn) while Ira Who (Jared Finn) completed the trifecta. Sent off as the heavy favourite, Dashing Dany returned $2.10 for the victory.
Trained by Jeff Cullipher, the gelded son of Dover Dan-Sashay recorded his sixth win from seven seasonal starts. With the win, Dashing Danny pushed his lifetime bankroll to $405,420 for Cullipher and co-owner Pollack Racing LLC.
In the opening $68,243 division for the sophomore trotting colts, Winslow and driver/trainer Dan Shetler got up in the final strides to pull off the slight upset in 1:53.3. Cs Flying Co Pilot (Trace Tetrick) dictated fractions of :27.4 and :57.1 while Winslow was along the rail in fifth. Turning for home, Shetler tipped Winslow past tiring cover and he responded with a :27.1 closing kick to put a nose in front of Helpem Dance (Dexter Dunn). Cs Flying Co Pilot held on for third. Winslow returned $7.40 for the victory.
The gelded son of Swan For All-Allie Labrook recorded his fourth win from 12 starts this season to lift his career earnings to $123,553. The 1:53.3 clocking was a new lifetime best for Winslow, who is owned in partnership by Dojea Stable and Shetler, who is also the breeder.
Grand Circuit racing action continues at Hoosier on Friday, Sept. 20 as part of the card featuring the $200,000 USD (est.) Caesars Trotting Classic. The evening will include nine stakes races worth more than $1.2 million USD. First post for the Caesars Trotting Classic card is 6 p.m.
This week of racing concludes at Hoosier on Saturday, Sept. 14 with a 12-race card set to get underway at 7 p.m.
(With files from Hoosier Park)