The final legs of Indiana Sire Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies and 3-year-old trotting fillies were contested at Harrah's Hoosier Park on Wednesday (Oct. 1), with driver John De Long sweeping both divisions for pacers and trainer Henry Graber Jr. taking both tests for trotters.
Pacers kicked off the stakes festivities with their $67,000 first split won by Rock The Charm, who prevailed at 6-1. Leaving from the rail, Rock The Charm got away in the third spot while It's My Story (Trace Tetrick) charged to the top through an opening quarter of 26 4/5. The seven fillies raced single-file through middle-half fractions of 55 4/5 and 1:24 3/5. It's My Story brought the field into the stretch before being pounced on by 1-2 favorite Milliondollarimage (Jordan Ross) from the pocket, with Rock The Charm following that move. Once tipped off the Ross helmet, Rock The Charm fired home in 26 1/5 to roll by the favorite late, winning by three-parts of the length in 1:51 3/5 over Milliondollarimage. It's My Story held on for third.
The effort by Rock The Charm was a career-best clocking as the filly has now won two of seven lifetime for trainer Tabby De Long. Jesse De Long bred the daughter of Rockin Image-Seventimesacharm and also co-owns the earner of $125,195 with John and William De Long.
The De Long tribe scored a win in the $67,500 second pacing test as well, this time with the Roger Welch-trained Whoomp, who entered off a win in the $201,000 Kentuckiana Stallion Management in her last try. Saddled with the outside post eight, De Long angled Whoomp into fifth early while Tell It Like This (Trace Tetrick) grabbed early control through a first quarter of 27 seconds. Whoomp moved off the cones just before the half in 56 4/5, driving first-up around the final turn and into third as Tell It Like This reached three-quarters in 1:25. Pocket-sitter Somemore Blue (Marcus Miller) popped the pocket and moved around Tell It like This in the stretch before Whoomp steamrolled late in a 26 second final kicker to nail Somemore Blue by a half-length in 1:51 3/5. Tell It Like This held sway for the third spot.
Whoomp has now won three in-a-row and seven of 12 this year, good for earnings of $224,601. William and Patrick De Long bred and co-own the daughter of Rockin Image-Nightcap along with Jesse De Long.
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John De Long also teamed up with trainer Henry Graber Jr. to take the second $50,500 flight for the trotters with Miracle Maven as the 8-5 second choice. Miracle Maven settled in the third position on the first turn while favored Fifty To Win (Marcus Miller) trotted around Bluebird Lola (Atlee Bender) to the top through a quarter of 26 4/5. Fifty To Win tapped the brakes to the half in 56 1/5 when Miracle Maven marched first-over and into second on the final turn, with Fifty To Win reaching three-quarters in 1:25 1/5. Miracle Maven moved alongside Fifty To Win in the lane, with the two slugging it out the length of the lane before Miracle Maven got up by a head in 1:54. A bottled-up Bluebird Lola finished third.
Miracle Maven has now won five of nine on the year and 10 times in her career for owners Hillside Stables, Indiana Stables, Frank Baldachino and Beasty LLC. The daughter of Don't Let Em-Bad Babysitter has banked $167,545 on the year and went over $300,000 for her career.
Earlier on the card, the initial showdown for the trotters went to Miracle Maven's stablemate, as Better Tak'em delivered a 7-1 upset up the cones with driver Jordan Ross. Better Tak'em secured the pocket trip behind A Million Dances (Mike Oosting), who swept down from the outside post nine to cut the quarter in 27 seconds. Oosting grabbed leather to the half in 57 1/5 when even-money favorite Martz Seven (Kyle Wilfong) started her first-over charge into second at three-quarters in 1:26 3/5. A Million Dances and Martz Seven went at it in the lane while Better Tak'em was desperate for racing room before finding it up the cones and winning by a head in a three-horse photo over A Million Dances and Martz Seven in 1:54 3/5.
A winner in three of nine this season, Better Tak'em has tallied seasonal earnings of $167,470 for owners Henry Graber Jr. and Indiana Stables. The daughter of Don't Let Em-Barmaid surpassed career earnings of $285,000 following her seventh career victory.
Sire Stakes action continues on Thursday (Oct. 2) at Harrah's Hoosier Park with 2-year-old pacing males and 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings stepping into the spotlight with their final legs ahead of Hoosier Champions night on Friday, Oct. 10. Two-year-old sensation Odds On Mr Mamba headlines a pair of divisions for pacers in the first race, while On To Norway seeks his 16th consecutive victory in the second of three divisions for trotters in race eight.
--press release (Harrah's Hoosier Park)--