by Emily Gaskin, for Hoosier Park

Anderson, IN — After cruising to an impressive 1:56.3 victory in her Indiana Sires Stakes elimination last week, O So Easy was able to overcome a tough, first-over trip to score another decisive victory on Tuesday (Aug. 22) in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 2-year-old trotting fillies at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.

Stopping the timer in 1:55.2, O So Easy established a new lifetime best while recording her fifth win of the season for trainer, driver, and co-owner Verlin Yoder.

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O So Easy notched her fifth lifetime victory in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 2-year-old trotting fillies.

Leaving from the outside post nine, O So Easy left just enough to get a spot along the rail in third while the rest of the field sorted out early positions. Jim Pantaleano sent Lass A Rope away from the gate firing from the rail position to get the first call through a snappy :26.4 opening quarter. Custom Cantab and Peter Wrenn also left alertly to grab a pocket seat behind the early pacesetter.

Lass A Rope was able to slow the tempo just a touch down the backside as she remained uncontested through the second split in :56.3. As the field approached the final turn, Yoder had O So Easy on the attack to the outside.

Lass A Rope continued to call the shots through the three-quarter clocking in 1:26.1 but O So Easy was closing in with every stride. As the field turned for home, Yoder asked his filly for more and O So Easy responded with a :28.4 final quarter to surge past the leader and hold off a hard-charging Custom Cantab late in the lane. After a ground saving trip, Topville Martini and John DeLong rallied nicely to round out the trifecta. As the 3-2 favorite, O So Easy returned $5.00 to her backers at the betting windows.

“I knew there would be a lot of early speed in the race,” Yoder said after the victory. “The best thing about her is you can use her any way you want. She will come right back to me when I ask her. She continues to learn more and get stronger with every start.”

The rookie filly has now won five of seven lifetime starts and has yet to finish off the board in 2017. The daughter of Swan For All-Ostia Hanover is owned in partnership by Verlin Yoder and Eleven Star Stables. O So Easy has now amassed $121,150 in lifetime purse earnings.

Live racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will continue on Wednesday (Aug. 23) with a 14-race card featuring the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals for 2-year-old pacing fillies and 3-year-old trotting fillies. With a daily post time of 6:30 p.m., live racing at Hoosier Park will follow a Tuesday through Saturday schedule and be conducted through Nov. 17. The 24th season of live harness racing is highlighted by the 34th edition of the Breeders Crown, harness racing’s championship event valued at $6 million, on Friday (Oct. 27) and Saturday (Oct. 28). For more information on the upcoming entertainment and live racing schedule, please visit www.hoosierpark.com.