10 straight for streaking Sabonis

ANDERSON, Ind.—Sept. 6, 2024 – The beat goes on for one of the hottest harness racing horses in North America as Sabonis (Tellitlikeitis) extended his win-streak to 10 on the season by winning his $15,000 elimination for the Hoosier Cup on Friday (Sept. 6) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

One of two eliminations featured on the card, M-M-s Bud delivered as favorite in the second elim, with the top-five finishers from each advancing to the $75,000 final on Friday, Sept. 13 for Indiana-Sired three-year-old pacing colts.

Sabonis was sent off as the 1-5 favorite in the field of seven, leaving from post four with regular pilot Joey Putnam in the bike. Sabonis was aggressive off the gate, but outsprinted by a fired up Noblesville (Devon Tharps) who rode the tailwind entering the first turn to a blistering quarter of :25.

Sabonis sat the loose pocket while Noblesville slowed things down to the halfway point into the wind in :55.1. Noblesville kicked-away once more entering the final turn before Sabonis began to find his best stride to close the gap back down to 2-1/2 lengths at three-quarters in 1:23.1.

The early speed began to takes its toll on Noblesville who tired turning for home. Sabonis quickly took advantage and grabbed command by two-lengths at the eighth pole while Dale Yea (Marvin Luna) moved into contention up the passing lane in second.

Dale Yea gave the bettor’s choice a fright in deep stretch, but Sabonis utilized a :26 final quarter to hold Dale Yea at bay by three-quarters of a length in 1:49.3. Packedwithluck (Trace Tetrick) finished third, while Stat That (LeWayne Miller) and Skyway Masterpiece (Jordan Ross) finished fourth and fifth respectively to advance to the final.

SABONIS REPLAY

Trained by Aaron Stutzman, Sabonis has won 13 of 14 on the year while banking $350,750 this season. The three-year-old is owned by Pat Miller and is yet to finish off the board in his 16-race career.

The second elimination provided a thriller where the photo-finish camera was needed to catch 3-5 favorite M-M-s Bud (Tellitlikeitis-Climate Hanover) get his nose on the wire first between two foes. Driver Pete Wrenn picked up the drive this week, putting M-M-s Bud in his usual spot atop the field early through an opening quarter of :26.1. M-M-s Bud had things his way to the half in :55.4 before A New Endeavor (John De Long) was the first to provide a threat in the outer-flow, moving into third on the outside through three-quarters in 1:24.3.

Turning for home, A New Endeavor continued to bear-down on M-M-s Bud, while pocket-sitter Midnight Rocker (Tetrick) took his shot up the passing lane. Digging in gamely to fend off the two-pronged attack, M-M-s Bud fought to the wire a nose clear of a surging Midnight Rocker and quarter-length in front of A New Endeavor in 1:51.1. The final two advancing to the final were fourth place finisher Play Action Pass (Luna), and Evileye Feegle (Miller) who finished fifth.

M-M-S BUD REPLAY

Alvin Miller trains and co-owns M-M-s Bud along with Ted Comerford and Marvin Schwartz. The gelding picked up his second win of the season in 10 start. M-M-s Bud has banked $84,085 on the year and $184,846 lifetime.

Along with the lion’s share of the $75,000 purse, the winner of the 2024 Hoosier Cup will also receive an auto-nomination to the $150,000est Jenna’s Beach Boy for three-year-old pacers on Friday, Sept. 20 as part of the Caesars Trotting Classic card.

To go along with the final for the Hoosier Cup final, the card on Friday, Sept. 13 will also include the $400,000est finals for both the Peter Haughton and Jim Doherty Memorials. Two of the premier stakes races for two-year-old trotters, The Peter Haughton and Jim Doherty were raced at Harrah’s Hoosier Park for the first time in 2023 since moving from The Meadowlands. TCI captured the 2023 Peter Haughton for trotting colts in a campaign that saw him bank over a million dollars, while Soiree Hanover took the Doherty on her way to winning Dan Patch Award honors for the division at season’s end. First post for the card on Sept. 13 will be 6:15 p.m.

This week’s racing concludes on Saturday (Sept. 7) with a 12-race card set to get underway at 7:00 p.m. To go along with live racing, Harrah’s Hoosier Park will also offer free music as part of the Hop Be-Bop concert series live on the track apron from 7-10 p.m.

For more information on the upcoming live racing schedule or live entertainment at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, guests are encouraged to visit here.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Jacob Rheinheimer, for Harrah’s Hoosier Park