Black Gold's 129-1 stunner was among the results in the four $250,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Finals for sophomores of both sexes and gaits on Friday's Hoosier Champions program at Harrah's Hoosier Park. Also winning their respective events were Jada Caroline, Gruesome Twosome and Noblesville.
When 1-5 favorite Danger (Dexter Dunn) broke stride while on the lead past the 27 1/5 quarter in the filly trot, that threw the race wide open. Agent Of Fortune (Robert Taylor) would move out of fourth to take command away from Skyway Paige (Lewayne Miller) after the 57 second half and stayed on top through three-quarters in 1:25 4/5 and into the lane, but Black Gold (Braxten Boyd), who vacated the pylons from mid-pack at three-quarters, rallied with a 27 4/5 final kicker and hit the wire a length and a quarter ahead of Skyway Paige in 1:54 3/5. Hail Broadway (Jordan Ross) got third.
"Just going into the race I was hoping I could get away behind the ones that looked like players there. We got away behind the ones that I wanted to," Boyd said post-race. "Honestly, it was working out good. In the last turn I had so much trot I ran up on Andy (McCarthy on Social Chatter) there a little bit. That was the only nervous moment of really the whole race. Then I kind of got a clean slide out and she had plenty of trot and got it all done.
"I don't know what everybody else was feeling at that point (turning for home) but I know I had plenty of trot left, so I was just trying to find an open space. We got an open space and she shot through there well. We were pushing her to the wire. She was perfect. I have no complaints."
A daughter of Dover Dan bred by Ernie Lambright, Black Gold is owned by Stephan and Elizabeth Ray and trained by James Yoder. Black Gold has nine wins, three seconds and a five thirds from 30 starts, has pocketed $250,690 and returned $260.20 to win.
"This season's kind of been a struggle with her because she was tying up earlier in the year. We've finally got that under control, so hopefully she'll keep on getting better from here," Yoder noted. "I know she's got talent to go with them. She was third last year (in the Super Final) by half a length."
In the filly pace, Lyin' Eyes (Joey Putnam) marched up two-wide to take charge after the 26 1/5 quarter. 1-2 favorite Lets Go Endofaera (John DeLong) then tipped out of third past that marker and challenged Lyin' Eyes for the top spot at the 54 3/5 half, but Putnam elected to leave Lets Go Endofaera on the outside and was still in front at the 1:22 3/5 three-quarters. Lets Go Endofaera overcame the difficult trip to forge her way by Lyin' Eyes in the lane, but 10-1 shot Jada Caroline (Tim Tetrick), who followed Lets Go Endofaera from second-over, surged past the defending Super Final champion for the group late, beating her by a neck in 1:50 4/5. Lets Go Endofaera had to settle for second and All JK (David Miller) checked in third.
By Tellitlikeitis, Jada Caroline was bred by Joseph Nissley and is co-owned by trainer Erv Miller with Lou Willinger and Never 2 Late Stable. She has a summary of 5-3-8 from 24 outings, has put away $280,917 and paid $22.00 to win.
► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter
Gruesome Twosome (Daryl Bontrager) clicked at 2-5 in the colt and gelding trot, prevailing in 1:54 3/5. Bontrager elected to keep Gruesome Twosome on the outside after floating away from post four, and he would trot up on the rim to grab the lead away from Cs Flying Co-Pilot (Trace Tetrick) beyond the 27 4/5 quarter. Gruesome Twosome was well-rated from there to a 57 3/5 half and a 1:26 4/5 three-quarters, and his 27 4/5 final quarter sealed the victory by three-quarters of a length. Ira Who (Jared Finn) charged from eighth at three-quarters to second at the wire and Flirtnwiththepilot (Andy McCarthy) turned a second-over trip into a third-place result.
"That was very important for me. I learned a whole lot from that," Bontrager remarked about going on the Grand Circuit multiple times with Gruesome Twosome this year. "Went to the Meadowlands, he was not shod right and I also didn't drive him very well, but mostly the shoeing. After that I said 'well, I've got to be versatile.' When we went to Pocono I pulled the shoes and raced him barefoot there. He was really good. I pulled them here tonight. The track was maybe a little hard for it, but he got the job done."
With that Grand Circuit experience, which includes a fourth in the Earl Beal at Pocono, Gruesome Twosome could be a candidate to supplement to the Breeders Crown, but Bontrager didn't seem inclined to go that way.
"Probably not. That's an 80 percent no," he said when asked about the chances of a Breeders Crown appearance. "We faced them guys a couple of times. I do think the Meadowlands would fit him well, but we didn't so well up in Canada (fourth in his elim and seventh in the Canadian Trotting Classic final). He's a lot healthier staying at home, so we'll probably stay here. We've got stakes here the rest of the season. He's got one week off the second week of November, and he's got stakes every Friday night."
Bontrager also trains and co-owns Gruesome Twosome with partner Ira Steinberg. Gruesome Twosome, a You Know You Do colt bred by Merle Yoder, has posted 13 triumphs and a second from 20 tries, has banked $525,353 and paid $2.80 to win.
Sabonis (Putnam) was after his 14th straight victory in the Super Final for pacing colts and geldings, but he was defeated by Noblesville (Yannick Gingras) in a 1:50 mile. Sabonis led the way at the 27 1/5 quarter, 54 4/5 half and 1:22 2/5 three-quarters but was overtaken on the inside in the stretch by Noblesville, who had worked out a pocket trip. Once he took over, Noblesville had to dig in to fend off Dale Yeah (Marvin Luna), who had room even deeper in the passing lane, and he was able to do so by a head. Tellmeitmatters (DeLong) was third from first-over as Sabonis tired to fourth.
"Last week he was way better. I give Adam Rucker all the credit; he runs my barn here. He said he'd be better and he was," relayed winning trainer Ron Burke. "We thought Yannick coming in, he knows the horse and he got a great trip. It's a weird track today. It's hard to win if you get used at all. He dropped in the two-hole and just got up.
"He has a couple of races here. He'll stay here, and we just want him to continue going on. He's another homebred for us, and it's a sire that we trained also, so it's big for us. We're really happy."
Bred by owners Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC., Noblesville is a JK Endofanera gelding. A six-time winner from 29 appearances, Noblesville has earned $489,722 and returned $45.80 to win as a 21-1 offering.
Lovers Trouble (by Tellitlikeitis, bred by Zachary Miller, Edward G. Dobrowolski and Edward W. Dobrowolski, paid $8.80 to win) won a $50,000 consolation race for pacing colts and geldings in 1:50 3/5 with Marvin Luna in the bike for trainer Joe Bongiorno and owners JB Racing and Evans Nation.