Harrah's Hoosier: Chalky results in Indiana Sires Stakes races

Favorites proved tough to beat in Indiana Sires Stakes action on Friday night at Harrah's Hoosier Park, with the chalk delivering in three of the four divisions that were held.

In the first of two $33,000 sections for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers, Crook Boyzz (Brandon Bates) looped from second to first going to the 55 1/5 half and couldn't be caught after that, winning by a length and a quarter over Sawyer's Desire (Trace Tetrick) in a 1:50 3/5 mile.

A gelding by Always A Virgin, Crook Boyzz is co-owned by trainer Brett Selby along with John and Robert Esposito. This was Crook Boyzz's fifth win from 12 career starts, and he has now earned $60,980. He paid $4.40 to win.

Family Recipe (Lewayne Miller) got the job done at 3-2 in the other $33,000 flight for sophomore colt and gelding pacers. He sat second and third through panels of 26 3/5, 55 2/5, and 1:23 4/5, then closed in 26 2/5 to win by three-parts of a length over The Candyman Can (Sam Widger).

Miller also trains and co-owns the victorious Always A Virgin gelding with partners Arnold Manders, Joseph Vieira, and Never Too Late Racing LLC. Family Recipe made his fifth appearance in the winner's circle in his 19th try, and he has now pocketed $131,980. He returned $5.00 to win.

Two-year-old male pacers also were divided up into two groupings, and 2-5 choice What's Your Beef (Tetrick) scored by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:51 3/5 in the first of those dashes. Positioned third at the 27 2/5 opening quarter, he went to the top prior to the 55 4/5 half and never looked back, crossing the wire ahead of TJ's Indy Pacer (Widger) to get the lion's share of the $45,050 purse.

From the first crop of JK Endofanera, What's Your Beef is trained by Brian Brown for owners W.J. Donovan, Joe Sbrocco, Kirk Nichols, and JAF Racing LLC. What's Your Beef has a record of 5-1-0 from six efforts, and he has stashed away $70,150. He paid $2.80 to win.

The only horse able to break the run of favorites was JK Going West (Miller) in the second $42,000 contest for the rookie pacing males. JK Going West fired to the top in 26 4/5, released PBR Street Gang (Widger) passing the 54 4/5 half, stalked that foe to the 1:24 1/5 three-quarters, re-rallied into the top spot in the lane, and held off 1-9 choice Brookview Bullet (Tetrick) to score by a neck in 1:52 at odds of 10-1.

Another one by JK Endofanera, the victorious gelding is also trained by Miller for owners Bill Beechy and David Ferch. JK Going West broke his maiden in his seventh kick at the can and has now banked $49,183. He returned $22.60 to win.