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

Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino played host to a stakes-filled card on Friday, August 30 as the Indiana Sires Stakes season pressed on with two divisions 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings worth $50,000 and $50,000, and two splits ($67,500 and $72,080) for the 2-year-old male pacers highlighting the evening’s 13-race card.

Familiar faces found the winner’s circle, all of last week’s divisional round winners repeated in their respective contests, and three of the four winners delivered as the heavy betting favorite.

In the opening section of the stakes action, Rockie Got Framed turned in another gritty performance to record back-to-back stakes wins in the 3-year-old pacing colt division in 1:49 3/5. With regular pilot Ricky Macomber Jr. in the sulky, Rockie Got Framed moved first-over around the final turn and used a 26 2/5 last quarter to hold off the post time favorite, Shamwow (LeWayne Miller), and get the win by a head. The pace-setting Tellmeaboutit and Mike Oosting held on for third. Sent off as the publics’ second choice at 2-1, Rockie Got Framed returned $6.20 to his backers at the betting windows.

“The trip didn’t work out at all like I thought it would,” Macomber Jr. noted after the victory. “The last few starts though, he’s showed that he loves to fight horses off. We made a few equipment changes in the last few starts, and he’s really turning into a tough race horse. He loves to fight them off.”

With the win, Rockie Got Framed posted his fifth win from his last six starts and eighth victory from 16 starts this season. Owned in partnership by Rocco Ruffolo and Eleven Star Stable, the gelded son Rockin Image-Carousel upped his lifetime bankroll to $166,606. The 1:49 3/5 clocking equaled the lifetime-best the Jamie Macomber trainee established against stakes company last week. Rockie Got Framed was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms.

Odds On Osiris kicked off the stakes action for the 2-year-old competitors and won with authority as he once again stamped himself as one of the top freshman colts in the Hoosier State. With driver Peter Wrenn in the sulky, Odds On Osiris turned a pocket trip into a 1:51 4/5 victory and made good on his 1-5 post time odds. Employing a 26 2/5 final panel, the Melanie Wrenn trainee finished two lengths in front of Always And Again and Trace Tetrick to record his third straight victory. Stellar BB and Robert Taylor utilized a ground-saving trip to get up for third. Odds On Osiris returned $2.60 to his backers at the betting windows.

“He’s really coming into himself,” Wrenn said. “He’s starting to get really handy. You never know with these young colts going these big miles week in and week out but as long as he keeps coming back with these type of miles, that’s what you want.”

Odds On Osiris, the 2019 Fox Stake Champion, has now won three of five starts this season as he pushed his lifetime earnings to $89,365. The gelded son of Rockin Image-Antigua Hanover is owned by Odds On Racing and was bred by Merlie Schwartz.

Little Rocket Man looked every bit the part of a 6-5 favorite as he used a front-end effort to capture his split of the Indiana Sires Stakes action for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, stopping the timer in 1:49 1/5. Tetrick sent Little Rocket Man away from the gate firing and dictated the pace past the opening quarter before fighting off a late surge from White Hair Rocks and John De Long to get the win by a head. Pure Rock and Rick Plano utilized a pocket trip to round out the trifecta. Little Rocket Man returned $4.40 at the betting windows.

“Well, I didn’t necessarily want to be on the front,” Tetrick admitted after the win. “That’s the way the race worked out, and it ended up working out for us. He did all the work. He raced super again, he shows up every week.”

Trained by Melissa Essig, Little Rocket Man recorded his second straight stakes win and tenth victory from 13 lifetime outings. The gelded son of Rockin Image-Gt Miss Royal is owned by Russell Beeman and Jack Freeman and pushed his lifetime bankroll to $125,380 with the win. Unraced as a 2-year-old, Little Rocket Man was bred by Victory Hill Farm.

Clever Character used similar front-stepping tactics to capture the final split of the stakes action for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings in dominating fashion for driver Dale Hiteman. Stopping the timer in 1:52, Clever Character left alertly from post six to grab the lead just before the half and never looked back.

Kicking home in 26 4/5, the Timothy Smith trainee held off a fast-closing Sawyer’s Desire and Macomber Jr. to get the win by nearly two lengths and establish a new lifetime-best clocking in the process. High Impression and Sam Widger used a pocket trip to finish third. As the 3-5 post time favorite, Clever Character returned $3.40 at the betting windows.

“He’s the type of horse that makes you look good no matter how you drive him,” Hiteman said in the winner’s circle. “He’s got extreme speed and, knock on wood, has been healthy all season.”

With the win, the gelded son of Tellitlikeitis-Ruby Delight posted his second consecutive stakes victory and fourth trip to the winner’s circle in six starts this season. Owned and trained by Timothy Smith, Clever Character now sports a lifetime bankroll of $95,375 and was bred by Freedom Hill Farms.

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