Hoosier Park: Great night for Verlin Yoder as he wins two Indiana Sires Stakes Super Finals for rookies

Trainer-driver Verlin Yoder won both $220,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Finals for 2-year-olds on the trot Friday night at a soggy and cold Hoosier Park, guiding It's A Herbie to an upset win over Swandre The Giant in the colt and gelding contest and dominating with Kissesforall in the filly flight.

It's A Herbie had finished second to Swandre The Giant (Yannick Gingras) on six occasions coming into tonight, but Yoder had his charge in the lead through opening-half fractions of 28 and 57 2/5 in the Super Final. Swandre The Giant and Gingras had to come three-wide in the backstretch to get around a parked Airman Kelly (Trace Tetrick), but were able to make front on the far turn. Swandre The Giant would go on to hit three-quarters in 1:27 and brought the field into the lane, but Yoder angled out for another shot with It's A Herbie, and he would get by Swandre The Giant late in the mile, winning by three-parts of a length in 1:56 1/5. Martini Show (David Miller) came from last at the half to get third.

"I knew I had to get a better half. He's got to be out and rolling," remarked Yoder, who also owns It's A Herbie. "He's not a big sprinter, so I knew I had to be up close and keep on rolling. He had a foot that blew out a couple of weeks ago. He just overcame it and laid it down. He did very good."

It's A Herbie, a Here Comes Herbie-Psychic Image colt who was a $22,000 acquisition at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale, sports a record of 3-7-1 from 12 trips behind the gate, and he now has a bankroll of $252,000. He paid $9.20 to win as the 7-2 second choice.

Kissesforall and Yoder really had no anxious moments in the rookie filly trot, leading through fractions of 28 1/5, 59 3/5, and 1:29 2/5, then pulling away with every stride through the lane for a 1:57 4/5 score. Measuredperfection (Ricky Macomber Jr.) sat a pocket trip and was second, 5 1/2 lengths back, and Kota`s Swan (Sam Widger) collected third.

"She has really progressed lately," offered Yoder. "She was late coming, and she's a big horse, but she's really come into herself now at the right time."

Yoder also co-owns Kissesforall, a Swan For All-Deliteful Debbie filly, with partner Eleven Star Stables. Purchased for $14,000 at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale, Kissesforall is now a five-time winner from 12 efforts, and she has pocketed $204,300. She was the 6-5 favorite and returned $4.40 to win.

Over on the pacing side it was Egomania (colt and gelding) and Rockin Nola (filly) emerging with victories.

Egomania (John De Long) worked out a second-over trip off fractions of 27 1/5, 55 1/5, and 1:24 1/5, took over the lead in upper stretch with a three-wide move, and held sway to prevail by a length and a quarter in 1:53. Always A Vavoom (Gingras) followed the cover from third-over and was second, with Outloud (Peter Wrenn) back in third.

"The pace was honest. Everything worked out great for us, and it showed," said Brian Brown, whose stable under Shane Bowermaster trains Egomania.

The victorious Always A Virgin-Has An Attitude colt is owned by Country Club Acres Inc., Jo e Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo, and John Fodera. Egomania, who was taken out of the Pre-Jug Mixed Sale last August for $20,000, made his fifth appearance in the winner's circle, and he has now banked $223,100. Egomania, sent off as the 2-1 choice, paid $6.60 to win.

Even-money favorite Glorious Virgin (Tetrick) showed the way through panels of 27 2/5, 56, and 1:25 in the filly pace, but she came up empty in the lane. That set the stage for a surprise, and Rockin Nola (Lewyane Miller) delivered it, coming on wide from third-over and getting up for the 1:53 tally at odds of 8-1. Queen Lagertha (D. Miller) was the runner-up after a first-up grind, and Lady Capulet (De Long) grabbed third.

"This filly's been getting better and better each week. She's a good finisher," said winning trainer and co-owner Joe Putnam. "Obviously I own a piece of her with a couple of my good owners, and we couldn't be more happy. I just wanted her to be in the flow, and it looked like it was going to work that way. This filly has a habit of running out late, so we were in a good spot."

A daughter of Rockin Image-Gottogetoutmore, Rockin Nola is co-owned by Suttons Bay Racing and Novi Trot LLC. A $15,000 Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale buy, this was Rockin Nola's fourth win from ten starts, and she has now earned $151,850. She returned $19.00 to win.