Anderson, IN — Indiana Sire Stakes continued with a bang on Independence Day at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino as a packed house enjoyed fireworks both on and off the racetrack. It was round three of eight for the sophomores in Indiana Sire Stakes, with two divisions for 3-year-old trotting fillies, a single division for the 3-year-old pacing colts, as well as a track record performance by Texsong Soprano in the lone division for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

Leaving from post three in the scratched down field of seven, driver Mike Oosting opted to sit just off of the pace in the early stages as Just Show Up and Trace Tetrick parked the heavy favorite and undefeated Ponda Jet and Kyle Wilfong through a blistering opening quarter of :27.

Texsong Soprano stopped the clock in a track record 1:51 for 3-year-old trotting colts. Dean Gillette Photography.

Wilfong and Ponda Jet took command up the backstretch but kept the gas pedal down through an opening half of :54.3. The field began to tighten on the far turn as Helpfirstedition brought the outside cover flow to the leader’s wheel first over for John De Long, while Ponda Jet took the field through three-quarters in 1:23.1 with Oosting waiting patiently third on the rail.

In the lane, Ponda Jet dug in gamely to fend off the initial surge from Helpfirstedition, however, Oosting gave Texsong Soprano his que vacating the rail and making it a three-horse battle to the wire. With a final lunge at the wire, Texsong Soprano nailed a dead-game Ponda Jet by a quarter-length at the wire with a :27.1 final quarter to stop the clock in a track record 1:51 for 3-year-old trotting colts.

It was the third win in four seasonal outings for the Missy Essig trained son of Text Me. Bred by Abraham Miller, the half-brother to millionaire Windsong Soprano has now banked $260,612 in his career for owners Lillian Farms and Joe Yoder. The 1:51 performance by Texsong Soprano lowered the previous mark by nearly a full second, which was previously set by Don’t Let’em in the 2019 Carl Erskine.

Trainer Essig had already bagged two winners on the card prior to Texsong Soprano, including a lifetime best performance by Swanya in the $48,500 second division of Indiana Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old trotting fillies.

Using the rail starting spot to their advantage, driver John De Long rushed Swanya directly to the front end through an opening quarter of :28.1 as fellow round two sire stakes winner Helpoftheseason and Peter Wrenn sat patiently in the pocket. The field remained in straight alignment as De Long tapped the brakes to the tune of a :29 second quarter, reaching the half in :57.1. Swanya continued to hold the field at bay on the far turn as she began to accelerate to three-quarters in 1:25.2.

De Long stomped on the gas pedal at the top of the lane, however, Swanya drifted away from the pylons in the stretch, leaving room for Helpoftheseason and Wrenn to shoot the gap. The two fillies slugged it out in an all-out sprint to the line, with Swanya powering to the line a half-length clear in 1:52.2 behind the strength of a :27 final quarter. Stella Rose and Oosting rounded out the trifecta, finishing third.

Swanya secured her seventh victory in nine seasonal starts for owner Jacalyn Beeman. Bred by Leonard Miller, the daughter of Swan For All pushed her career bankroll into six figures with the lifetime best effort, now with $103,500.

The win gave De Long the sweep of the 3-year-old trotting fillies, having scored at 20-1 with Myrll Vally in the $49,000 first division.

Leaving from post five in the field of seven, De Long would steer Myrll Valley into the middle of the pack in fourth as Tetrick sent Yo Beth D to the front through an opening quarter of :27. The trotting fillies remained in straight alignment up the backstretch as Yo Beth D led the field through the halfway point in :56. Yo Beth D came under pressure around the final turn as Matt Krueger sent Naturdays hard to the front first up from third, snagging the lead position through three- quarters in 1:24.3.

In the stretch, Naturdays came under fire from a two-pronged attack as Country Mamma and Wrenn surged on the outside, while De Long and Myrll Vally powered up the passing lane. Using a torrid :27 final quarter, Myrll Vally sprinted to the lead at the line, getting the job done by a half-length over Country Mamma and stopping the timer in 1:52.2. Naturdays held for the third position.

Bred by Steven Mast, Myrll Vally notched her first win of the season for trainer Darryl Lyons and second for her career. The daughter of Swan For All out of the Cantab Hall mare Myrrh, has now banked $85,170 lifetime for owners Aaron Miller, Luke Miller, Delvin Miller and Darryl Lyons.

In the Tuesday night finale, Coach Stefanos remained perfect for his 3-year-old campaign in an absolute thriller of a $97,000 split for the 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

Saddled with far outside post nine, Tetrick was able to guide Coach Stefanos into a mid-pack landing spot in sixth as De Long directed Buzzsaw Russ to the front end through an opening quarter of :26.2. Buzzsaw Russ was able to back things down up the backstretch through a first half of :54.4 before Why Not Now and Lewayne Miller launched their bid on the far turn. The two locked horns on the lead as Coach Stefanos and Tetrick followed Why Not Now’s cover into third at three-quarters in 1:22.2.

Buzzsaw Russ and De Long cut the corner and gained separation on his two rivals at the top of the lane as Coach Stefanos tipped three-wide and began to close. The three leaders set the stage for a wild three-across finish as Coach Stefanos and Why Not Now began to rally on the grandstand side to track down a gutsy Buzzsaw Russ late in the lane. The photo finish was needed to separate the two as Coach Stefanos prevailed by a nose over Why Not Now in a lifetime best 1:48.4.

Trained by Erv Miller, the Tellitlikeitis gelding picked up his third victory in as many seasonal starts. Bred by Victory Hill Farm, Coach Stefanos has built a career bankroll of $367,305 for owners Kenneth Duffy, D&M Training Il LLC., and John Stefanos.

Racing action continues at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Wednesday (July 5) with a 14-race card set to kick off at 6:15 p.m. The Wednesday night card will feature an $8,085.41 carryover in the Jackpot Pick-6 in races 8-13, as well as the $10,000 guarantee on the Hoosier High 5 in the race 14 finale.

For more information on the 2023 racing season at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, guests are encouraged to visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.