Indiana Sire Stakes action continued at Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday, Sept. 1 as the two-year-old pacing colts stepped into the spotlight. Two $67,000 divisions of leg four highlighted the 14-race card, each won impressively with front-end victories by sons of Tellitlikeitis in M Ms Bud and Martz Telly.
Drawing the far outside post seven was no issue for M Ms Bud, who dazzled with a front-stepping lifetime best performance to take the first division. Driver Jay Cross hustled M Ms Bud off the gate, quickly crossing over the rail in the early stages to lay down a :27.2 opening quarter as JDs King James and Jordan Ross settled into the pocket. M Ms Bud remained unchallenged up the backstretch as he maintained his lead to the halfway point in :55.4. The outer flow developed as driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. gave the race favourite, Noblesville, his marching orders from fourth, overcoming a few bobbles on the turn to continue his push first over as M Ms Bud led to three-quarters in 1:24.3.
The rookie pacers turned for home with M Ms Bud leading the sprint to the wire with JDs King James and Noblesville in hot pursuit to his outside. Prestigious Prince and LeWayne Miller would split rivals in the lane to provide M Ms Bud one final test, with M Ms Bud prevailing behind the strength of a :26.2 final quarter to secure the victory by three-quarters of a length in 1:51. JDs King James held for third to round out the trifecta. M Ms Bud paid $9.20 for the victory.
Trained by Alvin Miller, who co-owns the gelding along with Ted Comerford and Marvin Schwartz, M Ms Bud picked up his fourth victory in eight career tries. The 1:51 clocking took a full second off of M Ms Bud's lifetime best and pushed the career bankroll for the Tellitlikeitis-Climate Hanover gelding to $85,696. He was bred by Mervin Miller.
Martz Telly deployed similar front stepping tactics to score his fourth consecutive victory in the second sire stakes division on the card. Driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. put Martz Telly into play immediately from post five, finding themselves to the outside of Rolling Image and Michael Oosting to the first quarter in :28.. Martz Telly crossed over to the lead up the backstretch where he had things his way on the engine to the half in :56.1. Play Action Pass and Trace Tetrick were the first to move from third as the field entered the final turn, where Martz Telly continued to lead to three-quarters in 1:24.4.
Martz Telly remained strong on the front in the stretch, digging in gamely in the lane to rebuff any challengers. Martz Telly sprinted home in :26.3 to score a convincing victory by just over a length in a lifetime best 1:51.3. Rolling Image got up for the second spot, with 2023 Fox Stakes champion Tellmeitmatters and John De Long rallying for third. Martz Telly returned $4 at the windows as the bettors' choice.
The victory was the fifth in six career starts for the Ron Burke trainee. Owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., Frank Baldachino and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Martz Telly’s bankroll surged into six figures now with $122,618 in earnings. Bred by Martz Creek Farm, Martz Telly is a gelded son of Tellitlikeitis out of the Allamerican Native mare, A And Gs Finest.
Racing continues Saturday, Sept. 2 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino with a 12-race card set to get underway at 7 p.m.
(Hoosier Park)