Harrah's Hoosier Park: Sunny Dee shines in USS Indianapolis Memorial

Sunny Dee, sent postward as the 4-5 favorite, captured the $120,000 U.S.S. Indianapolis Memorial for 3-year-old pacing fillies at Harrah's Hoosier Park on Friday night. The Ontario-bred daughter of Sunshine Beach covered the mile in 1:52 for driver Tim Tetrick.

Summer Charm left the gate boldly from post eight, with Sunny Dee yielding early in the mile for the pocket, but Tetrick, after seeing the first quarter posted in 28 2/5, regained control on the backstretch. Sunny Dee carved out rated fractions of 56 3/5 and 1:24 2/5 as Rockin Nola challenged without cover during the third quarter, followed at a distance by Pansy's Image and Fully A Virgin in the outside cover flow.

Tetrick kept Sunny Dee on her mission in the stretch, and the Robert McIntosh-trained filly, who most recently finished fourth in the Breeders Crown final, was able to kick home in 27 3/5, holding off a strong late rally by JK American Beauty for the victory. Fully A Virgin, hampered when her cover flow stopped on the final turn, gamely rallied for third ahead of early leader Summer Charm and Rockin Nola.

Bred and co-owned by McIntosh, along with C S X Stable and Al McIntosh, Sunny Dee was a winner for the 13th time in 22 career starts, all taken as a sophomore. With the victory she increased her career earnings to $436,595.

Sunny Dee paid $3.60 to win.