Hoosier Park: Always A Prince breaks through in Jenna's Beach Boy

Indiana standout Always A Prince picked up his first career Grand Circuit victory by taking the $155,000 Jenna's Beach Boy for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers on Friday night's stacked stakes program at Hoosier Park.

Driven by Trace Tetrick, Always A Prince got away second behind Jimmy Freight (Louis-Philippe Roy) and followed him through opening-half fractions of 25 2/5 and 55. Rockinbeach (Ricky Macomber Jr.) had gotten away sixth and last but was out and moving first-up before the half, and he was able to get around Jimmy Freight past the half.

On the far turn Jimmy Freight pulled back to the outside, and that gave Always A Prince second-over cover to three-quarters, which went up on the board in 1:22. In the lane Tetrick fired Always A Prince three-wide, and he overhaul both Rockinbeach and Jimmy Freight. From there, Always A Prince turned it on, pacing away to win by two lengths in 1:48 4/5. Shnitzledosomethin (David Miller) came up the passing lane to grab second over Jimmy Freight.

"It worked out like I thought for the most part," said Tetrick. "The horse, he's versatile. You can go either way. On the front, off-the-pace, he tries real hard. You can't ask him to do any more than that."

Tyler George trains Always A Prince, an Always A Virgin gelding, for owners Carl and Melanie Atley. Always A Prince, who was unraced as a 2-year-old, has a record of 15-1-0 from 18 attempts this year, and he has banked $274,000. He was the 4-5 second choice and returned $3.80 to win.

Sophomore filly pacers raced on the card in a $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final, and Voom Or Bang (John De Long) was victorious in 1:51 1/5. A daughter of Always A Virgin, Voom Or Bang is trained by Roger Welch and scored her eighth lifetime win.