Martz Seven, Can'ttouchthese, Eugene The Genius and Chandler Bing were the winners of the four $250,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Finals for 2-year-olds that occurred on Friday night's Hoosier Champions program at Harrah's Hoosier Park.
33-1 shot Martz Seven, driven by Mike Peterson for trainer Walter Haynes Jr., rallied from eighth to a 1:55 2/5 tally in the Super Final for trotting fillies.
Classical Jane (David Miller) got the lead away from Better Tak'em (Jordan Ross) passing the 27 2/5 opening quarter and then Classical Jane was overtaken by favored Miracle Maven (John DeLong) before the 57 second half-mile marker. Miracle Maven went on to hit three-quarters in 1:26 and turned for home first, but through the stretch the closers got activated, and Martz Seven, who had been fourth-over with a quarter of a mile to go, used a 27 3/5 final kicker to get up and defeat Classical Jane by three-quarters of a length. Fifty To Win (Ricky Macomber Jr.) overcame a break after the start to get third.
"I've liked this filly all year. I thought she was one of the best ones in there," Peterson said post-race. "She had some issues throughout the season, but the Haynes crew did a great job with her. We didn't draw well, but I thought there'd be enough action up front and there was, so it worked out pretty good. I was a little bit further back than I'd liked to be, but that's just kind of the way it worked out.
"She felt good and they went pretty good up the backside, but I was a little concerned being I was fourth-over. I know she gets home good. She always has, she's got a good kick. I thought she'd get a piece of it, but she kept coming, and I'm real happy she did. She's just got a lot of ability. She was good from the get-go. She really likes her job, she's got a good attitude and she's just a lovely filly."
Bred by Martz Creek Farm and Roman Stoll, Martz Seven is by Swan For All and is owned by Stephen Stoll with Black And White Stable. She has three wins, two seconds and four thirds from 11 starts, has banked $210,087 and paid $69.60 to win.
Can'ttouchthese (DeLong), the 4-5 favorite, delivered in 1:51 1/5 in the Super Final for pacing fillies. Brookview Fancy (Joey Putnam) cut fractions of 26 4/5, 55 3/5 and 1:23 1/5, but Can'ttouchthese, who went first-over out of third on the last turn, vaulted into the lead in the stretch and went on to prevail by 2 1/2 lengths. Tarshish (Brandon Bates) was second from the pocket at 23-1 and JK Pearl Stone (Dexter Dunn) turned a second-over journey into a third-place result.
"Her mother Can't Touch This has a very good pedigree. Can't Touch This raced in the sires stakes right here. She never could win the Super Final, so I'm really glad that we kept her for a broodmare and her filly just got it done tonight," winning trainer Roger Welch remarked after the race. "I thought she was clearly (the owners) best one. I've loved her from day one I got her. I'm not surprised that she won. I just thought she's a class act. This is what we were aiming for.
"She's got a strong pedigree and her looks, she's flawless. She's just absolutely beautiful. They did a wonderful job of raising her, and then she has so much manners. She's a sweetheart. She's a big lover. She takes care of herself, she eats and she sleeps. She's easy when you jog her and she's easy when you train her. She can go just as much free-legged as she does with hobbles."
Can'ttouchthese is a homebred for Bo and Pat DeLong with Douglas Riccolo. She has a summary of 6-0-1 from eight outings, has put away $255,370 and returned $3.60 to win.
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In the Super Final for trotting colts and geldings, Eugene The Genius (Mike Oosting) prevailed in 1:54 1/5 as the 2-5 favorite. Eugene The Genius, who started from post eight, worked his way two-wide to the point after the 27 4/5 opening quarter and then backed down the middle-half to 57 3/5 and 1:26 3/5. The sprint was on for the wire from there, and Eugene The Genius came home in 27 3/5 to defeat pocket-sitting Starlitfranknstein (Trace Tetrick) by 2 1/2 lengths. Tarzan (Dunn) tried it first-up from third on the last turn but couldn't advance out of that position.
"We drew the outside. He can leave hard, but today he didn't. We just kind of floated him on out of there," Oosting offered after the victory. "The right horses got to the lead. I put him on the front and let him rest a little bit. He's had a tough year on the front-end, but there's a lot of horse left there. He's so easy on himself. He's 10 years old in his heart and he's got a lot of talent. When he gets to the gate he puts everything behind him. He hurt his foot last week racing and blew something out of it. He's bleeding today but you wouldn't know it.
"The front-end hasn't held up at all, so that was a concern. We did get an awful slow middle-half, but that's what I planned on if I could keep it. It worked out and he had plenty of kick coming home."
A Helpisontheway gelding bred by Black Creek Farm and Hickory Hollow Stables, Eugene The Genius is trained by Missy Essig for owners Russell Beeman and Charles Weaver. Eugene The Genius has eight triumphs, a runner-up finish and a third from ten trips behind the gate, has pocketed $355,745 and paid $2.80 to win.
"He's such a big, growthy colt. I just cannot wait to turn him out. He's going to Anvil And Lace to get turned out and get some good Kentucky grass. I think he'll be even stronger next year hopefully," Essig added. "He was awesome, but he took a lot of work. His groom worked on him every day with cold water hoses and packing his feet. He did blow out a gravel in his back foot last week and he overcame that. You'd never know it. Like Mike said, he just puts it behind him when he gets behind the gate.
"In the barn he sleeps 24-7. We've had a lot of Helpisontheways, and they're pretty spirited horses, but this one is so lazy. We were a little concerned if he would put it all together because he is such a relaxed horse."
Chandler Bing, driven by Jay Cross, was a 1:51 2/5 victor in the Super Final for male pacers. Avanti (Yannick Gingras) moved up two-wide to hit the front beyond the 27 2/5 quarter and backed down the half to 56 2/5 as Chandler Bing got rolling first-up from fourth at that marker. Avanti was still on top at the 1:24 3/5 three-quarters, but Chandler Bing had gotten to within half a length of the pace-setter at that point and then forged his way by in the lane. Once he got by Avanti, Chandler Bing drew clear to down second-over The Family Man (Oosting) by 2 1/2 lengths. Avanti had to settle for third.
"I was just hoping he wouldn't get trapped at (the half). I knew he had a big lick if he got to the head of the stretch and he was in contention," winning trainer/co-owner Alvin Miller offered post-race. "He's always had the big gear and had the step. It was a little tough to get steering right to start with, but once we got that problem solved, the rest is history."
Miller shares ownership of Chandler Bing, a Glen Yoder-bred Tellitlikeitis gelding, with Twila Harts. Chandler Bing made his fifth trip to the winner's circle in his ninth effort, has earned $216,790 and returned $4.60 to win as the 6-5 second choice.
There were also $50,000 consolations for pacing fillies and pacing colts and geldings on the program. Donut Lady (by JK Endofanera, bred by owners Bo De Long, Pat De Long and Katey McClymont, paid $34.20 to win) took the filly event in 1:53 3/5 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Roger Welch, and Deal The Odds (by Odds On Equuleus, bred by Silver Linden Farms, paid $10.40 to win) took the race for the boys in 1:51 3/5 for driver Joey Putnam, trainer Joe Putnam and owners J P Racing, LLC., Michael Lee and Crazy Parrot Farm, LLC.