Harrah's Hoosier Park: Indiana Sires Stakes season begins for rookie pacing males

Two-year-old pacing colts and geldings were the featured attraction at Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Thursday, July 15, as the evening's 13-race card was highlighted by two Indiana Sires Stakes divisions. It was the first round of six preliminary legs in the event.

Buzzsaw Russ turned his career debut into an eye-catching, off-the pace 1:53 score in the first $70,000 Indiana Sires Stakes split. With driver John DeLong in the bike, Buzzsaw Russ employed a 25 1/5 closing kick to get the win by a length and a half over Why Not Now and Peter Wrenn. Bible Thumper and Daryl Bontrager, who were the pace-setters for much of the mile, finished third. Coach Stefanos and Trace Tetrick were sent off as the betting favorite but made a costly break in the first turn. As the public's second choice, Buzzsaw Russ returned $9.20 to his backers at the betting windows.

Trained by Missy Essig, the son of Rockin Image-Up Front Cruiser scored his first lifetime victory after a pair of qualifying victories at Harrah's Hoosier Park. Buzzsaw Russ is owned in partnership by Russell Beeman and Charles Weaver and was bred by Devon Beechy and Devon Knepp.

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In the second $69,500 flight, Art It Is and Brandon Bates converted a pocket trip into an impressive 1:51 2/5 score. Leaving from post nine, Bates gave Art It Is his marching orders, and he left the gate alertly to grab a seat behind the pace-setting Hetolditlikeitwas and DeLong.

Hetolditlikeitwas led the field through splits of 27 1/5, 56, and 1:24 3/5 before ever feeling a threat from the rest of the field. Art It Is tipped from the pocket turning for home and used a 26 2/5 closing kick to get the win by a length and a quarter. Hetolditlikeitwas was second while Dustin The Others and Jimmy Whittemore rallied gamely to finish third. Art It Is returned $12.00 to his backers at the betting windows.

Trained and co-owned by Mark P'pool, Art It Is recorded his second win from two lifetime starts. Dolne Farm Services LLC. and Therese Defabis co-own the gelded son of Tellitlikeitis-Jnb N Me. Legacy Acres bred Art It Is.

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