Hoosier: Grand Swan gets tested in Crossroads of America

LeWayne Miller knows Grand Swan is good. He is still trying to figure out just how good.

Grand Swan brings a four-race win streak to Friday’s $120,000 Crossroads of America Stakes for 3-year-old female trotters at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The filly has won 10 of 13 races overall this season, including the Indiana Sire Stakes championship and divisions of the Pegasus and Circle City stakes.

For her career, she has 18 victories in 25 starts and has finished worse than second only twice. She has earned $575,900 and is owned by Grand Swan Racing, Go Fast Stable, and Never 2 Late Stable.

“She’s done very well for us,” said Miller, who co-owns, trains and drives Grand Swan. “She’s a big, strong mare. I really don’t feel like we’ve seen the best of her just because she likes to race against someone. She’s not one that will draw off and win by five; she waits on other horses to chase her.

“I really don’t know how good she is. There were a few times when you thought she was beat, they’d come eye her up, and then she would take off with them.”

Grand Swan faces nine foes in the Crossroads of America. The field includes The Ice Dutchess, a multiple Grand Circuit winner coming off a third-place finish in the Breeders Crown, and $10,000-supplemental entry Pure Chance, who brings her own four-race win streak to Friday’s race.

A daughter of stallion Swan For All, Grand Swan is out of the mare Queen Mum. Joe Yoder, who is part of the Grand Swan Racing ownership group, bought Queen Mum in foal with the filly and trained Grand Swan down at age 2 before turning her over to Miller. She won eight of 12 races last season and continued to blossom after turning 3.

“She grew up a lot and matured a lot,” Miller said. “Last year I didn’t feel comfortable getting locked in or sitting with her for a long time, she just got a little too anxious last year. This year training her down we trained her to help her with that and she really learned from it.

“Her manners (are her best attribute). She’s very professional and takes care of herself. In the post parade and scoring down she’s nice and relaxed. When you ask her to go, she goes. She does whatever you want to do.”

Following the Crossroads of America, Grand Swan is eligible to the Matron Stakes at Dover Downs. The race would take Grand Swan out of Indiana for the first time.

“We’re planning on that,” Miller said. “Then we’ll turn her out and bring her back (next year) and see how she is. We’re probably going to stake her to some of the aged races. We want to be careful because it’s a tougher transition from 3 to 4, so we’ll probably pick our spots.”

Friday’s card at Harrah’s Hoosier Park also includes the $120,000 USS Indianapolis Memorial for 3-year-old female pacers, $220,000 Carl Erskine for 3-year-old male trotters, and $225,000 Monument Circle for 3-year-old male pacers.