De Long dominates $1.8 million Champions Night

Driver John De Long was the star of the show at Hoosier Park on Friday night (Oct. 13) winning five Indiana Sires Stakes harness racing finals raced over a track that got wetter as the night progressed and the rain intensified.

De Long, Hoosier Park’s second leading driver behind Trace Tetrick, took three $250,000 Super Finals and two $70,000 finals for aged competitors.

De Long’s first Super Final win came in race 6 driving Lets Go Endofaera (JK Endofanera) in the Super Final for two-year-old filly pacers. The win was a family affair as the winner is owned by De Long along with father Jesse and ucncle William and is trained by John’s wife, Tabitha.

Sent off at 5 to 1, Lets Go Endofaera dropped in sixth early after starting from post nine and bided her time to the stretch. Once shown open road, she vaulted off second-over cover in the lane to take the biggest payday of her career, powering to a 1 1/4-length win over Lyin’ Eyes (Joey Putnam). All JK (Trace Tetrick) was third.

The victorious driver said he didn’t feel too good when he saw his filly drew the worst post.

“I wanted to throw up,” he said, chuckling. In the end, it worked out, and his filly is a champion.

LETS GO ENDOFAERA REPLAY

De Long came right back in the next race to take the $70,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Final for aged trotting mares with Swans Eye (Swan For All) by sitting behind a destructive mid-race pace battle and rallying out of the pocket in deep stretch for the upset score.

Delong was content to watch from the pocket as favorite Jusmakinyalook (Jordan Ross) and May Baby (James Yoder) battled from just after the :28.0 opening quarter and through a :56.1 half and 1:25.4 three quarters. That left both with nothing in reserve for the stretch drive, and Swans Eye passed both at the 1/16th pole then held off onrushing longshot ER Kim (Brad Ferguson). The winner returned $14.80.

SWANS EYE REPLAY

Swans Eye went over the $200,000 mark in lifetime earnings for owner Rocca Fava, of Newburgh, New York. Fava also trains. She paid $14.80 and trotted the mile in 1:55.2 over the sloppy track.

Then came another $250,000 win with Helpfirstedition (Helpisontheway), who produced a terrific first-over effort to take the Super Final for sophomore trotting colts and geldings, heading a 1-2 finish for trainer Melissa Essig and completing the hat trick for De Long.

Drawing the worst post proved to be no problem for the winner, who sat fifth tracking early leader Ponda Jet through a :26.3 opening quarter before pulling first-up just before the leader reached the half in 56.2. From there, De Long methodically cut into the lead, and his gelding powered away from his rivals in the lane to win comfortably in a snappy 1:53.3 in the rain. Texsong Soprano (Michael Oosting) rallied for second and Ponda Jet held third.

De Long recounted his approach with the winner.

“Just be patient,” he said. “Ponda Jet is a good horse. Just be patient, that’s the biggest thing. Don’t get in a hurry around the last turn, and hopefully I’d have enough to last.”

HELPFIRSTEDITION REPLAY

The winner returned $3.90 as third choice and raised his earnings to more than $382,000 for owners Ervin Wickey of Auburn, Indiana, John Graber of New Haven, Connecticut and John Schmucker of Grabill, Indiana.

De Long took his fourth Final win of the night with Tellmeitmatters (Tellitlikeitis), who withstood a judge’s inquiry after posting a game half-length win in the $250,000 Super Final for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

The inquiry examined the racing action when De Long moved his gelding out of third to go to the front as the field headed to the half. In question was whether he caused interference by coming out late. The result stood and Tellmeitmatters, who gamely held the lead to the wire while withstanding a stout late challenge from Noblesville (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.), was an Indiana Sires Stakes champion. Play Action Pass (Trace Tetrick) rallied from far back to take third.

TELLMEITMATTERS REPLAY

Tellmeitmatters, who paid $8.00 as the third choice, was winning for the fifth time in 10 starts for William C. and William P. De Long of South Beloit, Illinois, and he raised his earnings to just under $230,000. He is trained by Roger Welch.

De Long took his fifth ISS Finals win with favored seven-year-old warhorse Little Rocket Man (Rockin Image) in the $70,000 final for aged male pacers. They made an early move to the front, then repelled second choice Ponda Warrior (Kyle Wilfong) for a 1:49.2 score.

De Long moved Little Rocket Man to the front just past the :26.3 opening quarter and set fractions of :54.4 and 1:23.3. At the three-quarters, he grabbed a couple of lengths while Ponda Warrior started to circle around stalled cover, and the winner was never in any real danger. Yourwishgranted (Ricky Macomber Jr.) rallied for third.

LITTLE ROCKET MAN REPLAY

It was the 51st win in a career spanning 93 races for the Ken Rucker-trained Little Rocket Man who raised his earnings to more than $1.067 million for owners Russell Beeman and Jack Freeman of Anderson, Indiana.

De Long wasn’t the only star on this night. Naturdays (Helpisontheway) kicked off the Super Finals with an impressive stretch brush, closing from fifth and rushing past her sophomore trotting rivals for a 1 1/4 length score in the $250,000 Super Final. It was the seventh win on the year for her and fifth in her last six starts for the 3 to 5 favorite, who returned $3.20 to win.

Driver Matt Krueger won with his only Super Final drive of the night, and he expressed his appreciation to winning trainer Matt Rheinheimer for his confidence.

“Of all the trainers on tonight’s card, he’s the one that had faith in me,” he said. “That means more to me than winning the race.

NATURDAYS REPLAY

Naturdays added $125,000 to her earnings and she has now amassed close to $340,000 for Alton, Debra, and Brackton Miller of Middlebury, Indiana. Swanya (John Delong) finished second, ahead of early pacesetter Yo Beth D (Lewayne Miller).

The $250,000 Super Final for sophomore pacing fillies was a tour-de-force for Tell’s On A Roll (Tellitlikeitis), who was sent to the front in the second quarter by Dexter Dunn and proceeded to crush her rivals by 3 1/4 lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:50.0.

It was a 1-2 finish for Hoosier Park-leading trainer Tyler George with favored Rollin’ Rosie (Trace Tetrick) rallying from far back to take second over Walkin On Sunshine (Jay Cross).

Dunn said although he knew little about the winning filly, he felt confident going to the gate.

“She post paraded great, I was really happy with her and how she felt and once I got to the front, she grabbed a hold of me,” he explained. “Rollin’ Rosie came at us late, but we had enough of a break to beat her.”

TELL’S ON A ROLL REPLAY

Tell’s On A Roll was taking her fifth win in nine 2023 starts, and she boosted her earnings to more than $226,000 for owners Engel Stable of IL LLC and A. Willinger of Louisville, Kentucky.

Toy’s For You (Airzoom Lindy) capitalized on a pocket trip to take the $50,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Final for aged male trotters. Driver Luke Plano was content to follow pacesetter Adamsville Road (Trace Tetrick) to the lane, then popped out, surged to the lead, and held sway for a 1 3/4-length win over Flagman (Rick Plano) and Dover In Motion (Ricky Macomber Jr). The winner was dismissed at more than 15 to 1, returning $33.70 to win.

TOY’S FOR YOU REPLAY

Post nine was no problem for 1 to 5 favorite Kobe’s Gigi (JK Endofanera) as she delivered a crushing first-over performance to win the $70,000 sires stakes final for aged mares.

Dexter Dunn blasted off the gate with her but was content to drop in third with Kobe’s Gigi as she watched Skyway Brittney (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) lead past the quarter in :27.2. That lead would be short-lived as Rockin Nola (Joey Putnam) took over before the half in :55.0, and she led to the three quarters in 1:23.1 with Kobe’s Gigi breathing down her neck on the outside. Kobe’s Gigi pulled away in the lane for a three-length score over closing Maggie Rhee (Jordan Ross) and Ever A JK (Trace Tetrick).

KOBE’S GIGI REPLAY

The heavily-favored winner returned $2.40 and boosted her lifetime earnings to more than $542,000 for Leander Schwartz and Black and White Stable, both of Indiana. Melissa Essig trains Kobe’s Gigi.

Dunn won his second final of the night with favourite Why Not Now (Always A Virgin), who gamely held on by a head to take the $250,000 Super Final for sophomore male pacers.

Dunn sent Why Not Now to the front leaving the gate, but he was soon overtaken by Coach Stefanos (Trace Tetrick), who led the field to the opening quarter in :26.3 over a track that was getting progressively wetter.

Dunn was not content to sit the pocket and he retook the lead before the :54.4 half, and Why Not Now led past the 1:23.3 three-quarters with Buzzsaw Russ (John De Long) applying first-over pressure. Why Not Now needed every bit of his :26.1 kicker to hold off a game Coach Stefanos by a head for a 1:49.4 score. David Allan Whoa (Joey Putnam) rallied for third.

WHY NOT NOW REPLAY

The winner returned $3.20 as favorite and boosted his earnings over the $500,000 mark for owners Howard Taylor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Jeff Billings and Dylan Davis of Harrington, Delaware. Davis also trains. Why Not Now was winless at two last year but he hasn’t missed the board in 14 starts this year, winning eight times, with four seconds and two thirds.

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

by Garnet Barnsdale, for Harnesslink