Harrah's Hoosier Park: Stakes events, track record occur on Saturday night

Three-year-old pacing colts and geldings took their turn in the spotlight in Indiana Sires Stakes action on Saturday, July 18 at Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. Two divisions, worth $34,000 and $36,750, brought 21 Indiana-sired competitors ready to battle in their second round of stakes action. The standouts were Odds On Osiris, with Peter Wrenn, who equaled his lifetime mark and Caribbean Escape, with John DeLong, who turned in an impressive rally in the stretch. Not to be outdone by the pacing colts, Majestic Player, an Australian-bred trotter, captured the $15,000 Open and match the track record for older trotters, clocking a 1:51 1/5 victory with Sam Widger in the bike.

Odds On Osiris kicked off the stakes action for the evening in the opening section as he took the lead from the coveted post five. As the gate opened, he was followed by Dry Creek Sam, with Robert Taylor, and Island Of The Sea, with Mike Oosting. Clocking fractions of 25 3/5 and 54 3/5, Odds On Osiris remained unchallenged until the three-quarters in 1:24 1/5 when Dry Creek Sam was attacking on the outside. The two matched strides down the stretch, while Clever Character, with Dale Hiteman, was also winding up from behind. When the clock stopped in 1:50 3/5, it was Odds On Osiris who reached the wire first. Roll With Time, with LeWayne Miller, arrived late on the scene for second, while Island Of The Sea finished third. Odds On Osiris paid $3.60 to win at the betting windows.

"It's been an interesting year, but he's exactly where I was hoping he'd be at this point," Wrenn noted after the victory. "That was a nice mile and I was very impressed with his class tonight."

Odds On Osiris, a son of Rockin Image-Antigua Hanover, brought his lifetime bankroll to $366,895 with his eighth lifetime win. He is owned by Odds On Racing and was bred by Merlie Schwartz.

Division two brought a full field of 11, but that didn't deter Caribbean Escape from rallying late to score his second straight stakes victory. Using similar tactics from his first round victory, Caribbean Escape was uninvolved in the early tussle as Sawyer's Desire and Ricky Macomber Jr. followed the wings of the gate for the lead. Caribbean Escape showed his stamina, as he was second-over through the first quarter in 26 1/5 and remained there through the half, which went on the board in 54 seconds. Always And Again, with Ken Holliday, wanted their turn on the front and led the field into the final turn.

As the field turned for home after three-quarters in 1:22 2/5, Always And Again was still on top while Caribbean Escape joined the cavalry charging toward the wire from third-over. DeLong tipped Caribbean Escape late in the lane, and he dug in gamely to put a nose in front and to stop the clock in 1:51. Caribbean Escape paid $9.60 to win for his betting backers. Northern Cadillac and Joey Putnam closed from the clouds to finish second, while Family Recipe and LeWayne Miller got up for third.

"With the eight-hole in an 11-horse field, I figured we would have a tough trip," DeLong noted. "We needed speed up front and that's exactly what happened. This horse has come a long way in a short amount of time."

Trained by K. Dean Glispie, who also co-owns with Barbara Schlagetter and Gail Potter, Caribbean Escape added a third lifetime win to his record. Bred by Stephanie Smith, the son of Bring On The Beach-Caribbean now sports a lifetime bankroll of $46,142.

Grabbing the spotlight before the ISS races was 6-year-old trotting gelding Majestic Player. After sitting last for much of the mile, Majestic Player used an incredible stretch rally to get up in the final strides to score his fifth straight victory. With the 1:51 1/5 clocking, Majestic Player not only established a new lifetime-best but also equaled the track record at Harrah's Hoosier Park for older trotters. Trained by Walter Haynes Jr., Majestic Player remains undefeated in three starts at Harrah's Hoosier Park.

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