Anderson, IN – With Hoosier Champions Night on Friday, Oct. 9, rapidly approaching, the final leg of Indiana Sire Stakes continued at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Thursday (Oct. 1) with 2-year-old male pacers and 3-year-old male trotters doing battle one final time in advance of the quarter-million-dollar Super Finals next week.
Freaky Lover driven by Anthony Miller for trainer Zachary Miller nailed the favorite at the wire to upset in the $65,500 first division for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Hugging the rail in post 1, Freaky Lover let the field come to him as the post-time favorite Capt Peach (driven by Trace Tetrick) accelerated past This Captain Rocks (Robert Taylor) to the first turn in :27.3. Single file on the backstretch the field stayed put following the leader through the half-mile mark in :56.2.
La Captain Morgan (John DeLong) signaled the charge from the back-end of the field while Freaky Lover traveled to the outside from third moving around the final turn. Racing by three-quarters in 1:25.1, Capt Peach stayed in command of the seven-horse field. In the stretch, Freaky Lover blasted up the middle of the track as the field converged on the leader. In a wild photo finish in 1:53.3, Freaky Lover stole the show at the wire knocking Capt Peach to second by a head. Meanwhile, La Captain Morgan got up for third just a half-length back at 21-1.
The Freaky Feet Pete-SS Lover homebred gelding is owned by Zachary Miller and Edward Dobrowolski. Freaky Lover earned his fourth win of the year nearly doubling his lifetime earnings to $64,110. Freaky Lover paid $15.60 to win.
In the second $65,500 INSS 2-year-old colts and geldings pace, Mr Bear, driven by Marcus Miller for trainer Erv Miller, took care of business in his revenge matchup with Tell Me It’s You.
Starting inside in post 1, the post-time favorite Mr Bear did not entertain the idea of Tell Me It’s You getting ahead of him this time as he accelerated while Tell Me It’s You paced alongside him. Mr Bear secured his lead at the first turn in :27.3 as the top pair maintained the pace for the unchanged field to the halfway point in :55.3.
Mr Bear and Tell Me It’s You started to pull away from the group passing the third-quarter turn in 1:24. Tell Me It’s You angled out hoping to get a piece of the leader, but Mr Bear struck the wire in 1:50.3 ahead by 1-1/4 lengths. Tell Me It’s You settled for second, while Another Mile Again (Trace Tetrick) snuck in for third.
In his seventh win of the season in eight tries, Mr. Bear, owned by Ervin Miller Stable Inc, D & M Trading II LLC, Levi Bontrager and Laura Perniciaro, increased his lifetime earnings to $229,125. The Rockin Image-Mama’s Lil Beach gelding was bred by Mark Adams and Timothy Sullivan.
After having a three-race win streak snapped in the $100,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series final at The Red Mile in his last, Inverness Ave returned to the Hoosier State and scored a coast-to-coast victory in the $49,500 first division for sophomore trotting colts and geldings.
With Kevin Lambright aboard the Ernie Gaskin trainee, Inverness Ave blasted off the wings to assert himself on top of the seven-horse field moving to the opening quarter in :28.3. Inverness Ave had things his way from there, strolling through middle half fractions of :57.1 and 1:25.3 with August Salazar (John DeLong) in the pocket. No challenges mounted in the lane for the 2-1 second choice, with Inverness Ave cruising to a 2-length victory in 1:53.3. August Salazar held second, with Nighthawk Zette (LeWayne Miller) rounding out the trifecta.
A winner in seven of 20 this year, Inverness Ave has banked $172,040 on the year for owners Theodore Engel, Doug Shore and the Ernest Gaskin Stables. The Bay’s Stable, Polger Holdings LLC, and Little E LLC bred the Helpisontheway-Arvika gelding, who has earned $236,585 lifetime.
The $49,500 second division was as advertised, with 1-5 favorite Tuggin Thomas crushing off a pocket trip provided by driver Trace Tetrick for trainer Ricky Macomber Jr.
Leaving from post 2, Tuggin Thomas quickly tucked into the second spot with Bravo Alpha (Marcus Miller) crossing over to lead the charge to the opening quarter in :28. The order remained unchanged up the backstretch, with Bravo Alpha leading to the half in :56 before taking the field to three-quarters in 1:24.3. At the head of the lane, Tetrick right-lined Tuggin Thomas, making quick work of Bravo Alpha before drawing off by 4-1/4 lengths to win in 1:52.4. Bravo Alpha held second, with Dont Talk Dirty (LeWayne Miller) finishing third.
A winner in five of 19 this season, Tuggin Thomas has earned $88,975 on the season for lessee Irwin Lampert. Aron Bontrager bred the Dover Dan-Classic Filly gelding, who has earned $109,943 during his career.
Indiana Sire Stakes action continues on Friday (Oct. 2) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with 3-year-old pacers closing out their Indiana Sire Stakes season. There will be three divisions for pacing fillies, and two for pacing colts and geldings, including the return of North America Cup champion Odds On Mr Mamba in race 12. First post for the Friday program is 5:30 p.m. (EDT).