by Emily Gaskin, for Hoosier Park
Anderson, IN — Hoosier Park Racing & Casino highlighted the Wednesday (Aug. 3) card with two $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals for the freshman colt and filly trotters and it was Hoosier Park’s leading driver, Trace Tetrick, who made a clean sweep of both divisions. It was part of three wins on the evening’s 14-race card for Tetrick and back-to-back upset victories in each of the stake races.
In the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 2-year-old trotting fillies, Tetrick utilized a patient drive to guide Foxy Swan to the winner’s circle in 1:57. It was the second consecutive victory for Foxy Swan after she was victorious in her elimination at Hoosier Park last week and the 1:57 mark was a new lifetime best.
Leaving from the coveted rail position, Tetrick eased Foxy Swan off the gate to find a pocket seat while a host of others battled for early position. Satin Dancer and John DeLong were the first to get a call through the opening panel in :28 but their lead would be short-lived as Doug Rideout would have the even money favorite, Ajessia, pointed to the front.
Ajessia dictated middle fractions of :57.4 and 1:28 before Robert Taylor and Donnas Dream were applying pressure first-over on the outside. Donnas Dream was able to put away Ajessia but Foxy Swan loomed large in the background.
Tetrick tipped Foxy Swan to the outside and she utilized a :28 final quarter to trot on to the wire nearly two lengths in front of Satin Dancer. Donnas Dream held on to round out the trifecta. Pulling the slight upset, Foxy Swan returned $7.40 to her backers at the betting windows.
“She’s a nice filly,” Tetrick noted in the winner’s circle. “She seems to be getting better with every start and is getting good at the right time.”
Trained by Erv Miller, Foxy Swan has now won three of five lifetime starts while bankrolling $67,050. The daughter of Swan For All-Fox Valley Click is owned by The Ervin Miller Stable and Anthony Lombardi.
In the very next race on the card, Tetrick used the same patient tactics utilizing the long Hoosier Park stretch to guide Bumblebzbuzz to victory in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings. Scoring in a new lifetime best of 1:58, Bumblebzbuzz staged a big rally late in the lane to pull the 8-1 upset for trainer Tom T. Tetrick.
Tetrick eased Bumblebzbuzz off the gate to settle along the rail in seventh while the battle was on for early position as soon as the wings of the gate folded. Ultimate Encore and Rick Farrington left alertly to get a call through the opening panel in :28 but Jason Dillander and Time To Travel also wanted the front. Jesse V and Ricky Macomber Jr. were the next to take command as they called the shots through middle fractions of :58.3 and 1:29.
As the field turned for home, it appeared to be a wide open race. With the horses on the front beginning to fade, Tetrick tipped Bumblebzbuzz around the tiring cover and the 2-year-old gelding coasted to the wire with a :27.4 final quarter. My Uncle Cuz and Don Harmon rallied nicely for second place honors while Swan Chase and Rick Plano finished third. Bumblebzbuzz returned $18.60 to his backers at the betting windows.
“I always thought he was a nice colt training down,” trainer Tom T. Tetrick, who also co-owns the gelding with Ervin Wickey, noted in the winner’s circle. “He’s had some issues and we’ve had to work through them but he is a nice colt. I wasn’t sure how tonight would work out but we got lucky that the trip worked out for us and the horse raced really well.”
It was the second consecutive Hoosier Park victory and second career victory from five starts for the son of Pinetucky-Bumblebzannie. Bumblebzbuzz has now earned $52,500 lifetime for his connections.
Live racing will resume at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Thursday (Aug. 4) with a 14-race card. With a daily post time of 5:45 p.m., live racing will follow a Tuesday through Saturday schedule and be conducted through Nov. 12. For more information on the upcoming entertainment and live racing schedule, please visit www.hoosierpark.com.