Sophomore pacers shine in final leg of Indiana Sire Stakes

ANDERSON, Ind.— Indiana Sire Stakes harness racing action continued on Friday, (Oct. 7) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino as the three-year-old pacers competed in their eighth and final harness racing leg.

Two $50,000 divisions for the facing fillies and a single $97,500 division for the pacing colts highlighted the 14-race card in what would be their last chance to earn points for the Indiana Sire Stakes Super Finals on Friday, October 14 as part of the $2.3 million Hoosier Champions card.

Fresh off of defeating older mares in an Open 3 competition in her last outing, JK’s Rollin Baby (JK Endofanera) impressed with a dominant performance in the first Sire Stakes split for pacing fillies.

Leaving from post four, driver Mike Oosting put JK’s Rollin Baby into play from the outset, taking the field to the opening quarter in a hot 26:2. JK’s Rollin Baby would get no breathers in the early stages, hooking up with Best Place To Be and Sam Widger up the backstretch as the two tangled to the half in 55:1. Oosting used the inside advantage on the far turn to regain control of the lead and gain separation by two lengths on the field at three quarters in 1:24:0.

In the stretch, JK’s Rollin Baby powered home with a 27:4 final fraction to maintain the lead she built, scoring by over two lengths at the wire in 1:51:4. Always Gonna B You and Hall of Famer David Miller navigated traffic in the stretch to get up for second, JJ Endofanera and Trace Tetrick closed well on the far outside to home third.

JK’S ROLLIN BABY REPLAY

Trained by Erv Miller, it was the eighth victory in 15 seasonal outings for JK’s Rollin Baby. With the victory, JK’s Rollin Baby has earned $178,696 for owners Engel Stable of Il, Flatrock Stable, Louis Willinger and George Golemes and now over a quarter million for her career. Bred by Mahlon Lambright, JK’s Rollin Baby is a daughter of JK Endofanera out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare, Rock N Roll Baby, making her a full sister to the undefeated division leader in the two-year-old pacing filly ranks in Indiana, Rollin Rosie.

In the second Sire Stakes division for the pacing fillies in the evening’s thirteenth race, Marvelous Marshia (Always A Virgin) extended her win streak to four heading into Hoosier Champions with a stirring stretch rally.

Leaving from post seven in the field of nine, driver John De long opted to take back with Marvelous Marshia in eighth as Need To Breathe and Sam Widger cut out the opening quarter in 26:2. David Miller gave Jewel’sbewithus a turn at the lead up the backstretch, sending her to the front end at the half in 56:1. In a busy mile, driver Don Eash got aggressive with 70-1 longshot Majors Miracle, powering to the lead on the far turn from third and getting the field to three quarters in 1:24:2 as Marvelous Marshia and De Long could see them all from ninth, fourth over with over seven lengths to make up.

Marvelous Marshia swung wide in the stretch and began to gobble up ground with every stride as the powerful Always A Virgin filly thundered home with a 26:2 final quarter, sweeping the field to score by over a length in 1:52:1. Need To Breathe and Widger navigated to passing lane to get up for second, with Jewel’sbewithus picking up the third spot.

MARVELOUS MARSHIA REPLAY

Marvelous Marshia is now a winner in seven of 13 in 2022 for Trainer Roger Welch, banking $157,040 for owners Marsha Lewis-Veitia along with William, Patrick and Mia De Long. Bred by Marc and Maynard Bontrager, Marvelous Marshia has now banked over $200,000 in her career.

In the evening’s nightcap, Soaring Now (JK Endofanera) would capture the lone $97,500 Indiana Sire Stakes split for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings to score his third straight victory. Starting from post four, Soaring Now and Driver Joey Putnam settled in fourth in the early going as JK Victory and Trace Tetrick led the full field of 11 into the first turn through an opening quarter of 26:1. JK Victory would have things his way to the opening half of 54:4 before Putnam sent Soaring Now into motion first up heading into the far turn. The two sons of JK Endofanera would hook up on the turn, with Soaring Now putting his nose in front at three-quarters in 1:23:0.

The duel continued deep in the stretch, before Soaring Now would finally put away a resilient JK Victory late in the lane with a 27:1 final quarter to hit the wire a length in front in 1:50:1. JK Victory would finish a hard-fought second, Rip Wheeler and Brandon Bates finished third.

SOARING NOW REPLAY

Trained by Aaron Stutzman for owner James Miller, Soaring Now scored his sixth victory in 12 starts in 2022. A grand circuit winner in 2022 with a victory in the $140,000 Jenna’s Beach Boy in September, Soaring Now adds to his lofty bankroll having now banked $341,300 this season. A colt by JK Endofanera out of the Mach Three mare, Sunflower, Soaring Now was a $6,000 bargain buy at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale bred by Luckiana Farm.

Racing action continues at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Saturday, October 7 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with a 14-race card set to go beginning at 6:15pm.

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From Harrah’s Hoosier Park