Photo by Dean Gillette Ishtar and “Big Ticket” Brandon Bates delivered big dividends to their backers Thursday, July 23 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The duo turned in a perfect trip to score the win in a new lifetime mark in the $10,000 fillies and mares non winners of one event. Ishtar began from post six and left the gate with some speed but was swallowed up on both sides by early speed. Bates was able to slide the sophomore filly in behind opponents, passing by the quarter in :26.3 in fifth place. Foolish Beetrayal and LeWayne Miller took over the early lead from the outside before Lady Wonder and Trace Tetrick were out and rolling forward at the half in :56.1. Once settled on the lead, Lady Wonder led the field around the final turn before being joined by Variant and Jordan Ross on the outside. In the stretch, Lady Wonder was challenged by Foolish Beetrayal as they two headed for the finish line. Bates opted to stay inside with Ishtar around the final turn and moved up the inside into third. Ishtar then found room to maneuver through traffic and found herself on the outside of Lady Wonder and Foolish Beetrayal. It was a three-horse photo at the finish line with Ishtar getting the edge by a neck over Lady Wonder and Foolish Beetrayal, with a nose separating them for second and third respectively. Ishtar was a surprise, paying $37.00 for the win. The daughter of Highalator is owned and trained by Brett Selby. Cavallo Stable of Illinois bred the filly, who picked up her second career win after winning her first in early June at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Ishtar has spent her entire career at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with no wins last year at two. Overall, she now has more than $25,000 on her card and was purchased by Selby last spring before taking on ownership in solo form earlier this spring. She is the first foal from the Shadyshark Hanover mare Karefree Kara, who took a mark of 1:51 and made more than $170,000 during her racing career. She has a two-year-old this season named Vel Illpay Yalater, a daughter of Keystone Velocity who has not started yet. Indiana Sires Stakes action was on the Thursday card with two-year-old trotters on tap. Temporal Power and Joey Putnam pulled in a big upset in their division, rallying home in :28.4 to win in 1:56.4. Steppinouttohelp and Robert Taylor finished second over Tipsy in Vegas and Jordan Ross. Temporal Power paid $71.40 for the win. The Temporal Hanover colt is owned by Per Eriksson, Michael Midford, Michael Retherford, and PCW Racing. Kristin Shetler trains the colt, who was bred and raised by Amos Schwartz. The colt sold with the Blue Bird Meadows consignment last fall at the Midwest Standardbred Horse Sale with Dan Shetler signing the ticket as agent for $15,000. It was his second career start and his first win in the race. He is the son of Mystical Power, who took a mark of 1:55.3 and made more than $100,000 during her career. She is the dam of Power Hill, an Ohio bred who has a mark of 1:53.1 and made more than $110,000 and is still racing. She also has a yearling colt this year by Don’t Let’Em named Don’t Be Mystical, who will most likely be in the Midwest Standardbred Horse Sale this fall. Per Eriksson, former standout trainer in the United States, returned to Sweden in 2001. During his career in the States, Eriksson won three Hambletonians, multiple Breeders Crowns, and five World Trotting Derbies, to name a few. He was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2022. Some of the standouts he conditioned included Trotter of the Year Giant Victory, Alf Palema, also Trotter of the Year and Lookout Victory, a winner of the Breeders Crown and Hambletonian Oaks.

Photo by Dean Gillette Bluebird Twilight and Trace Tetrick scored an impressive victory at dusk Saturday, July 25 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The duo was a winner during a special Empire of Hope event with the evening dedicated to racehorse aftercare and several fundraisers to benefit the Standardbred Transition Alliance. Bluebird Twilight began from post six and immediately made her presence known to the field in the $16,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Eligible event. She was leading the field through the quarter in :29.0 before passing by the half in :58.4 with everyone staying in place behind her. Around the final turn, Bluebird Twilight opened up on the field by three lengths as she turned for home. In the stretch, Madame Clicquot and Kyle Wilfong had been tracking her every move from the two hole and moved out to challenge. They were closing in but Bluebird Twilight held her ground for the win in 1:57.1. Madame Clicquot was a strong second over Help My Heart and John DeLong for third. Bluebird Twilight paid $9.40 for the win. The Rebuff filly is owned by Jeff Fought Racing, Brian Carsey, Sara Haynes, and Y-Not Racing Stable. Walter Haynes Jr. trains the freshman filly who was bred and raised at Daryl Miller’s Blue Bird Meadows. The Haynes Stable signed the ticket for Bluebird Twilight last fall at the Midwest Standardbred Horse Sale for the daughter of first crop sire Rebuff for $10,000. She sold early in the sale of the first session tagged as the Gold Session. It was the third career start for Bluebird Twilight and her first career win. She previously raced on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit at Converse to kick off her racing career in June. With Indiana Sires Stakes on the program for leg two of the series for two-year-old trotters taking center stage, it was an older Indiana bred who stole the spotlight in the sixth race. Ponda Jet, current track record holder on the trot, turned in a gate to wire effort for driver Kyle Wilfong. The six-year-old son of Dover Dan fended off a late challenge by Finite and Trace Tetrick for the win by a half length. Drink Up Drink Up and Brandon Bates finished third in the 1:52.3 mile. The effort by Ponda Jet ties his fastest win to date for 2026 taken at Oak Grove earlier this year. Ponda Jet paid $2.60 for the win. He is owned by Connie Hochstetler, Robert Buddig, and Allen Schwartz. Pond-A-Acres bred the superstar gelding, who has now won half of his starts in 2026. Overall, he is 39 for 86 with more than $859,000 on his card. His career best remains as his track record performance at four in a time of 1:50.0 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

Photo by Dean Gillette Ishtar and “Big Ticket” Brandon Bates delivered big dividends to their backers Thursday, July 23 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The duo turned in a perfect trip to score the win in a new lifetime mark in the $10,000 fillies and mares non winners of one event. Ishtar began from post six and left the gate with some speed but was swallowed up on both sides by early speed. Bates was able to slide the sophomore filly in behind opponents, passing by the quarter in :26.3 in fifth place. Foolish Beetrayal and LeWayne Miller took over the early lead from the outside before Lady Wonder and Trace Tetrick were out and rolling forward at the half in :56.1. Once settled on the lead, Lady Wonder led the field around the final turn before being joined by Variant and Jordan Ross on the outside. In the stretch, Lady Wonder was challenged by Foolish Beetrayal as they two headed for the finish line. Bates opted to stay inside with Ishtar around the final turn and moved up the inside into third. Ishtar then found room to maneuver through traffic and found herself on the outside of Lady Wonder and Foolish Beetrayal. It was a three-horse photo at the finish line with Ishtar getting the edge by a neck over Lady Wonder and Foolish Beetrayal, with a nose separating them for second and third respectively. Ishtar was a surprise, paying $37.00 for the win. The daughter of Highalator is owned and trained by Brett Selby. Cavallo Stable of Illinois bred the filly, who picked up her second career win after winning her first in early June at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Ishtar has spent her entire career at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with no wins last year at two. Overall, she now has more than $25,000 on her card and was purchased by Selby last spring before taking on ownership in solo form earlier this spring. She is the first foal from the Shadyshark Hanover mare Karefree Kara, who took a mark of 1:51 and made more than $170,000 during her racing career. She has a two-year-old this season named Vel Illpay Yalater, a daughter of Keystone Velocity who has not started yet. Indiana Sires Stakes action was on the Thursday card with two-year-old trotters on tap. Temporal Power and Joey Putnam pulled in a big upset in their division, rallying home in :28.4 to win in 1:56.4. Steppinouttohelp and Robert Taylor finished second over Tipsy in Vegas and Jordan Ross. Temporal Power paid $71.40 for the win. The Temporal Hanover colt is owned by Per Eriksson, Michael Midford, Michael Retherford, and PCW Racing. Kristin Shetler trains the colt, who was bred and raised by Amos Schwartz. The colt sold with the Blue Bird Meadows consignment last fall at the Midwest Standardbred Horse Sale with Dan Shetler signing the ticket as agent for $15,000. It was his second career start and his first win in the race. He is the son of Mystical Power, who took a mark of 1:55.3 and made more than $100,000 during her career. She is the dam of Power Hill, an Ohio bred who has a mark of 1:53.1 and made more than $110,000 and is still racing. She also has a yearling colt this year by Don’t Let’Em named Don’t Be Mystical, who will most likely be in the Midwest Standardbred Horse Sale this fall. Per Eriksson, former standout trainer in the United States, returned to Sweden in 2001. During his career in the States, Eriksson won three Hambletonians, multiple Breeders Crowns, and five World Trotting Derbies, to name a few. He was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2022. Some of the standouts he conditioned included Trotter of the Year Giant Victory, Alf Palema, also Trotter of the Year and Lookout Victory, a winner of the Breeders Crown and Hambletonian Oaks.