Anderson, IN – It was a barrage of Indiana Sire Stakes action on Friday (Aug. 21) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, with rookie trotting fillies and pacing colts in action, to go along with the 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers. A few horsemen dominated the proceedings, with the Erv and Alvin Miller barns combining to take half of the 14 races, while driver John De Long tallied five wins on the evening.
Two-year-old trotting fillies kicked off the stakes festivities, with Redice flexing her muscle as the 1-9 favorite with Atlee Bender aboard for Erv Miller in the $66,500 first split.
Leaving from post six, Redice trotted to top on the first turn, leading the field of eight to the quarter in :28. In The Buff (Kyle Wilfong) moved around her to the point, taking the field to the half in :58 before Redice was back out for more from the pocket at three-quarters in 1:27.3. From there, Redice asserted herself in the lane, sprinting home in :27.2 to cruise by four lengths in 1:55.
In The Buff held sway for second, with Dance Remix (Jordan Ross) up for third.
Having won three in a row since shipping to Hoosier Park from Oak Grove, Redice has won four of six this season for owners Ervin Miller Stable, Anthony Lombardi and Stepbystep Racing. Kjell Andersen, Lucas Wallin and Pieter Delis bred the daughter of Rebuff-Fuzzy Dice who has banked $135,250 this season.
Rebuff fillies swept Indiana Sire Stakes, with Fine Wine breaking her maiden in style during the $66,500 second split with trainer Jay Cross in the sulky.
Fine Wine snagged the pocket from post two while Gladden (Trace Tetrick) was put on the engine on the first turn to the quarter in :28.3. Fine Wine brushed to the lead after the quarter, taking command before the half in :59.1 before taking the seven fillies to three-quarters in 1:29.2. Gladden applied pressure in the stretch but could not reach Fine Wine who crossed the wire a length clear of that foe in 1:56..4. Flirt Dover (Jordan Ross) was third at 17-1 to round out the trifecta.
Michael Yoder, Maynard Miller and Daniel Lehman own the winning daughter of Rebuff-Miss Fidget. Fine Wine was bred by Pheasant Hill Farn, and has earned $46,920 thus far in her rookie campaign.
The Erv Miller barn also took home the first of two $66,500 splits for rookie pacing colts, this time with Marcus Miller piloting the undefeated Mr Bear who scored decisively at 1-9.
In his familiar inside post one, Mr Bear eased out of the gate into third under cautious handling having broken stride off the gate in his last start. Allowing the field to materialize ahead of him, Gwtrigger (Kyle Wilfong) shot out for the early advantage through the first quarter in :28. Mr Bear seized his opportunity to close out the first half mile in the lead in :57.1, climbing past Capt Peach (Trace Tetrick) and Gwtrigger. Mr Bear continued to drive home through the three-quarter turn in 1:26.1. Mr Bear did not give a head start to the rest of the field this week, asserting his will in the stretch smashing the wire in 1:52 by 3-3/4 lengths under wraps with a :25.4 final fraction. Capt Peach got up for second, with Soggy Man (John De Long) third.
Mr Bear is owned by the Ervin Miller Stable Inc, D&M Trading Ii LLC, Levi Bontrager, and Laura Perniciaro. The Rockin Image-Mamas Lil Beach gelding was bred by Mark Adams and Timothy Sullivan. Mr Bear tallied his fifth win of the season to add to his perfect start to his career. Mr Bear boosted his lifetime earnings to $110,250.
The Erv Miller barn swept the $16,000 ISS Eligible races for 2-year-old colt pacers to complete its grand slam, scoring with Lahaina Memory (Marcus Miller, $53.20) in 1:52.3, and Tell’s Chip (Atlee Bender, $7.80) in 1:52.2.
Tell Me It’s You driven by John De Long for trainer Alvin Miller made it look easy to win the second half of the $65,500 INSS 2-Year-Old Colts and Geldings Pace, scoring in his second consecutive 1:50 mile.
Tell Me It’s You dueled out of the gate early in post 2 with Another Mile Again (Trace Tetrick) grabbing the early lead at the first turn in :27.1. Tell Me It’s You wrapped up his time in second, gliding past the leader to mark the halfway mark in :56.1. Tell Me It’s You stretched out the field to the final turn in 1:24.3. Finding another gear on the homestretch, Tell Me It’s You accelerated through the wire uncontested in 1:50.3 by 3-1/4 lengths. Another Mile Again held second, while it was 8-1/2 lengths back to I’m Toohot For You (Marcus Miller) in third.
The winning Tellitlikeitis-Kitty Hoyne gelding is owned by Alvin Miller, Twila Harts, and Marvin Schwartz. Bred by Oakwood Farms, Tell Me It’s You claimed his second win to go along with $67,725 in career earnings.
In the seventh and penultimate leg of Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers, Swiss Lights took his turn back atop the division with Trace Tetrick aboard for Jeff Cullipher.
Under Tetrick urging off the wings, Swiss Lights secured the pocket trip moving onto the first turn while Dancingdreamer (Atlee Bender) took command through an opening quarter of :26.1. The tempo slowed the the half in :55 before Swiss Lights began to angle on the far turn, applying pressure to Dancingdreamer with Aces And Cinches (Kyle Wilfong) in tow at three-quarters in 1:23.2. In a three-across dual to the line, Swiss Lights sprinted home in :26.1 to fend off Aces And Cinches by a half-length in 1:49.4, while Dancingdreamer was third, just three parts of a length back of the winner.
Swiss Lights has won four of nine this year, banking $201,110 this season for owners Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing. The gelded son of Rockin Image-Shes Lights Out was bred by Merlie Schwartz, and boasts a career bankroll of $313,186.
In addition to the 2- and 3-year-olds the first of two $20,000 legs for Aged horses were contested on the Friday night program swept by driver John De Long as part of a five-win night.
Kicking off the night, the dominant On To Norway ($2.10) driven by John De Long for trainer Ron Burke fended off a late challenge by Revin For Dallars (Jordan Ross) by a nose to score in 1:51 for older trotting males. There was much less suspense in the older mare pacing division, with Can’ttouchthese ($2.20) wiring the field to win by a length in 1:50 over Lyin’ Eyes (Joey Putnam) for trainer Roger Welch. De Long closed out the evening with M-M’s Bud ($8.80) getting the best of Little Rocket Man (Kyle Wilfong) and Rock Shines Again (Trace Tetrick) in a 1:48.3 career best in the finale for older male pacers, giving trainer Alvin Miller a hat-trick on the night.
In a non-betting race prior to the Friday night card, Yo Beth D and driver Kyle Wilfong won the match race for older trotting mares in 1:53.4 over ER Kelly (LeWayne Miller) for trainer Ken Rucker.
Live racing for the week at Harrah’s Hoosier Park concludes on Saturday (Aug. 22) with a 14-race card set to get underway at 5:30 p.m. Two-year-old trotting colts take their turn in the Indiana Sire Stakes spotlight on Saturday, with a trio of divisions in races four, six and nine. Additionally, there will be $7,500 guarantees in the Late Pick-4 (races 11-14) and Late High-5 (race 14) offered in partnership with the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program.
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