Harrah's Hoosier: Rookie trotting males start Indiana Sires Stakes campaigns

Two-year-old colt and gelding trotters commenced their Indiana Sires Stakes season with a trio of splits on Friday night at Harrah's Hoosier Park.

In the first $46,000 tilt, Dover In Motion (Ricky Macomber Jr.), who started from a trailing post ten, raced in eighth and seventh through fractions of 27 4/5, 57 2/5, and 1:27 1/5, and charged home in 27 1/5 to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:56 3/5. Racer Dan (James Yoder) came in second after doing the early pace-making, and Sweet Boy Ben (Sam Widger) checked in third.

A gelding from the first crop of Dover Dan, Dover In Motion is trained by Jamie Macomber for owners M & M Racing and Norbert Maza. Dover In Motion, who is out of the Yankee Glide mare Keystone Sadie, was bred by Lyle Schlabach and won in his career debut after also taking his lone qualifier. Dover In Motion paid $5.00 to win as the 3-2 favorite.

Ponda Adventure (Trace Tetrick) posted panels of 29, 58 1/5, and 1:27 4/5 in the next $46,000 grouping, and a 27 2/5 final kicker got him to the wire three-parts of a length ahead of Yo Mister (Verlin Yoder) in a 1:55 1/5 mile. Dj Dan (Mike Oosting) finished third.

Bred by Pond-A-Acres, Ponda Adventure is a Swan For All-Wildflower (Muscle Hill) gelding trained by Erv Miller for owners Engel Stable Of IL, Lou Willinger, and Jerry Graham. Ponda Adventure has won both of his appearances, has now pocketed $28,000, and returned $7.40 to win as the 5-2 second choice.

The final $49,200 division saw Griffey (Matt Krueger) on the engine through stations of 28 2/5, 58 1/5, and 1:28, but Iwon't Backdown AS (Elliott Deaton), who got away in fourth and then was shuffled back on the last turn after sitting in, rallied with a last quarter in 27 seconds to get up and prevail by a length in 1:56 3/5. Griffey had to settle for second, and Summit City Sonny (Joey Putnam) was elevated from fourth to third after unofficial third-place finisher Muscle Valley (Macomber Jr.) was deemed to have caused interference in the backstretch.

Anette Lorentzon trains Iwon't Backdown As, a Lionhunter-Fortunes Dream (Cantab Hall) gelding, for owner-breeder ACL Stuteri AB. Iwon't Backdown As, who was making his pari-mutuel debut after a win and a third in two qualifiers at The Red Mile, was dispatched at 12-1 and paid $26.60 to win.