Two-year-old trotters were in action as a precursor to Hoosier Champions Night featuring the Super Finals of Indiana Sires Stakes action. Two Super Finals were set for Thursday, Oct. 12 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with two-year-old trotters in the spotlight. The evening also included two consolations for the Indiana Sires Stakes with a few upsets recorded during the evening.
Musclefantastic and Robert Taylor entered the final for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters ranked ninth on the list of eligibles for the Super Final. He found his winning stride at the right time, passing by opponents in the stretch to score the $250,000 title in 1:55.1.
Musclefantastic began from post three and floated out for a spot in fourth as Dashing Danny and Kyle Wilfong shot out to the lead from the far outside and was by the first quarter in :27.2 before bringing the tempo back down by the half in :56.3. Musclefantastic was content to follow along and no one was making a move to the outside.
Musclefantastic and Robert Taylor are greeted in the winner’s circle by friends and family of the Hupfer family after his win in the $250,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final Thurs. Oct. 12 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Photo by Dean Gillette
In the stretch, Dashing Danny was holding on tight to the top spot as the field began to close in on him. The outside horses were proving to be a tough bunch to fend off, but it was the inside horse that was the biggest threat as Musclefantastic and Taylor moved right on through and right on by for the win. Dashing Danny was three-quarters of a length back in second with Topville Sebastian and Trace Tetrick finishing third.
Muslefantastic paid $46.60 for the win. The Muscle Massive gelding is owned by Kyle and Jill Hupfer. He was bred by Perry Bontrager. Taylor trains Musclefantastic, who earned a new lifetime mark in the Super Final. It was his third career win in nine starts and ironically, the win in the final was his first in Indiana Sires Stakes action.
Musclefantastic is part of the third Indiana crop by Muscle Massive. He was purchased from the Northern Indiana Yearling Speed Sale for $17,000 by Taylor and the Hupfers. He was the sixth highest yearling by the sire sold last fall. He now has more than $178,000 on his card.
It was a good night for Muscle Massive as he was also the sire of the Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly Super Final too. Ponda Title and Kyle Wilfong took over after the quarter in :27.3 and held steady on the lead all the way to the wire, wining by a neck in 1:56.1. Skyway Paige and LeWayne Miller had a good late kick to close in for second over Black Gold and James Yoder, who held their own for third.
Ponda Title was the favorite of the field as she won four of the six preliminary rounds to lead all freshman trotting fillies in the point standings for the finals. She paid $3.20 for the win. Ponda Title is owned by Connie Hochstetler, Robert Buddig and Allen Schwartz. Pond-A-Acres now has another Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final winner to their credit. Jay Hochstetler trains the filly, who earned her seventh win in 11 starts. She has not been worse than third all season and now has just shy of $500,000 on her card. Her career best time of 1:55.0 was taken in her previous start at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
Ponda Title was the second highest priced yearling by Muscle Massive last year at the sales, bringing $32,000 through the ring at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale. Pond-A-Acres will sell a half-sister to Ponda Title in next week’s Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale, a filly by Helpisontheway named Ponda Help as Hip No. 248.
There was an upset recorded in the $25,000 consolation for two-year-old colt and geldings also as CS Flying Co-Pilot and Trace Tetrick rallied home to an open length win in 1:57.2 for trainer Doug Rideout. Ira Who and Daryl Bontrager finished two and one-lengths back in second over Helpspaythebills and John DeLong for third.
CS Flying Co-Pilot paid $33.60 for the win. The Pilot Discretion gelding is owned by John Stoll and Darin Miller. He is a home bred, raised by Stoll.
CS Flying Co-Pilot was ranked 14th on the list for the Indiana Sires Stakes finals, and had not hit the board in any of his preliminary rounds. The win in the consolation was a new lifetime mark and his third win on the season. He pushed his career bankroll to more than $50,000 with the win.
In the filly division for freshman trotters of the consolation bracket, Starlit Dora was the favorite and lived up to the billing for the Erv Miller Stable. She only competed in the last three preliminary rounds, picking up a third place finish. Guided by Michael Oosting, the Swan for All filly got away second and was able to stay right behind Boom Boom Betty and Trace Tetrick until late in the race. She found racing room and trotted right up to the wire for the win in 1:56.2, just a nose ahead of Sunny Sundries and Joey Putnam, who closed in from mid pack. Boom Boom Betty finished third.
Starlit Dora paid $3.20 for the win. She is owned by Doug Overhiser, John Stefanos and D & M Trading II. John Wagler bred the filly, who now has four wins in nine starts. Her career best time of 1:55.3 was taken in late August at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
Hoosier Champions Night is slated for Friday, Oct. 13 beginning at 6:15 p.m. Every race on the card is either a Super Final or a consolation for the Indiana Sires Stakes. A total of 15 races are slated for the night.