Anderson, IN — The Saturday (Nov. 22) night program at Harrah’s Hoosier Park revolved around a pair of superstar mares making their final career starts, where Kobe’s Gigi went out on top in the Filly & Mare Open Pace and M-M’s Dream in her curtain call behind Ponda Jet, who notched his fifth straight in the Open Trot.
Leaving from post three in the $22,000 five horse co-feature, Kobe’s Gigi and John De Long were sent away as the second choice in the wagering at 8-5. De long wasted no time putting Kobe’s Gigi on the engine, pacing around Ron Burke stablemate Goo Goo Won (Atlee Bender) to cut the quarter in :27. The quintet rode single-file on the backstretch with Kobe’s Gigi reaching the half in :55.2 before she shifted gears and began to scoot away by 2-1/4 lengths at three-quarters in 1:23.2.
The lead swelled to 4-1/2 midway through the lane before Kobe’s Gigi was in the clear and began to coast to the wire, stopping the timer in 1:50.3 2-1/4 lengths the best. Anna Love N (Kyle Wilfong) rallied for second, with Wild Rosa (Mike Oosting) finishing third.
With the win, Kobe’s Gigi moved into second on the list of Indiana’s all-time highest earning pacing mares behind Go On BB. Leander Schwartz and Black And White Stable own the seven-year-old daughter of JK Endofanera-Twin Oaks Tess who was bred by Harvey Fry. Kobe’s Gigi retires with a career record of 93-25-26-9 with lifetime earnings of $1,076,628 and wins in the 2022 Lady Liberty, 2023 Indiana Sire Stakes Aged Mare final and runner-up efforts in each of the last two Breeders Crown finals for older pacing mares.
The $22,000 Open Trot served as the M-M’s Dream final career start where she left from post four in the five-horse field sandwiched between fellow Indiana Sire Stakes Champions Flagman (Rick Plano) in post three, and Ponda Jet (Kyle Wilfong) in post four. Ponda Jet moved quickly to his customary position on the lead, trotting quickly to the quarter in :26.3 while M-M’s Dream and Jordan Ross tucked into the third spot. The Sire Stakes champions lined up one-two-three on the backstretch, with Ponda Jet rolling to the half in :55.3 before trotting to three-quarters in 1:24 with Flagman and M-M’s Dream moving off the cones to make a bid.
Ponda Jet and Flagman battled for the front, with Ponda Jet holding the pocket-setter at bay by a neck on the line in 1:53. M-M’s Dream crossed the wire for the final time in third, 2-1/2 lengths back of the winner.
With the victory, Ponda Jet has now won five straight and 16 of 24 this season for trainer Jay Hochstetler. Connie Hochstetler, Robert Buddig and Allen Schwartz own the five-year-old gelded son of Dover Dan-Ponda’s Lucky Lady who has earned $229,920 on the year and is knocking on the door of $800,000 in career earnings.
As for M-M’s Dream, the six-year-old daughter of Swan For All-Trading Places retires with a career record of 70-37-12-9 and $2,296,762 in lifetime earnings. She retires in the barn of Henry Graber Jr. who split training duties with Ron Burke for owners Hillside Stables and Frank Baldachino. M-M’s Dream retires as the second richest Indiana Sired trotter of all time behind 2017 Horse of the Year, Hannelore Hanover. Among her 37 career victories include three Indiana Sire Stakes Finals, three wins on Hambletonian Day in the Steele Memorial, two Miss Versatility Crowns, The Hambletonian Maturity and this year’s Fanduel title at The Meadowlands. Baldachino indicated in the winner’s circle that the connections are looking at stallion Chapter Seven next spring when M-M’s Dream begins her new career as a broodmare.
The 2025 racing season concludes at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Thanksgiving weekend with cards on Friday (Nov. 28) and Saturday (Nov. 29). The Black Friday card will get underway with a special post time of 4:30 p.m. and will feature the final Grand Circuit races of the year at Hoosier where On To Norway is expected to compete for his 23rd consecutive victory of the year. The closing night program on Saturday will begin with the traditional 5:30 p.m. first post.
For more information on the 2025 live racing season at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, guests are encouraged to visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.