Fresh off a big night of Grand Circuit racing action, two divisions of Indiana Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies were the featured attraction at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Saturday, Sept. 21.
The sophomore pacing fillies have now completed seven rounds of their eight round series. The Indiana Sires Stakes season will culminate with the $250,000 Super Finals for each division on Oct. 11.
In the opening division Play For Pay and driver Brandon Bates switched their tactics and opted for a trip off the pace, charging late in the lane to score in 1:51.1.
Dojea Rita and Charlie Conrad were the first to get a call through the opening panel in :27.1 before yielding the lead to Lady Capulet and Michael Oosting just before the half.
Lady Capulet clicked fractions of :55.2 and 1:23.2 and when the field turned for home, it was a cavalry charge to the wire. Using the long Hoosier Park stretch to her advantage, Play For Pay tipped off tiring cover and fired a :26.3 closing kick to get the win by a head. Pure Maid and LeWayne Miller finished second while This Peach Rocks and Ross Leonard rounded the trifecta.
Trained by Michael Arnold, Play For Pay recorded her fourth win from 15 starts this season. The daughter of Tellitlikeitis-Fox Valley Ivy now sports a lifetime bankroll of $162,335 and is owned by Ira Steinberg. Sent at odds of 5-1, Play For Pay returned $13.60 at the betting windows.
Fully A Virgin and Michael Oosting used similar tactics to get up in the final strides of the mile and capture the second division of the stakes action in 1:50.1.
Utilizing a :25.4 closing quarter, Fully A Virgin tipped off cover and powered home a winner to stick a nose in front of stablemate Pansys Image and Trace Tetrick. Rockin Nola and Joey Putnam also rallied well late to finish third. The 1:50.1 clocking was a lifetime best for the Shane Bowermaster trainee and the third win from her last four outings.
With the win, the homebred daughter of Always A Virgin-Full Of Gold recorded her sixth win from 14 starts this season. Owned and bred by Emerald Highlands Farm, Fully A Virgin has now amassed $205,180 in lifetime purse earnings.
(Harrah's Hoosier Park)