Harrah's Hoosier: Favorites deliver in ISS Super Finals for sophomores

Hot Mess Express finished off an undefeated season in the Indiana Sires Stakes program, Peter and Melanie Wrenn won twice, and Roll Em rocked in the $270,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Finals for 3-year-olds on Friday night at Harrah's Hoosier Park.

With John De Long in the bike in the filly pace, Hot Mess Express took the lead after the 25 4/5 quarter, but would release a charging Somethingbeautiful (Lewayne Miller) prior to the 54 1/5 half. Somethingbeautiful would go on to hit three-quarters in 1:22 2/5 and continued to show the way into the stretch, but De Long guided Hot Mess Express into the passing lane, and she surged back to the front. From there, she had to hold off a flying Kobe's Gigi (Matt Krueger), which she was able to do by a length and a half in a 1:50 mile. Somethinbeautiful held third.

"She's a sweetheart. She doesn't do anything wrong. She's just a pleasure to drive," said De Long. "I thought there would be somebody from the outside that would leave, but she can handle anything, so whatever they threw at her, she's able to handle it."

Tony Alagna trains Hot Mess Express, a filly by Panther Hanover, for Sam Bowie. Panther Hanover, who was bred by Amy, Madeline, and Ethan Giberson, has a record of 15-4-0 from 22 lifetime starts, and she has now earned $723,199. She was dispatched at 1-9 and paid $2.20 to win.

"Being here with my driver John De Long is better than shaking David Stern's hand and saying the Portland Trail Blazers are picking you with the second pick in the NBA Draft," beamed Bowie. "I saw her make her first start, and she got home in 25 and a piece. I took a shot [by buying her]."

Hot Mess Express is not eligible to next week's Breeders Crown, and at least at this time, Bowie will not be supplementing her.

"Between Tony and [my wife], they want to go badly, but I'm going to leave her here with John, and we'll go from there," he finished.

The double for the Wrenns started with Shirley Goodness in the filly trot. She pressed on two-wide to the engine beyond the 27 second quarter, then gave way to sit in the two-hole behind Country Girl Charm (L. Miller) on the way to the 55 4/5 half. Swift Swanda (Trace Tetrick) then stepped first-over out of third on the final bend, and she would move up to challenge Country Girl Charm before the 1:25 4/5 three-quarters. Those two continued to battle into the stretch, but Wrenn was just waiting for the passing lane, and once it became available, Shirley Goodness surged through to the lead and the win by two lengths in 1:53 3/5. Queen Of All (De Long) was up for second, and Four Under Par (Yannick Gingras) was third from second-over.

"We were pretty excited about racing her tonight. She just has been so good lately. We got her on Lasix, and it kind of turned her around a little bit. She's just racing really, really well," remarked Melanie Wrenn. "I love going with this filly. Her manners are perfect. She's great, honestly. In the barn, she's also good. She loves bananas, and she loves oranges. My owners are like 'make sure she gets those, we'll pay for them.'

"She is eligible for all of the Indiana stuff, and she's also eligible for the Breeders Crown. I guess that's a decision that everybody's going to have to make, if they want to give that a whirl or just keep her home."

Shirley Goodness, a daughter of Swan For All-Stirling Debutant (Credit Winner), is owned by Bill Beechy, Brad Maxwell, and Kenneth Frieder. Bred by Alan and Larry Troyer, she was purchased for $22,000 at the 2019 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, she is now a ten-time winner, and she has put away $374,445. She returned $4.20 to win.

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Swingforthefences would then win the colt and gelding trot for Team Wrenn in 1:53 1/5. Positioned third at the 27 second opening quarter, Wrenn pointed Swingforthefences to the outside in the backstretch, and he became the new boss coming to the 56 1/5 half. Swingforthefences was then able to get away with three-quarters in just 1:25 1/5, and he would draw away from his foes through the stretch, winning by 3 1/4 lengths over Illini Earl (Brandon Bates). Bluebird Maverick (Dale Hiteman) collected third.

"He's an awfully nice horse. We got him for $100,000 at Harrisburg when he was a yearling, and he has done nothing but good stuff for us," stated Melanie Wrenn. "He just has the end of the season [stakes] here for us."

Owned by David McDuffee and L&L Devisser LLC., Swingforthefences is a Swan For All gelding and was bred by Concord Stud Farm. He made his tenth appearance in the winner's circle, has now banked $462,940, and paid $4.00 to win as the even-money favorite.

In the last Super Final of the night for colt and gelding pacers, Goldie's Legacy (Gingras) worked his way by Ultimaroca (Chris Page) going to the 26 1/5 opening quarter, and then Virgo (Trace Tetrick) rushed from third to first racing to the 55 1/5 half. On the far turn Virgo hooked up in a battle with a first-over Betterrock (Sam Widger), and those two were side-by-side at the 1:22 1/5 three-quarters. In the lane Virgo dispatched Betterrock for good, but Roll Em (Tim Tetrick), who wasn't able to keep up with Betterrock from second-over on the bend, hit top gear and surged by Virgo inside the last sixteenth to prevail by a length and a half in 1:49 3/5. Goldie's Legacy ended up third.

"[I didn't know] anything about him really, just that he was kind of lazy, and he's got big lungs. He's not real quick, but he keeps coming. It worked out," Tim Tetrick said. "He's a big, strong horse, and he's got a velvet mouth. He does everything nice. He's just not real super fast, but he keeps coming.

"I was hoping for more [action], actually. I was trying to squeeze out there a little bit early and get an earlier spot because I didn't mind to be first-up, but then they just slowed it down. When I saw Trace get a second quarter that slow, I was a little worried. Then Sam came and really poured on the gas in the third quarter. My horse couldn't pace the third quarter that fast, but once he got straightened up, he finished it up."

The victorious Time To Roll gelding is trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., Frank Baldachino, and Beasty LLC. Roll Em, who was bred by David and Karen Arrenholz, along with DTM Stable, picked up his ninth victory, increased his earnings to $249,945, and returned $4.20 to win.