Harrah's Hoosier Park: Hot start for Tetrick in Indiana Sires Stakes

Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino played host to a stakes-filled card on Monday, May 30, as the evening's 13-race card featured 10 divisions of Indiana Sires Stakes for the 3-year-old competitors. It marked the start of the 2022 stakes season and also a successful evening for Harrah's Hoosier Park's leading driver, Trace Tetrick, who won six of the evening's 13 races. Tetrick kicked things off with a win in the first race on the program but his first Indiana Sires Stakes win wouldn't come until the ninth race.

The trotting fillies were the first to square off, and it was Bluebird Dove and driver Peter Wrenn who came out on top in the $47,000 opening division. Stopping the timer in 1:53 2/5, Bluebird Dove sat the pocket on the heavily-favored Luv Lorelei and Robert Taylor before getting up in the final strides of the mile for the win. The time bested her lifetime mark by nearly three seconds. The daughter of Swan For All-Goosebump Hanover is trained by Melanie Wrenn and owned by David McDuffee and L&L Devisser LLC.

Driver Peter Wrenn had a driving double on the program as he also scored in the very next stakes, the first $34,500 Indiana Sires Stakes division for pacing fillies, with Alloutblitz for trainer Jeff Cullipher. It would once again be a late stretch showdown between favorites. After grinding the mile first-up, Alloutblitz would valiantly fend off Marvelous Marshia and John De Long to score in a lifetime-best 1:51 4/5. The JK Endofanera filly trained by Jeff Cullipher picked up her first win in three tries on the season, and pushed her career bankroll to $109,334 for owners Pollack Racing and Jeff Cullipher.

Cullipher had a training double on the program as he also sent out Always Gonna B You who was victorious in her split of the stakes action for pacing fillies in 1:49 4/5. With De Long in the bike, Always Gonna B You converted a pocket trip into a new lifetime mark. Owned in partnership by Roll The Dice Stable and the Val D'Or Farms, the daughter of Always A Virgin—Passing Fancy scored her second win of the season and fifth lifetime victory.

The final division of the stakes action for pacing fillies went to Trick Of The Light and Tetrick. Trick Of The Light went gate-to-wire and held off JK's Rollin Baby with Atlee Bender to win in 1:50 3/5. The time established a new lifetime-best for the Brian Brown trainee. The daughter of Odds On Equuleus-Gordjus has now won two of three seasonal starts.

Tetrick teamed up with trainer Erv Miller to record two victories in stakes action. The Longest Yard made his seasonal debut a winning one after he stopped the timer in 1:50 2/5 in a spit of the stakes action for pacing colts and geldings. The gelded son of Rockin Image-Balinska Hanover used a 26 2/5 closing quarter to hold off Fulfillnmydestiny and driver/trainer James Yoder. With the victory, The Longest Yard established a new lifetime-best clocking and recorded his fourth lifetime win for owners Rocco Ruffolo and Douglas Overhiser.

Ponda Adventure also made his seasonal debut a winning one for Miller, as he looked every bit the part of a 3-5 favorite. Stopping the timer in 1:53 3/5, Ponda Adventure went gate-to-wire to score in a new lifetime mark and also get the win by nearly three lengths over Flat Out Foxy and Sam Widger. Ponda Adventure is owned in partnership by Engel Stable of IL LLC., Jerry Graham and Louis Willinger.

Tetrick's sixth win on the program came behind gelding pacer JK Victory for trainer Ron Burke. The son of JK Endofanera-GT Miss Royal converted a sharp, front-stepping effort into his first seasonal victory for 3 Brothers Stable and Caviart Farms. The 1:49 1/5 winning time was also a new lifetime-best for JK Victory.

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The 2021 Indiana Sires Stakes 2-year-old trotting colt champion Dover In Motion was victorious in the opening division of the stakes action for that group. Also utilizing a gate-to-wire strategy, Dover In Motion was in a race of his own as he stopped the timer in a new lifetime-best of 1:52 4/5 and won by nearly six lengths. Driven by Ricky Macomber Jr. and trained by Jamie Macomber, the son of Dover Dan-Keystone Sadie has now won nine of ten lifetime starts.

The 2021 Indiana Sires Stakes 2-year-old trotting filly champion, M-M's Dream, also opened her 3-year-old season in impressive fashion with a victory of her own in her split of the stakes action. With regular pilot Sam Widger in the bike, M-M's Dream used a 27 second closing quarter to track down Swan Trixie and Peter Wrenn late in the lane. Trained by Henry Graber Jr., the daughter of Swan For All-Trading Places stopped the timer in 1:54 4/5 to establish a new lifetime-best and her first win of the season.

Ponda Warrior established a new lifetime-best of his own after a 1:49 1/5 front-end score in the opening split of the stakes action for pacing colts and geldings. Driven by Jimmy Whittemore for trainer Jay Hochstetler, the son of Rockin Image-Sweetnsinful went to the front and never looked back en route to his second consecutive victory this season. Ponda Warrior is owned in partnership by Jay Hochstetler, Finkelberg Racing, and South of the Tracks Rac LLC.

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