by Emily Gaskin, for Hoosier Park

Anderson, IN — The Hoosier State’s top trotters and pacers were on display at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Wednesday (Aug. 1) as the Anderson, Ind., oval played host to a stakes filled 14-race card. Six $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals were featured on the program and each division delivered some outstanding harness racing battles. It was a night ruled by favorites and Hoosier Park’s leading driver, Trace Tetrick, who had five winners on the program.

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Glorious Virgin and Trace Tetrick delivered as the heavy favorite in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 2-year-old pacing fillies.

The action packed evening opened with the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 2-year-old pacing fillies and Glorious Virgin looked every bit the part of a 4-5 favorite as she overcame a tough, first-over bid to score in 1:51.1. Driven by Trace Tetrick, Glorious Virgin sat third for much of the mile before using a :26.3 closing quarter to record her second consecutive victory and make a clean sweep of the second round of stakes action. The 1:51.1 final time established a new lifetime best for the 2-year-old filly and equaled the national season’s mark for 2-year-old pacers.

Trained by Shane Bowermaster, Glorious Virgin has now won three of four lifetime starts. The homebred daughter of Always A Virgin-Bound For Glory has now amassed $66,500 in lifetime purse earnings for her connections at Emerald Highlands Farm.

“She’s a very smart filly,” Bowermaster noted in the winner’s circle. “The closer we got to qualifying her, the better she got. We haven’t had to make many adjustments to her so far — she has done everything we’ve asked of her.”

Following suit, Custom Cantab and Peter Wrenn delivered as the heavy 1-5 favorite in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 3-year-old trotting fillies. Custom Cantab dug in gamely late in the mile to hold off all challengers and find the wire first in 1:53.2. It was the fourth consecutive win of the season and sixth win from seven seasonal outings for the filly.

Red Rose Swan and LeWayne Miller dictated first half fractions of :27.4 and :56.1 while Custom Cantab opted for a pocket trip. Wrenn gave Custom Cantab the green light and the filly ranged up to take the lead just before the three-quarters in 1:24.4. Verlin Yoder had O So Easy on the attack first-over and Red Rose Swan was poised to strike from the pocket turning for home. Wrenn asked his mount for more and she dug in gamely to hold off all challengers and get the win by a head.

“She showed a lot of guts tonight,” Wrenn noted in the winner’s circle. “She’s smart about everything and her consistency is what sets her apart from the rest. She likes to win now, too.”

Trained by Christopher Beaver, who also co-owns the filly with Donald Robinson and RBH Ventures Inc., the daughter of Mr Cantab-Custom Model recorded her eighth lifetime victory from 19 trips behind the gate. Custom Cantab pushed her lifetime bankroll to $335,786 with the win.

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Fiftydallarbill extended his win streak to three in his split of the stakes action.

Fresh off a decisive win in his elimination last week, Fiftydallarbill turned in another gritty performance to take home top honors in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings. Overcoming the outside post nine, Fiftydallarbill utilized a :27.4 final panel to track down the pace-setting Katkin American and James Yoder in the final strides of the mile. With regular pilot Trace Tetrick at the lines, Fiftydallarbill stopped the timer in 1:52.4 and recorded his third consecutive victory.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better trip,” Tetrick noted after the win. “I knew one of us was going to be on the front but I was happy to sit behind. My colt has matured so much this year and he just gets better with every start.”

Recording his fifth win of the season from eight outings, Fiftydallarbill is trained by William Crone. The Breeders Crown 2-year-old trotting colt champion is owned by John Barnard and now sports a lifetime bankroll of $601,247.

The sole upset of the evening came in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 3-year-old pacing fillies as Neverforgetwhour went gate-to-wire in 1:52 at odds of 5-1. With Elliott Deaton in the bike, Neverforgetwhour set splits of :26.3, :54.3 and 1:22.4 and held on gamely to get the win by a head over a hard-charging It’s Time For Fun and Brandon Bates. The 1:52 clocking was a new lifetime best for the sophomore filly.

Trained, owned and bred by Anette Lorentzon, the daughter of Always A Virgin-Book Babe notched her third win from six seasonal starts. With the win, Neverforgetwhour pushed her lifetime bankroll over the $100,000 mark.

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Outloud and Peter Wrenn equaled the national season’s mark for 2-year-old pacers with a 1:51.1 score in the 2-year-old pacing colt final.

The 2-year-old pacing colts were up next in their split of the stakes action and it was Outloud and driver Peter Wrenn who staged an impressive rally late in the lane to get up in the final strides of the mile and stop the timer in 1:51.1. Sitting next to last at the top of the stretch, Outloud employed a :26.2 final quarter to surge past Ima Real Ladys Man and Michael Oosting to put a nose in front. The 1:51.1 clocking was a new lifetime best and equaled the national season’s mark for 2-year-old pacers.

“That was amazing, wasn’t it?” Wrenn said in the winner’s circle. “My plan was to race him off the pace and try to work out a trip. The trip didn’t work out but he made up for it. He carried his speed a long way and he was very strong at the wire.”

Trained by Melanie Wrenn, Outloud recorded his third win of the season and second consecutive Hoosier Park victory. Owned in partnership by Dana Parham and Howard Taylor, the gelded son of Tellitlikeitis-Incredible Kitty has now earned $77,150 in lifetime purse earnings.

Tetrick would get back to the winner’s circle in the final split of the stakes action, the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, with the heavily favored Always A Prince. Benefitting from a pocket trip, Always A Prince made his game winning move around the last turn and never looked back. Stopping the timer in 1:49.3, Always A Prince coasted to the wire under a hand drive to finish seven lengths to the good over the pace-setting Shnitzledosomethin and Peter Wrenn.

“He’s got a lot of early speed but he will let you do whatever you want with him,” Tetrick noted after the victory. “I knew I wanted to be close to the front but he’s a great horse so I just let him do his job.”

Trained by Tyler George, the gelded son of Always A Virgin-Glorious Princess recorded his 11th lifetime win from 13 trips behind the gate. Unraced as a 2-year-old, Always A Prince has now earned $138,000 for Carl and Melanie Atley.

It was the third round of five $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals for 3-year-old competitors and the second round of five for the rookies. All of the evening’s divisional winners earned valuable points for the season-culminating $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals slated for Oct. 12 at Hoosier Park.

Live racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will continue on Thursday (Aug. 2) with a 14-race card. With a daily post time of 6:30 p.m., live racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will follow a Tuesday through Saturday schedule and be conducted through Nov. 10. For more information on the upcoming entertainment and live racing schedule, please visit www.hoosierpark.com.