Anderson, IN – Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino played host to Hoosier Champions Night Friday (Oct. 15) and the 15-race program provided a fitting conclusion to the 2022 Indiana Sires Stakes season.

The summer-long Indiana Sires Stakes culminated with the crowning of 12 new champions with purses offered exceeding $2.3 million. The competitive card was reflected with a record handle on the evening, as the bettors pushed more than $1.2 million through the Harrah’s Hoosier Park betting windows as the eight $250,000 Indiana Sire Stakes Super Finals provided a mix of formful favorites and a few surprises on the evening.

Two-Year-Old Filly Trot

Kicking off the quarter million dollar Super Finals on the night was the freshman filly trotters in the evening’s third race. Yo Beth D proved that the outside post nine was no problem at all, setting sail for the lead immediately as the wings of the gate folded and never looking back from that point forward with driver Trevor Smith. Yo Beth D scored in a dominating 1:54:4 performance by 2-1/4 lengths on the wire in front-end fashion at even money. T’s Pride and Trace Tetrick rallied for the second position, with favorite Helpoftheseason and Peter Wrenn finishing third.

With the victory, Yo Beth D made it seven victories in 10 starts at age 2, banking $299,650 for owner Greg Luther Racing LLC. Trained by Todd Luther, Yo Beth D is a daughter of first crop stallion Helpisontheway out of the Cantab Hall mare Scented Roses. Bred by John Schmucker, the 1:54:4 effort in the Indiana Sire Stakes Super Final was just 1/5 of a second off of her career best.

Two-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot

Immediately following a 1:48:4 score in the Aged Pace with now three-time Indiana Sire Stakes Champion, Tellmeaboutit, driver Mike Oosting would once again be back in the winner’s circle with freshman trotting gelding Jailhouse Dance. Leaving from post four in the field of 10, Jailhouse Dance settled sixth in the early stages before joining the cover flow third over up the backstretch. In the lane, Jailhouse Dance vaulted off cover, setting up a deep stretch duel with Talent Scout and Dexter Dunn, with Jailhouse Dance scoring the victory by a head behind the strength of a :27:3 final quarter in 1:54:1. Brookview Darius and Atlee Bender would round out the trifecta at 42-1.

Trained and co-owned by Ken Rucker along side Rock & Roll Stable Inc and Michael Shan, Jailhouse Dance has been a model of consistency in his rookie campaign, picking up four wins in 11 starts and hitting the board nine times. Bred by Lester Beechy, Jailhouse Dance is a gelded son by Dover Dan out of the Jailhouse Jesse mare, Jailhouse Diva. The 1:54:1 effort was a lifetime best for Jailhouse Dance who has now banked $254,680 with the victory.

Three-Year-Old Filly Trot

M-M’s Dream competes the Indiana Sire Stakes sweep in the sophomore filly trot with Sam Widger aboard. Dean Gillette Photography.

With a shot at completing the Indiana Sire Stakes sweep with yet another Indiana Sire Stakes Super Final victory, M-M’s Dream did again what she’s done all season long with a vicious score in the 3-year-old filly trot. Leaving from post seven, M-M’s Dream and driver Sam Widger settled mid-pack early as World Champion Bluebird Dove and Peter Wrenn opened with blistering early fractions of :27 and :55:4. M-M’s Dream went on the offensive from there, grinding first over before putting her nose in front at the top of the lane, from there, M-M’s Dream powered ahead with authority with a :27:4 final quarter to score in a lifetime best 1:52:4 by a length over longshots Luv Lorelei with Robert Taylor and Swan Trixie with Dexter Dunn, respectively.

The victory gave the Henry Graber Jr. trained filly a sweep of all eight legs of Indiana Sire Stakes along with the quarter million dollar Super Final. The daughter of Swan For All out of the Classic Photo mare, Trading Places has been all but invincible in 2022, scoring wins in 10 of 11 seasonal starts, with her lone defeat coming at the hands of Hambletonian Oaks champion Fashion Schooner in the $115,000 Moni Maker in September. Bred by Mervin Miller, M-M’s Dream has banked $427,550 in 2022 and boasts a career bankroll of $696,012 for owners Eleven Star Stables, Hillside Stables, and Frank Baldachino.

Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies

The first shocker of the evening came in the freshman pacing fillies division as Fortunada and driver John De Long pulled the 15-1 upset with a late rally in a chaotic finish. Leaving the gate from post seven, De Long took back with Fortunada in the early stages as things got busy up front, while the heavily-favored and unbeaten Rollin Rosie had to work hard to get by Always In Flight and Jordan Ross though early fractions of :26 and :53:4. After finally clearing to the front, Rollin Rosie and Dunn appeared to be home free on the turn, opening up by three on the field before the hot early fractions and strong stretch headwinds bringing the field back into play in the lane. In the end, it would be Fortunada with a stirring stretch rally, closing with a :28:2 final quarter to score a 1:52:4 victory by three-quarters of a length over Sleazy Mama and Marcus Miller. Rollin Rosie and Dexter Dunn would dig in to hold for third.

The victory was the seventh in 11 seasonal tries for the Roger Welch trained Fortunada. Fortunada is a homebred filly owned by Gordon Wright along with William and Patrick De Long and, with the score, has now earned $202,870 in her freshman campaign.

Fortunada is a daughter of Breeders Crown winning stallion Luck Be Withyou out of the Modern Art mare Lauren.

Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts & Geldings

Driver Sam Widger completed the sweep of sophomore divisions and jumpstarted a banner night for trainer Tyler George when he steered Adamsville Road to a gate-to-wire victory over Ponda Adventure (Trace Tetrick) in 1:53.2. Swan Captain (John De Long) was third. Adamsville Road took control right after the wings folded off the gate and simply asserted himself throughout the mile while establishing fractions of :27.1, :56 and 1:24. Ponda Adventure provided a valiant chase as he was second the entire journey. Swan Captain and John De Long finished third.

Competing for Mel Rose Stable and Joe Nesselroad, Adamsville Road is trained by two-time defending leading trainer at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Tyler George. The gelding is a son of Swan For All out of the Yankee Glide mare She Wore Red and was bred by Joyce McClelland. With the Super Final score, Adamsville Road boosted his bankroll to $261,634 and sports a lifetime record of 21-8-2-3.

Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies

Trainer Tyler George picked up where he left of in the next $250,000 Super Final on the evening, this time prevailing in a photo finish with Need To Breathe in the 3-year-old filly pace. Starting from the middle of the gate in post five, driver Dexter Dunn worked out a perfect pocket trip in the early stages as race favorite JK’s Rollin Baby and Mike Oosting set the tone early with :26:2 and :54:1 early fractions. Dunn waited patiently behind dueling leaders of JK’s Rollin Baby and Trick Of The Light and Trace Tetrick through three-quarters of 1:22:4 before launching their bid up the passing lane. Need To Breathe would need to fend off a hard charging Always Gonna B You and Dave Miller as well as Marvelous Marshia with John De Long to score by a head on the line in 1:51:1.

Owned by trainer Tyler George along with Trent Stohler and Terry Leonard, Need To Breathe has now won six times in 15 seasonal starts in a season that has seen the filly earn $205,305. Bred by Mike Hollenback along with the late Charles Kline, Need To Breathe is a daughter of Riggins out of the Western Ideal mare Christie Hanover.

Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts

Driver John De Long picked up his second Super Final score of the evening in the freshman pacing colts division aboard Buzzsaw Russ. Buzzsaw Russ and De Long were patient in the early stages, sitting third along the rail as Fox Stake Champion Coach Stefanos and Trace Tetrick cut early fractions of :26:2 and :54:4. Coach Stefanos would get company on the front on the far turn as stablemate J B Gram and Marcus Miller engaged him at three-quarters in 1:23. Coach Stefanos and Tetrick shrugged off the challenge to emerge clear of his rival at the top of the lane, with Buzzsaw Russ desperate for racing room on the rail before shaking loose and motoring home late, rallying by Coach Stefanos late in the lane to get up by a head behind the power of a :26:4 final split in 1:50:2. Hetolditlikeitwas and Peter Wrenn would round out the trifecta at 12-1.

Trained by Missy Essig for her father Russell Beeman and Charles Weaver, Buzzsaw Russ has picked up four victories in nine tries as a freshman. Bred by Devon Beechy and Devon Knepp, Buzzsaw Russ is a gelded son of Rockin Image out of a near half-million dollar earning Yankee Cruiser mare, Up Front Cruiser. The career best effort of 1:50:2 has now brought the earnings of Buzzsaw Russ to $235,460.

Three-Year-Old Pacing Colts

Ponda Warrior unleashed a 1:49:2 victory in the 3-year-old colt pace with driver Dexter Dunn at 10-1. Dean Gillette Photography.

The Super Final action would conclude with 10-1 stunner Ponda Warrior uncorking a ferocious performance in the glamour boy division. Driver Dexter Dunn hopped aboard this week and steered Ponda Warrior to the middle of the pack from a post eight starting position as JK Victory and Trace Tetrick laid down the law with a :25:2 opening panel. The heavily-favored Soaring Now and Joey Putnam flew up to take command at the half in a potent :53:1 before Ponda Warrior went on the attack on the far turn, surging into second at three quarters in 1:21:3. After a very brief tuck into the pocket coming out of the final turn, Ponda Warrior was back out for more, unleashing a :27:2 final quarter to decimate the field by more than three lengths in 1:49:2. Rip Wheeler and Brandon Bates would get up for second after having never seen the rail from post nine, Soaring Now and Putnam held for third.

Trained by Jay Hochstetler who co-owns the colt along with Finkelberg Racing LLC and South Of The Tracks Racing Inc, it was the fourth win in 13 seasonal tries at age 3 for Ponda Warrior. Bred by Pond-A-Acres, Ponda Warrior is a Rockin Image colt out of the American Ideal mare, Sweetnsinful. The Indiana Sire Stakes Super Final score boosts Ponda Warrior’s 2022 bankroll to $239,400 and puts him at more than $350,000 for his career.

Aged Finals

Four $70,000 Indiana Sire Stakes Finals for the aged competitors would also highlight the evening, with Ima Diamond Babe and Atlee Bender scoring in 1:54 over ER Kim for trainer James Yoder taking the mare trot. In the Aged Horse and Gelding Final, Dexter Dunn would score yet another stakes victory on the evening, this time with Predator And Prey with a 1:53:4 score for trainer Michael Hitchcock.

The Aged Pacing ranks would see some familiar faces in the Hoosier Champions winner’s circle, as now three-time Indiana Sire Stakes champion, Tellmeaboutit, dazzled with a 1:48:4 front-end victory in the Aged Horse and Gelding pace with regular pilot Mike Oosting in the bike for trainer Alvin Miller. The queen of Hoosier Champions night, Rockin Nola, was in vintage form in the mare pace as she unleashed a vicious 1:49:3 score for the father-son team of Joe and Joey Putnam to pick up her fifth Indiana Sire Stakes final in as many tries at age 6.

Racing action continues at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Saturday (Oct. 15) with a 14-race card set to get underway at 6:15 p.m. For more information on the 2022 live racing season at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, guests are encouraged to visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.

About Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino

Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, which is owned and operated by a subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR), holds multiple awards from industry publications for customer service, entertainment, gaming, dining, and team member culture. Harrah’s Hoosier Park, a fully-integrated gaming and racing facility, features 1,300 of the latest slots and electronic table games, as well as 31 tables games, and a 7/8 mile oval horse track offering live harness racing each year. Simulcast wagering is offered year-round at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, Winner’s Circle Pub, Grille & OTB in Downtown Indianapolis and Winner’s Circle OTB in New Haven/Fort Wayne, Ind. For more information, please visit www.HarrahsHoosierPark.com. Must be 18 or older to wager on horse racing at racetracks and 21 or older to gamble at sports books and casinos. Please play responsibly. If you think you or someone you care about may have a gambling problem, call 1-800-9-WITH-IT (1-800-994-8448).