Anderson, IN – Harrah’s Hoosier Park played host to a pair of $25,000 finals on Friday (May 15), with Starlit Dan Dover rallying late to pull off a monster upset in the Expresson and Fresh Face Yankee cruising on the engine as the heavy favorite in the Msnaughtybynature.
Meanwhile, M-M-s Bud wired the field in the $22,000 Open Pace which served as the co-feature on the 14-race program.
The Expresson was first for Indiana-sired trotting males who were non-winners of two or $30,000 lifetime as of March 15. Kyle Wilfong had the steer aboard the LeWayne Miller-trained Starlit Dan Dover, sent off at 23-1 from post 2.
Off the wings, Starlit Dan Dover eased to the rail behind stablemate Nighthawk Zette (driven by LeWayne Miller) into fourth while Kousin Karl (Trace Tetrick) led Ron Burke stablemate August Salazar (John DeLong) to the quarter in :28.2. Sunday Swagger (Marcus Miller) was parked and pressing on the backstretch, before cruising to the lead at the halfway point in :57. Heading to the three-quarters in 1:25.1, the field transitioned to two-by-two along the track from positions one through six, led by Sunday Swagger with August Salazar to his outside and Starlit Dan Dover third-over.
Down the stretch, August Salazar snatched the lead and opened up by three lengths midway through the stretch; however, Starlit Dan Dover exploded along the outside of the homestretch in :28.2 to hit the wire in a career best 1:54.1 a quarter-length in front of the previously unbeaten August Salazar. Tuggin Thomas (Jordan Ross) staged a late rally from the backfield to be third, with Nighthawk Zette fourth.
The victorious 3-year-old Dover Dan gelding is owned by Richard Freese, L+N Racing, Matthew Lamont, and Dynamic Stables LLC. Starlit Dan Dover increased his lifetime earnings to $32,087 and achieved his first win of the season. Starlit Dover Dan paid $48.20 to win.
In the filly counterpart, the 2025 Indiana-Sired Fair Circuit Champion, Fresh Face Yankee, was a dominant front-end winner to stay perfect on the year in the Msnaughtybynature.
Trainer Jay Cross was aboard the 1-2 favorite, leaving alertly from post 4 and trotting to the quarter in :28.3 with Make It Spicy (Kyle Wilfong) trotting in the pocket from the rail. Fresh Face Yankee went unchallenged to the halfway point in :58 before Dial Nine One One (John DeLong) dialed up pressure first-over and alongside the leader to three-quarters in 1:26.4.
Turning for home, Fresh Face Yankee turned away the first-over challenge before Make It Spicy took her shot from the pocket. Fresh Face Yankee gained separation in the stretch however, trotting home into the wind in :28 to cross the wire 2-lengths clear of Make It Spicy in a career best 1:54.4. Expressive Gal (Atlee Bender) secured the show spot, with Dial Nine One One rounding out the super.
Owned by Tim Smith, the $5,000 purchase at the 2024 Midwest Classic Yearling Sale has now banked $65,710 for her career. The 3-year-old daughter of Crescent Fashion has won 12 of 18 lifetime.
Just prior, M-M-s Bud, driven by John DeLong for trainer Alvin Miller, continued his hot start to the season as he cruised to his third victory, winning the $22,000 Open I-II Pace.
In post 6, M-M-s Bud was all business shooting out of the gate to beat the eight-horse field to the first quarter turn in :26.3, just ahead of Little Rocket Man (Kyle Wilfong). Getting caught on the outside, Ardens Ace N (LeWayne Miller) struggled to find an opening along the cones on the backstretch as Round Here Buzz (Atlee Bender) held in third.
M-M-s Bud stayed steady as he continued to lead the field to the halfway point in :54.2. Around the turn, M-M-s Bud and Little Rocket Man started to separate themselves as the rest of the field. M-M-s Bud continued to show the way for the rest of the pacers to the three-quarter turn in 1:22.2.
Growing his lead down the stretch, M-M-s Bud opened up by two lengths while Little Rocket Man tried to gear up a rally from the pocket and Crooked Smile began to close from the backfield. Despite drifting out late, M-M-s Bud held sway to reach the wire first by three parts of a length in 1:49.4. Crooked Smile got up for second while Little Rocket Man settled for third.
M-M-s Bud is a 5-year-old Telllitlikeitis gelding owned by Ted Comerford, Alvin Miller, and Marvin Schwartz. With his third win of the season, M-M-s Bud boosted his lifetime earnings to $344,821. M-M-s Bud paid $7.40 to win.
Racing continues at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Saturday (May 16) with a 13-race program set to get underway at 5:30 p.m. (EDT). There will be live coverage of the Harrah’s Hoosier Park card on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) from 8-11 p.m., where a national audience will watch as On To Norway attempts to score his 25th straight victory in the $22,000 Open Trot in Race 10.