by Emily Gaskin and Kimberly French, for Hoosier Park

Anderson, IN — The top 2 and 3-year-old trotters and pacers in the state of Indiana descended upon Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Saturday, October 10 to battle it out in the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Finals in front of a packed house on a chilly, October evening.

As expected, the Super finals delivered some outstanding harness racing battles and well-deserved divisional championships. With purses topping the $2 million dollar mark, the 14-race card featured the top ten competitors from each division and provided an exciting conclusion to the 2015 stakes season.

Two-Year-Old Trotting Fillies

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Just Jess pulled a slight upset in the $200,000 Super Final for 2-year-old trotting fillies.

The action-packed evening opened with the first $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final for 2-year-old trotting fillies and it was Just Jess and Doug Rideout who pulled a slight upset to find the winner’s circle in 1:57, equaling her lifetime best. Rideout sent the homebred filly away from the gate firing from post five and she reached the front through the opening panel in :27.4 before yielding the lead to Naughty III and Pete Wrenn. Just Jess was content to sit the pocket through middle fractions of :57.2 and 1:27.1 and waited till the top of the stretch to make her move. Saving her best for last, Just Jess was able to overcome Naughty III late in the lane to win by a length and a quarter.

“I didn’t think I would be leaving but that’s the way the race worked out,” Rideout noted in the winner’s circle. “She’s a special filly, you can do just about anything you want with her and tonight, she really showed up. This is a special win for us.”

Trained by Doug Rideout, Just Jess notched her second consecutive victory and seventh win of the season from 14 outings. The homebred daughter of Jailhouse Jesse-Glide Sally Glide has now earned $232,583 for owners Alan White and Julie Rideout.

Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies

Topville Cadillac continued her winning ways and delivered as the heavy 1-5 favorite in the 2-year-old pacing filly division as she scored her fifth consecutive victory at Hoosier Park in the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final in 1:53.2. Driven by Tyler Smith, Topville Cadillac made her game winning move down the backside and never looked back, finishing 2-1/2 lengths in front of a hard-charging Au D Lox Bluegrass and Trace Tetrick.

Smith rated Topville Cadillac off the pace through first half fractions of :26.3 and :55.2 set by Dan Shetler and Can’t Touch This. Topville Cadillac was given the green light just past the half and she reached the leader’s wheel at the third station in 1:24.4. As the field turned for home, Smith asked his mount for more and she dug in gamely to hold off all charges.

“She’s still green and doesn’t really know what she’s doing yet,” Smith said after the victory. “She’s raced some really nice 2-year-old fillies this year and I think she is right up there with the best of them. She’s still immature but she’s raced tough all season long.”

Trained by Alvin Miller, the daughter of Rockin Image-Topville Cyberwave notched her seventh seasonal victory from nine outings. Owned by Ted Comerford, Twila Harts and Alvin Miller, Topville Cadillac pushed her lifetime bankroll to $238,000.

Two-Year-Old Trotting Colts

Favorites continued to deliver as the stakes action continued with Bridge To Jesse’s scoring a decisive victory in the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings as the 6-5 favorite. Using a sharp, front-running effort, Bridge To Jesse’s finished 4-1/2 lengths in front of his competitors stopping the timer in 1:56.1, equaling the stakes record for freshman trotting colts. The victory gave driver John DeLong one of three wins on the 14-race card.

Bridge To Jesse’s was sent away from the gate firing to dictate fractions of :27.4, :57.4 and 1:27.2 before feeling a threat from Late Bid Tom and Jason Dillander on the outside. As the field turned for home, Bridge to Jesse’s looked every bit the part of a 6-5 favorite as he kicked home in :28.4 and trotted away from the rest of the field.

“We got a new partner on this horse and it’s been a lot of fun all season,” trainer Roger Welch noted in the winner’s circle. “We are really proud of him and John (DeLong) has done a great job with him. We put him in a pressure spot. He had to jump on the horse after Ed Hensley left for Pompano and I knew John could handle it. He did a great job putting him in position to win again tonight.”

With the win, Bridge To Jesse’s scored his 10^th seasonal victory from 12 lifetime outings. The gelded son of Jailhouse Jesse-Bridge To Nowhere pushed his lifetime bankroll to $309,093 for owners William C. DeLong, William P. DeLong, Ray E. DeLong, and Roger S. Welch.

Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies

In the next division of the stakes action Hannelore Hanover and Ricky Macomber Jr. delivered as the 1-5 favorite in the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final for three-year-old trotting fillies. Scoring her seventh consecutive victory at Hoosier Park, Hannelore Hanover staged a big rally late in the lane to win by three lengths over Churita and Trace Tetrick. The 1:54 final time not only set a new lifetime best for the Ron Burke trainee but also re-established the stakes record for three-year-old fillies on the trot.

Churita left aggressively to control the early fractions of :27.1 and :56.1 while the rest of the field sorted out early position. Hannelore Hanover began her long, first-over grind approaching the final turn and she was able to reach the leader’s wheel at three-quarter clocking in 1:25.1. Churita appeared strong on the front but Hannelore Hanover wasn’t finished. Using a :28.2 final quarter, Hannelore Hanover coasted to the wire under a hand drive from Macomber Jr.

“She’s been so green all season,” Jamie Macomber, Ron Burke’s assistant trainer noted after the win. “She’s just figuring everything out and really learning how to race. She’s loves her job and tonight, she really showed up.”

With the win, Hannelore Hanover recorded her eighth seasonal victory from 18 outings. The daughter of Swan For All-High Sobriety sent her lifetime earnings to $305,574 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, W. Haas Jr., and F. Baldachino.

Three-Year-Old Trotting Colts (By: Kim French)

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Homicide Hunter remained perfect in 2015 with a win in the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Final for 3-year-old trotting colts.

Parlaying a picture perfect trip to extend his skein of consecutive triumphs to 15, Homicide Hunter, captured the $220,000 Indiana Super Final for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters. The public’s overwhelming selection at 1-9, the son of Mr Cantab and the Like A Prayer mare Evening Prayer, commenced his journey from post position six in the 10th race on the card with regular reinsman John De Long at the controls.

Content to settle in fourth after leaving the gate, Homicide Hunter, tracked the early pacesetter Shawnee Valley until the top of the stretch through fractions of 28.1, 57.4, and 1:26.4, then dispensed of that rival and left a game Hominy Hunter in his wake long before the shadow of the wire. The Hoosier State’s latest champion trotted the mile in 1:55 in the easiest possible way. He paid $2.10 to win, with Hominy Hill, who was four lengths behind him, paying $4.00 and Call To Justice offered $9.20 to complete the trifecta.

Trained by Curt Grummel and owned by Dr. Patrick Graham, Homicide Hunter is now 15 for 15 in 2015 and 25-18-2-3 from two seasons of campaigning.

“It was just so nice to finally have a good trip for him,” De Long, who won three Super Finals this evening, said. “He has had to do it from the nine hole several times and has had some really tough miles this year, but he’s always been up to the task. You can’t really ask anything of this horse he is not willing to give. He’s absolutely perfect.”

Grummel realized Homicide Hunter possessed ability, but never imagined the gelding would construct this type of season.

“We always knew he was a good horse,” he said. “But we never would have imagined he would be 15 for 15 at this stage of the year. He also has not had it easy for sure, so we are very proud of him.”

Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies (By: Kim French)

Following Homicide Hunter’s tremendous win, Mystical Treasure shocked the majority of the Anderson faithful with a triumph in the $220,000 Indiana Super Final for 3-year-old pacing fillies. The daughter of Real Desire and the Jenna’s Beach Boy mare Sneakheravalentine was sent off by the wagering public at odds of 78-1 by virtue of only one victory from 14 trips to the gate this season. The filly amassed nearly $80,000, however, in purse money in 2014 for her owner Mystical Marker Farms. By virtue of her sophomore season, trainer Bobby Brower always had faith in her ability and her pilot, John De Long, definitely knows his way around the Hoosier Park oval.

“We were patient with her and she rewarded us for that,” he said. “She had some soreness issues early in the year, so we worked on those and had some vet work done. Then we just gave her the time to come around. We realized over the last couple weeks she was beginning to overcome those problems and were pleased with how she was coming into this race.”

After White Metro established a stinging first quarter of :25.4, Nora Rockwell wrested the lead from that filly until they reached the top of the stretch. That is when she was collared by race favorite Rockin Good, but the rest of the field was ready to pounce. As Can’t Touch Her and White Metro surged to the front, it was Mystical Treasure on the outside of the track that was going best of all. She hit the wire in 1:52.3 with the other two fillies finishing second and third respectively. The filly paid $158.20 for the victory, with Can’t Touch Her offering a healthy $12.60 return for her backers and White Metro providing $11.00 to show.

Now an Indiana champion, Mystical Treasure has a career record of 23-5-4-2 and is 15-2-1-2 this year. She has collected more than $200,000 in purse money.

Two-Year-Old Pacing Colts (By: Kim French)

Matrix Of Luck’s supporters had some anxious moments as the 2-year-old son of Rockin Image and the Artsplace mare My Taylor’s Maid appeared a little leg weary in the stretch, but he and pilot Tyler Smith were able to reach the finish line to annex his championship in the $220,000 Indiana Super Final for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers.

Right after the gates sprung, Matrix Of Luck, who is trained by Roger Cullipher and owned by Brian Carsey, John Mcgill and Debbie Cullipher, was parked out in fifth while Mystical Rock led the way with a first quarter mile time of :26.1. Smith then brushed Matrix Of Luck to the leader and passed him with a powerful surge before the half-mile marker. The colt then led the field the entire trip to the finish line with fractions of 53.4, 1:23.2 and 1:53.

It was not quite as simple as all that, however, as Matrix Of Luck began to feel the effects of being used early in his journey and as he began to tire, his opponents were bearing down upon him. The margin of victory was a half-length but Tough Mudder and Legere were breathing down his neck with each stride. The colt’s record now stands at 12-7-1-2 and $244,000 in the bank.

“He was getting a little bit tired at the end,” Smith said. “But he is one talented individual and I knew he had just enough left to get him home. I didn’t expect for the first quarter to go that fast and I didn’t want to get parked the entire mile, so I felt the best thing to do was keep him out of trouble. He is a very nice horse and with the season he has put together he deserves for me to place him in the right spot so he could win.”