Anderson, IN – Indiana Sire Stakes action resumed at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Friday (Aug. 22) with a pair of $50,000 splits of the seventh and penultimate leg for sophomore pacing colts and geldings, and two $67,000 divisions of leg four of six for 2-year-old trotting fillies.
The undefeated Rock Shines Again served as the headliner, remaining perfect through nine starts at 3 as the leading driver/trainer combo of Trace Tetrick and Tyler George swept both glamour boy divisions.
Rock Shines Again was sent away as the 1-9 favorite from post five in his split, landing in the fifth position on the first turn while stablemate Rawtn Tale (Marcus Miller) grabbed the lead through a :26.2 first quarter. Avanti (John DeLong) rocketed from fourth to take over before the half in :56 when Rock Shines Again took his turn at the top, brushing to the lead from fifth and clearing to the top moving into the final turn. After reaching three-quarters in 1:23.4, Rock Shines Again powered away in the lane, romping by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:50.2 over a hard-charging Bikini Chaser (Joey Putnam) at 51-1, who edged out TL Thunder Bolt (Atlee Bender), who was 31-1, for place.
Owned by the T G Stable and Rick Redder, the winning gelded son of Rockin Image-Bikini Star has banked $122,750 on the season.
Earlier, Rock Shines Again’s stablemate, Somemore Soaring, punched through for his first stakes victory of the season, getting the nod as the 2-1 co-favorite with Tetrick aboard.
Somemore Soaring glided out to the top from post seven, leading the field of nine through an opening quarter of :26.3. Deal The Odds (Joey Putnam) moved from fourth to the lead on the backstretch, as the two favorites lined up one-two to the half in :55. Somemore Soaring began to swell in the pocket for Tetrick around the last turn as pressure came to Deal The Odds with Starlit Millertime (Kyle Wilfong) first-over at three-quarters in 1:23.3. Deal The Odds repelled the challenge of Starlit Millertime but began to drift off the cones allowing Somemore Soaring to fire through in :27.1 to snag the victory by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:51. Trainer Joe Putnam finished second and third, with Deal The Odds fending off stablemate Seeitsayit (LeWayne Miller) for the place spot.
Owned by Cassie George, Somemore Soaring has won three of eight on the year for seasonal earnings of $43,470. The gelded son of Luck Be Withyou-Sunflower has was four of 12 lifetime and banked just shy of $60,000 for his career.
Trace Tetrick also notched a win in the 2-year-old trotting filly features, scoring with OMG Am I Ok as she made her first start for new trainer Ron Burke. Leaving from the rail in the field of nine, Tetrick got away third with the 9-5 favorite while Make It Spicy (Kyle Husted) raced to the inside of Clear And Cool (Jordan Ross), cutting the quarter in :28.2. Clear And Cool cleared before the half in :58.2 before OMG Am I Ok forced the hand of pocket-sitter Make It Spicy, flushing the cover at three-quarters in 1:28.2 as the two began to swarm in on the leader. Make It Spicy got to the lead turning for home, when OMG Am I OK uncorked a :27.3 last fraction to track her down and get to the line first in 1:56.3 by three parts of a length. Honeymoon (Kevin Lambright) rallied to be third, 2-3/4 lengths behind the winner.
The victory was OMG Am I Ok’s first in her seventh career try. She is owned by FAC Racing and Michael Dolan. The daughter of You Know You Do-J A’s Ayd now sports a career bankroll of $56,880.
In the first division, For Dayze and driver John DeLong delivered as the 2-5 favorite over a hard-charging Expressive Gal (Atlee Bender). For Dayze and DeLong floated out in fifth from post seven while Meadowbrook Ashley (Doug Rideout) led to charge to the first turn and a quarter of :27.2. The field remained single file to the half in :57.4 when For Dayze began her first-over journey, moving into second at three-quarters in 1:27.4 with Expressive Gal tracking her cover. For Dayze steamrolled past Meadowbrook Ashley, before digging in and fending off a fast-closing Expressive Gal by a nose on the wire in a career best 1:56. Help Cum Laude (Aaron Stutzman) split rivals late to rally for the show spot over Meadowbrook Ashley.
Roger Welch trains the winning daughter of Swan For All-Southwind Storm for owners William and Patrick DeLong. For Dayze has won four of six lifetime and is yet to be worse than second in her career while banking $119,000.
The week of racing concludes at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Saturday (Aug. 23) with a 13-race card set to get underway at 5:30 p.m. The Saturday card features three divisions of the fourth leg of Indiana Sire Stakes for 2-year-old trotting colts to go along with a $22,000 Open Trot and $22,000 Filly & Mare Open Pace.
Free online programs for the Saturday card are available on the Hoosier Park website in addition to free access to race replays, while qualifier replays can be found at the Hoosier Park AV YouTube Channel.
For more information on the 2025 live racing season at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.