As racing action is heating up in Indiana, horses are prepping everywhere for the upcoming 2021 racing season at Harrah’s Hoosier Park including Gil Crest Training Center. Several Indiana sired horses were included in qualifiers at Gil Crest Training Center Saturday, April 3, including standout trotting mare Compelling.
Compelling, shown with owner-trainer Verlin Yoder at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, won the first leg of the Beissinger Memorial at Miami Valley Raceway Friday, Feb. 5 for LeWayne Miller. She is now in Florida prepping for the 2021 season. Photo by Dean Gillette
Hailing from the Verlin Yoder Stable, Compelling went out for the early lead with Heath Campbell driving. The duo set fractions of :31.4, 1:00.0 and 1:28.1 before trotting home for the win in 1:58.1. Monarch and Verlin Yoder finished second over Bad Shot and Marlin Fry for third. All three horses are Indiana sired and prepping for the meet in Indiana.
Compelling, a seven-year-old daughter of Swan for All, is owned by Yoder and was bred by Lavon Miller. She will return to action in Indiana soon with 18 career wins in 73 career starts and earnings approaching the $300,000. Her career best time was taken at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in 2019 at five in 1:52.0.
Also winning on the card at Gil Crest Training Center was Shelly Rockwell from the James Yoder Barn. Driven by co-owner Marlin Fry, Shelly Rockwell also went gate to wire, establishing fractions of :30.3, 1:01.3 and 1:28.2 before pacing home in :28.2 for the win in 1:56.4, her first career win. The lightly raced sophomore daughter of Time to Roll is owned by Fry and Jeffrey Baker. She was bred by Fry and Glen Hershberger.
Shelly Rockwell is the younger sibling of Genie Rockwell, who scored several wins last year in Indiana in Sires Stakes action. The younger Rockwell was making her first start of 2021 in the qualifier at Gil Crest Training Center. She will look to follow in the footsteps of her successful half-sister this season in Indiana for Fry.