Harrah's Hoosier: Indiana Sires Stakes stars sharpen up for Super Finals Night

Indiana's top 3-year-old trotters and two-year-old colt and gelding pacers wrapped up their preliminary rounds of Indiana Sires Stakes action on the 14-race card at Harrah's Hoosier Park on Thursday, October 7.

Two divisions for the sophomore trotters of both sexes completed the eighth and final round of their preliminary Indiana Sires Stakes action, and the 2-year-old pacing colts and gelding wrapped up their sixth and final preliminary round,. All of the evening's winners stamped their tickets to compete for next week's season-culminating $2 million Hoosier Champions Night on Friday, October 15.

Trainer Melanie Wrenn sent two horses postward and scored a training double in stakes action on the evening. Shirley Goodness and Peter Wrenn converted a pocket trip into a 1:53 score over the heavily-favored Swift Swanda and Trace Tetrick in the opening race for 3-year-old trotting fillies. The 1:53 clocking was a new lifetime mark for the daughter of Swan For All-Stirling Debutant. Shirley Goodness has now won nine of 20 lifetime starts for owners Bill Beechy, Bradley Maxwell, and Kenneth Frieder.

Team Wrenn found the winner's circle once again in stakes action a little later on in the program with the 3-year-old trotting colt and heavily-favored Swingforthefences. Utilizing a gate-to-wire effort, Swingforthefences stopped the timer in 1:53 2/5 and equaled his lifetime mark in the process. Swingforthefences is owned in partnership by David McDuffee and L&L Devisser LLC.

Divisional leader Brookview Bolt turned in an impressive effort of his own to capture the second flight of the stakes action for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings. With regular pilot Sam Widger in the bike, Brookview Bolt employed a 27 4/5 closing quarter to track down his rivals and score by four lengths in 1:54 3/5. Trained by Ron Burke and owned by Burke Racing, Knox Services, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi, Brookview Bolt has now won eight of 13 outs this season.

The other $47,500 divisional winner for 3-year-old trotting fillies was Queen Of All and John De Long, who sprung the slight upset. Paying $17.00 to win, Queen Of All also utilized a pocket-sitting trip to score in a new lifetime mark of 1:54. Trained by Doug Rideout, the daughter of Swan For All-Ecstatic is owned by Julie Rideout, Peter Schmucker, and Glider Stables.

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De Long had four winners on the evening's program and his other stakes victory came behind Thunder Country in the second division for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Finding late racing room up the inside and using a 26 2/5 closing quarter, Thunder Country found the wire first and stopped the timer in 1:51 2/5. Trained by Michelle Finn and owned by Ervin Wickey, the gelded son of Rockin Image-Happy Feet Too recorded his third lifetime victory from 14 starts.

Gentle Giant turned in a decisive effort and went gate-to-wire in the opening tilt of the stakes action for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings. With driver Trace Tetrick in the bike for trainer Brian Brown, Gentle Giant stopped the timer in a new lifetime best of 1:50 4/5. Owned by Country Club Acres & Acadia Farms, J. Sbrocco, and In The Gym & Lombardo Racing, the son of Jk Endofanera-Miss Liz has now won two of nine lifetime starts.

--press release (Harrah's Hoosier Park)--