Champagne Room cut the fractions and held on for a narrow victory in $30,986 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace to kick off a five-win evening for driver Jordan Ross at Harrah's Hoosier Park on Saturday, Sept. 26.
From the outside post seven, Champagne Room gunned off of the wings to secure the lead nearing the quarter in :25.4. Goo Goo Won (Ricky Macomber Jr.) and Brooklets Rockette (Kevin Lambright) chased the leader from second and third, respectively, as Champagne Room showed the seven-horse field to the halfway mark in :54.
While Champagne Room met the three-quarter-mile marker in 1:22, Brooklets Rockette tilted out to the right of Goo Goo Won, looking to get the jump on second and the leader. Champagne Room had 2-1/2 lengths on her rivals in the stretch, but Brooklets Rockette found another gear and rallied late. Champagne Room reached the line in time, holding on by a nose for the 1:50 score. Goo Goo Won was third.
Champagne Room is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Larry Karr and Knox Services Inc. The Ron Burke-trained daughter of Papi Rob Hanover-See You At Peelers tallied her third win in 16 starts in her four-year-old campaign. She raised her lifetime earnings to $577,361 with her 10th win from 40 outings. The win price was $3.20.
Along with Champagne Room in the opener, Ross found the winner's circle in the third race with Seal The Deal As ($3.60), the sixth with Cs Flying Co Pilot ($20.60), the eighth with Dry Creek Regal ($3.40) and the 11th with Twin B Seamonster ($7). Ross is third in the Hoosier drivers' standings with 172 wins and is 182-for-1,315 overall on the year.
Live racing resumes Tuesday for the last Tuesday night of live racing at Hoosier for the 2026 season. The 14-race card features the $10,000 guaranteed Late Pick 4 and the $10,000 guaranteed Late Hoosier High 5, done in partnership with the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program.
(With files from Hoosier Park)