Top ISS contenders stay perfect in final prelim

 ANDERSON, Ind.—October 5, 2022— Harness racing returned to Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Wednesday, October 5 with a 14-race card loaded with Indiana Sire Stakes action. The evening featured three divisions for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings, two divisions for freshman pacing fillies as well as a lone division for three-year-old filly trotters. With Hoosier Champions looming just over a week away on October 14, it was the last chance to earn valuable points to make it into the Indiana Sire Stakes Super Finals for the Indiana standouts.

The two-year-old trotting colts and geldings kicked off the stakes action with the $46,000 first division in the second race of the evening. The heavily favored Jailhouse Dance (Dover Dan) and Michael Oosting would wait for things to settle up front in the mile, before taking command at the half and unleashing a dominant five length score in a lifetime best 1:54:3. Every Day Dan and Robert Taylor would finish second, with Brookview Darius and Atlee Bender rounding out the trifecta.

Trained by Ken Rucker who co-owns the Dover Dan gelding along with Rock & Roll Stables Inc and Michael Shan, Jailhouse Dance picked up his third win in 10 career starts. Bred by Lester Beechy, Jailhouse Dance pushed his career earnings to $126,680.

In the $46,000 second division, Talent Scout (Swan For All) would continue the trend of favorites making their way to the Harrah’s Hoosier Park Winner’s Circle. Leaving from post 6 with the reigning Driver of the Year three times over, Dexter Dunn, Talent Scout asserted his authority over the field from the start, clearing to the lead off the gate and never looking back cruising to a 1:56:2 score by over three lengths over Ahadi As and Tony Hall.

Entering off a score in the $100,000 Madison County Stakes, it was the third consecutive victory on the season for Talent Scout and seventh of 15 seasonal outings. Trained by Doug Rideout, the gelded son of Swan For All has now banked $174,708 for owners Julie Rideout, Alan White and Dave Gamble.

The third and final division for the trotting colts would prove to be a nailbiter as Texsong Soprano (Text Me) needed every inch of Harrah’s Hoosier Park’s quarter mile stretch to get up in time for the victory. With driver John De Long aboard, Texsong Soprano faced a six lengths deficit at the three-quarter pole as the heavily favored Bourbon Courage appeared to be home free. However, behind the strength of a 27:0 final quarter, Texsong Soprano rallied to score the victory by a short neck at the line over Bourbon Courage in a lifetime best 1:54:4.

Trained by Missy Essig, it was the fifth win in nine starts for the gelding who is yet to miss the board in his freshman campaign. Owned by Joe and Daryl Yoder, the half-brother to millionaire and O’Brien Award winner Windsong Soprano has now banked $162,222.

It was the freshman pacing fillies turn to step into the spotlight next with two $68,000 Indiana Sire Stakes divisions of their own. In the first division in the seventh race of the evening, driver Dexter Dunn was tasked with keeping Rollin Rosie’s (Jk Endofanera) perfect record intact as the 1/9 favorite.

Leaving from post three in the seven-horse field, Rollin Rosie and Dunn went immediately to the front and didn’t look back, comfortably scoring the victory by just over a length in 1:53:2. JKs Lucky Lou with Trace Tetrick got up for second, with Alwaysanun and Jordan Ross holding for third at 94/1.

It was the sixth victory in as many career tries for Rollin Rosie who now boasts a bankroll of $179,250. Rollin Rosie is trained by Harrah’s Hoosier Park’s two-time defending leading trainer, Tyler George, who co-owns the filly alongside of Scp Stable Inc and Gregory Samples.

Driver Michael Oosting would stay hot on the evening in the second division for two-year-old pacing fillies, this time picking up the victory with race favorite Queen’s Reign (Jk Endofanera) for his fourth driving victory on the night. Queen’s Reign and Oosting would settle in mid-pack in the field of seven in the early stages, before swinging out wide in the stretch and powering to the front with a 27:3 final quarter to score by a length and a half in a lifetime best 1:52:2.

Queen’s Reign gave sire JK Endofanera the sweep of the freshman pacing fillies as she picked up her third victory in 11 career starts. Trained by Ernie Gaskin, the homebred filly is has now pushed her career earnings to $154,250 for owners Watermark Farm LLC.

In the Sire Stakes finale of the evening, M-M’s Dream avenged her lone loss on the season in the Moni Maker last time out by completing the sweep of all eight legs for sophomore trotting fillies in the lone $92,500 split.

With regular pilot Sam Widger aboard, M-M’s Dream was patient in the early going before taking command of the field at the half and never relinquishing the lead from then on scoring the victory by just over a length in 1:53:3 over Jusmakinyalook and World Champion, Bluebird Dove.

M-M’s Dream has scored victories in nine of ten starts in 2022 and in 15 of 18 lifetime starts for owners Eleven Star Stables, Frank Baldachino and Hillside Stables. Bred by Mervin Miller, the 2021 Indiana Sire Stakes Champion heads into next week’s Indiana Sire Stakes Super Final with $302,550 earned in 2022 and over $570,000 earned for her career. M-M’s Dream is a daughter of Swan For All out of the Classic Photo mare, Trading Places.

Indiana Sire Stakes action continues on Thursday at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with the last leg for two-year-old pacing colts, two-year-old trotting fillies and three-year-old trotting colts highlighting the 14-race card. With a daily post time of 6:15 pm, live racing will be conducted through December 10. For more information on upcoming events and the live racing calendar,  visit here.

For complete race results, click here.

From Harrah’s Hoosier Park