Topville Cadillac, with Tyler Smith at the lines, turned in another dominating performance to take top honours in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for two-year-old pacing fillies at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday, September 4.
Topville Cadillac used a near gate-to-wire effort to win in 1:53.3 and notch her third consecutive victory at Hoosier Park.
Topville Cadillac was unhurried from the gate and settled along the rail in third wile Seventimesavirgin and John DeLong protected their early position to get the first call through the opening panel in :27.
Smith had Topville Cadillac out and firing just out of the first turn and she quickly grabbed the front to remain uncontested through :56.3 and 1:25 splits. Seventimesavirgin continued to benefit from a pocket trip while Ricky Macomber Jr. and Aux D Lox Bluegrass were leading the first-over charge.
As the field turned for home, Topville Cadillac put three lengths between herself and the rest of the field. Seventimesavirgin tipped from the pocket to make a bid at the leader, but Topville Cadillac wasn’t finished. Using a :28.3 last quarter, the Alvin Miller trainee coasted to the wire under a hand drive from Smith to finish four lengths in front of Seventimesavirgin. Shirleys Dream and Andy Shetler rallied gamely in the stretch to round out the trifetcta.
As the even-money favourite, Topville Cadillac returned $4.00 to her backers at the betting windows.
“She certainly gave us some anxious moments training down,” noted Miller after the win. “She wasn’t the best student. I always knew she had a big gear, but she has always been a handful.
“She went through a little bit of a growth spurt so that’s why we took our time getting her ready and getting her to the races,” he continued. “She’s still green yet; I don’t think she has figured it all out, but she continues to get better and that’s all we can ask for.”
The daughter of Rockin Image-Topville Cyberwave notched her fifth win from seven seasonal outings. Topville Cadillac, a $95,000 yearling purchase, is a half-sister to former Indiana Sires Stakes champions Always About Katey and Radar Contact. Owned by Ted Comerford, Twila Harts and Alvin Miller, Topville Cadillac has now earned $75,050 lifetime.
(With files from Hoosier Park)