Anderson, IN — On a card with nine total stakes races, Sabonis headlined the Caesars Trotting Classic undercard, securing his 12th straight victory of the season in the $115,000 Jenna’s Beach Boy for 3-year-old colt pacers at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Friday (Sept. 20).
Sabonis earned an automatic nomination into the Jenna’s Beach Boy following a victory in the $75,000 Hoosier Cup in his last outing.
Leaving from post five with regular pilot Joey Putnam aboard, Sabonis skirted the pylons to narrowly get the job done as the 1-5 favorite.
Putnam grabbed command early with the fired up Sabonis, crossing over to the pylons in front at the quarter in :26.2. Howlenthehills (Matt Kakaley) pressed on to the lead after being parked on the first turn, taking over before reaching the half in :55.2. M-M-s Bud (Jay Cross) moved first-over from third, going after Howlenthehills at three-quarters in 1:24 while Sabonis swelled in the pocket.
Howlenthehills and M-M-s Bud slugged it out at the top of the lane before Sabonis joined the fray, swerving sharply to the passing lane while clipping a few pylons in doing so. Sabonis was able to gather his momentum, surging up the lightning lane in :25.4 to get by Howlenthehills by a half-length in 1:50.1. M-M-s Bud held for the show spot.
The win was the second for both Putnam and trainer Aaron Stutzman in the Jenna’s Beach Boy, teaming up with Soaring Now to take the 2022 edition. Sabonis has won 15 of 16 on the year. The son of Tellitlikeitis-Gypsy Bellevue has banked $445,750 this season for owner Pat Miller.
Lets Go Endofaera kept her seasonal streak alive a race before, pacing to her sixth straight victory in the $75,000 Carl Becker for Indiana Sired 3-year-old pacing fillies.
Driver John De Long found himself parked with the 2-5 favorite on the first turn, racing to the outside of Jada Caroline (Marvin Luna) through a first quarter of :26.4. Lets Go Endofaera cleared on the backstretch, backing the pace down to the half in :56.3. Dexter Dunn fired up fellow elim winner Teelatini up from fourth, surging first-over to take on Lets Go Endofaera at three-quarters in 1:24.4.
The battle raged turning for home, with Lets Go Endofaera digging in to counter the surging Teelatini. Powering home in :26.2, Lets Go Endofaera edged away late, crossing the wire a length clear in 1:51.1 over Teelatini. Lyin’ Eyes (Joey Putnam) finished third.
The Indiana Sire Stakes champion at two, Let’s Go Endofaera has won eight of nine on the season for trainer Tabby De Long. John De Long co-owns along with William and Jesse De Long. who bred the daughter of JK Endofanera-Let’s Go Higher. Lets Go Endofaera has made $267,390 on the year and $552,290 for her career.
In addition to the sophomore pace stakes, Harrah’s Hoosier Park hosted stakes for all four freshman divisions along with the Phil Langley Memorial for 3-year-old trotting colts.
The Madison County
Kicking off the stakes action for the evening was a talented group of nine freshman trotting colts going to post in the $100,000 Madison County Stakes and it was driver Kyle Wilfong who sent Operator to the front and never looked back. Stopping the timer in 1:54.3, Operator left alertly from post eight to dictate fractions of :29.1, :58.3 and 1:27 before holding off a late surge from Monserrate and driver Todd McCarthy. Cheers Hanover and David Miller converted a pocket trip into a third place finish. Slightly dismissed at odds of 11-1, Operator returned $25.40 to his backers at the betting windows.
Trained by Jay Hochstetler, Operator recorded his third win from eight seasonal starts. With the win, the gelded son of You Know You Do-Crazyasclassic pushed his seasonal earnings to $85,005 for owners Connie and Homer Hochstetler, Robert Buddig, and Allen Schwartz. Operator was bred by Christopher Nissley.
The Elevation
Driver John DeLong utilized similar tactics in the very next stakes race on the program as he steered Avanti to a front stepping victory for trainer Melissa Essig in the $100,000 Elevation Pace for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings. With a final time of 1:51.1, Avanti left enough in the tank to hold off a fast-closing Odds On Brahmastra and driver Peter Wrenn late in the lane. TH Colby and Yannick Gingras rounded out the trifecta. Sent off as the betting favorite, Avanti returned $6.40 at the betting windows.
Owned in partnership by Rocco Ruffolo and Fac Racing, Avanti scored his second win of the season and established a new lifetime best in the process. The gelded son of Rockin Image-Sayulita pushed his lifetime bankroll to $111,900 with the victory.
The Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes
The $185,000 Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes delivered thrilling performances with Sammy Jo Hanover capturing the 2-year-old pacing filly division and a dramatic dead heat finish between Kendra and Voguish in the trotting filly division.
Sammy Jo Hanover, driven by Tim Tetrick and trained by Scott Di Domenico, showcased her talent with a decisive victory in 1:51.2. Tetrick sent Sammy Jo Hanover away from the gate firing but she yielded the lead to Always Ana Hanover and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. just before the half. When the field turned for home, Sammy Jo Hanover found a :27 closing kick to surge past Always Ana Hanover and hold off Wunderkindbluechip and Scott Zeron. Sammy Jo Hanover returned $12.60 to her backers at the betting windows.
The 2-year-old daughter of Captaintreacherous-Sammy’s Magic Girl equaled her lifetime mark, delivering her second win from eight seasonal starts. Sammy Jo Hanover, bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, is owned by Oompa’s Farm and Joseph Barbera.
The 2-year-old trotting filly division added even more excitement, as Kendra and Voguish crossed the wire together in a dramatic dead heat, stopping the clock in 1:54.3.
Kendra, piloted by Dexter Dunn and trained by Nancy Takter, benefitted from a pocket trip behind her stablemate Pink Chou Chou and Yannick Gingras to shoot up the passing lane for the victory. Kendra notched her second win from seven seasonal starts for owners Black Horse Racing and Eric Good. The daughter of Walner out of Danish Girl pushed her lifetime bankroll to $167,300.
Voguish, trained by Andrew Harris and driven by Todd McCarthy, sat third for much of the mile before utilizing a :26.2 closing kick to get up in the final strides of the mile and also reach the winner’s circle for the third time this season. The daughter of Gimpanzee out of Jolene Jolene represents owners William Pollock, Bruce Areman, and Andrew Harris, and has now amassed $130,850 in lifetime purse earnings with three wins from seven starts.
The Phil Langley Memorial
French Kronos capitalized on a pocket trip with driver Dexter Dunn to capture the $100,000 Phil Langley for 3-year-old trotting colts.
Greenspan (Todd McCarthy) cut the quarter in :27.3 with French Kronos tucked in behind to the half in :57. Dashing Danny (Kyle Wilfong) tried to get in contention on the turn, moving into third behind the lead duo at three-quarters in 1:25.4. Dunn tugged the right line at the top of the lane and French Kronos did the rest, trotting home in :26.4 to cross the wire 1-1/2 lengths in front of Greenspan. Dashing Danny held for the show spot.
Trained by Marcus Melander, the son of Face Time Bourbon-Arrow Kronos S has won four of 11 on the year for owners Heights Stable, Mantorp, Rtl Racing Inc., and Holly Lane Stud East LTD. French Kronos has banked $154,596 following his fifth career victory.
The week of racing concludes at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Saturday (Sept. 21) with a 12-race card set to get underway at 7 p.m.
For more information on the 2024 live racing season, guests are encouraged to visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.