Hoosier Park: Grand Swan graceful in Indiana Sire Stakes win

Indiana-sired freshmen trotting fillies were the featured attraction at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Tuesday, July 10 as the evening’s 12-race card was highlighted by the first of five Indiana Sires Stakes finals and consolations during the week.

Grand Swan, with LeWayne Miller in the bike, was able to overcome the outside post position nine to find the winner’s circle in the $85,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Final for 2-year-old trotting fillies and make a clean sweep of the opening round of the stakes action. After scoring in 1:56 4/5 in her elimination last week, Grand Swan turned in another dominant performance to stop the timer in 1:56.

Miller sent Grand Swan away from the gate but would have to work for position as a host of others also left alertly. Measuredperfection and Ricky Macomber Jr., the heavy post time favorite, were the first to get a call through the opening panel in 28 seconds but eventually yielded the lead to Grand Swan who was unable to find a spot along the rail.

Grand Swan pressed on the front and led the field through splits of 57 4/5 and 1:27 4/5 before being tested. As the field turned for home, Macomber Jr. tipped Measuredperfection out from behind the leader and she quickly trotted up to engage the leader. Just when it looked like Measuredperfection may have the edge, Miller asked Grand Swan for more and she dug in gamely to get the win by a length. Measuredperfection was forced to settle for second-place honors while Sea Swan and Verlin Yoder utilized a ground-saving trip to round out the trifecta. Sent off at odds of 4-1, Grand Swan returned $10.80 to her backers at the betting windows.

“I knew I had to leave to get some kind of position,” Miller, who also trains and co-owns the filly, noted after the win. “I had to use her quite a bit getting to the front but she’s pretty special. She’s a special filly.”

With the win, the daughter of Swan For All-Queen Mum recorded her second seasonal win from four lifetime outings. The 1:56 clocking established a new lifetime best for Grand Swan as she pushed her career earnings to $50,125 for owners LeWayne Miller and Joe Yoder.

One of the biggest upsets of the evening came in the $20,000 Indiana Sires Stakes consolation for 2-year-old trotting fillies when Savannah’s Lucy staged a big rally late in the lane to get up in the final strides of the mile to score as the longest shot on the board. With Andy Shetler in the bike, Savannah’s Lucy returned $96.40 to her backers at the betting windows and stopped the timer in 1:58 1/5 to record her maiden-breaking victory. Trained and owned Aaron Stutzman, the daughter of Guccio-Seductive Lady has now amassed $10,375.

Indiana Sires Stakes action returns to Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Wednesday, July 11 with the first of five $75,000 finals for the 2-year-old pacing fillies offered in 2018. The evening’s 14-race card will also feature a $20,000 Guaranteed Hoosier High-5 pool with $6,686.61 in carryover money.

-edited release (Emily Gaskin for Hoosier Park)