Anderson, IN – A full house at Harrah’s Hoosier Park got to see fireworks both on and off the track on Friday (July 4) as Rock Shines Again remained perfect on the season and Avanti pulled a 17-1 shocker in divisions of the fourth leg of Indiana Sire Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts.

Rock Shines Again made his first appearance in Indiana Sire Stakes for the season in the $49,000 first split, leaving as an even-money second choice from the outside post six with Trace Tetrick in the bike.
Tetrick hustled the Tyler George trainee out of the gate, sprinting to the top from the outside to lead the field to the quarter in :26.1. Tetrick let Rock Shines Again roll on the backstretch, pacing to the half in :54.1 when 4-5 favorite Chandler Bing (Jay Cross) pulled first-over from third. Chandler Bing worked to the leader’s wheel on the final turn while Rock Shines Again sped to three-quarters in 1:22.2.
Tetrick began to ask more of Rock Shines Again turning for home, and he responded by separating from the field midway through the lane. Sprinting home in :26.2, Rock Shines Again romped by 3-1/4 lengths on the line in a career best 1:48.4. Pocket-sitter Rockin Mudslinger (Jordan Ross) finished second ahead of Starlit Millertime (Atlee Bender) in third.
Owned by Richard Redder and T G Stable, Rock Shines Again is perfect through six starts this season since joining the George barn after a winless 11-start campaign at two. The gelded son of Rockin Image-Bikini Star has banked $48,500 on the season.
In the $49,500 second split, Avanti and driver John De Long converted a perfect second-over trip to pull a 17-1 shocker. Leaving from post six, De Long landed Avanti in the sixth position early while Book The Fight (Trace Tetrick) worked around Checking Out (Brad Ferguson) who cut the quarter in :26.3.
Book The Fight backed things down to the half in :55.1 when Avanti flushed the cover of 1-5 favorite Deal The Odds (Joey Putnam) entering the final turn. Deal The Odds wheeled alongside Book The Fight at three-quarters in 1:24 as Avanti stalked the dueling leaders.
Turning for home, Deal The Odds grabbed a short lead turning with Book The Fight looking to counter to his inside and De Long tipping Avanti three-wide. Rolling home in :26.3, Avanti surged late to secure the victory in 1:50.5 by three parts of a length. Book The Fight finished a game second, with Deal The Odds finishing third.
The victory was the second of the season in eight tries for the Missy Essig trained Avanti who is owned by Rocco Ruffolo and Fac Racing. The gelded son of Rockin Image-Sayulita has banked $56,500 on the year and $221,650 lifetime.
The Friday card kicked off with a 1:48.2 front-end Little Rocket Man victory in the $22,000 Open Pace over Golden Bay N (Trace Tetrick) and Alta Revelry N (John De Long). Mike Oosting drove the 9-year-old son of Rockin Image-GT Miss Royal for trainer Ken Rucker and owners Russ Beeman and Boomer Freeman. The ageless wonder has won six of eight on the year, and 74 times overall for his career in 127 starts, banking just shy of $1.8 million.
A flurry of late prices also triggered multiple carryovers into the 14-race Saturday (July 5) card. There will be a carryover of $5,494 into the Early Pick-4 (Races 6-9) in addition to a $3,065 carryover in the Early Pick-3 (Races 2-4) and $1,715 carryover in the Pick-6 (Races 4-9).
Free online programs are available nightly on the Harrah’s Hoosier Park website in addition to free access to race replays and other handicapping resources. Qualifying replays can be found on the Hoosier Park AV YouTube Channel.
For more information on the 2025 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, which is owned and operated by a subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (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 the newest slots, live table games, sports wagering, and a 7/8 mile oval horse track offering live harness racing each year. 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 casinos. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-9-WITH-IT (1-800-994-8448) ©2025 Caesars License Company, LLC.