Anderson, IN – The second leg of Indiana Sire Stakes for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters headlined the action at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Thursday (July 23).
Swan Good Bi, driven by Jordan Ross for trainer Henry Graber Jr., tasted victory first in the $46,000 division in race 4. Later, Nectar Of The Gods won in a thriller for $46,000 in the eighth race. Then, in race 11, the longest shot on the board (34-1) Temporal Power stunned for $45,500 in INSS.
Working from last out of the outside post 8, Swan Good Bi kept the action in front of him while Copperstone (driven by Lewayne Miller) flew through the first turn in :27, leaving the rest of the eight-horse field to play catch up. The lead would not last long as the revved-up Copperstone went off stride, leaving the door open for Munich (Markus Niklasson) to steal his spot on top on the backstretch. Munich’s advantage lasted just as long as Copperstone’s as a parked and pressing High Honor Role (Kiwon Waldron) stole the show climbing to the lead at the halfway point in :57.
Munich and favorite So Joyful posed the immediate threat, with Swan Good Bi still seventh on the far turn. High Honor Role remained the narrow leader to the three-quarters in 1:27 before So Joyful bounded to the lead first-over. Trotters began to swarm the new leader with a host of challengers fanning out four-wide across the track. Swan Good Bi, widest of all, rocketed home in :26.4 to reach the wire first by three-quarters of a length in 1:55.2. Ponda Cheetah (Marcus Miller) rallied to second while Munich rebounded for third.
The victorious Swan For All-Bange Bi gelding notched his second straight win of the season to remain perfect increasing his lifetime earnings to $29,000. Swan Good Bi is owned by Indiana Stables LLC, Frank Baldachino, Michael Rosenthal, and James Zito. Bred by Ernie Lambright, Swan Good Bi paid $9 to win.
Winning a heavyweight battle down the stretch, Nectar Of The Gods, driven and trained by Mike Micallef, claimed victory in the second division.
Starting from post 3, Nectar Of The Gods and favorite Ponda Solve (Trace Tetrick), to his right, were out the quickest, with Ponda Solve winning the early battle to the first turn in :28.4. Ponda Solve maintained his lead the unchanged eight-horse field through the halfway mark in :58.4, tightly contested by Nectar Of The Gods and Kountry Dion (Kyle Wilfong).
Rounding the final turn to three-quarters in 1:28.2, Ponda Solve and Nectar Of The Gods separated from the rest, gearing up for a final battle on the homestretch. Trading blows the entirety of the stretch, Nectar Of The Gods outslugged Ponda Solve by a nose at the wire in 1:56.3. Mendoza Mafia (Atlee Bender) rallied late to round out the trifecta.
The winning Temporal Hanover-Goddess colt is owned by Bet The House LLC and bred by Steve Jones. Nectar Of The Gods boosted his lifetime earnings to $49,250 for his second straight win in INSS bouts. Nectar Of The Gods paid $7.80 to win.
Paying $71.40 to win, Temporal Power, driven by Joey Putnam for trainer Kristin Shetler, shocked the seven-horse field in the third division.
Temporal Power settled into the middle of the field out of post 4 as Heffae (Lamar Wingard) rocketed to a five-length lead at the quarter in :27.3. Heffae’s lead began to shrink on the backstretch, with a parked Steppinouttohelp (Robert Taylor) and Royal Response (Markus Niklasson) in the pocket closed the gap to the half in :57.2.
Heffae remained in control on the far turn, leading at three-quarters 1:26.4 as Royal Response reclaimed second inside of Steppinouttohelp. Having not seen a pylon the entirety of the mile, Steppinouttohelp charged to the point midway through the lane before Temporal Hanover shook loose in the late stages, tracking that foe down with a :28.4 last quarter to win by a length in 1:56.4. Tipsy In Vegas (Jordan Ross) rallied from the backfield to be third.
Owned by Per Eriksson, Michael Midford, Michael Retherford, and PCW Racing LLC, Temporal Power posted his first career win and check for a lifetime earnings total of $22,750. The Temporal Hanover-Mystical Power colt was bred by Amos Schwartz.
Welcoming back the fifth leg of the $94,000 INSS for 3-year-old filly pacer Friday (July 24), Whoomp looks to defend her victory against rival Somemore Blue as the two fillies have finished first and second for three straight meetings. Friday’s 14-race card features a $10,000 guaranteed Late Pick-5 with a $1,984 carryover, $10,000 guaranteed Late Pick-4, and a $10,000 guaranteed Late Hoosier High-5 done in partnership with the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program.