National season’s marks are clicking off like a pez candy dispenser at Hoosier Park this season and Glorious Virgin is the latest in a line of talented two-year-olds to achieve that honor. Driven by Trace Tetrick, Glorious Virgin rallied home the winner in the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes (ISS) final at Hoosier Park Wednesday, Aug. 22 in 1:50.4, also a new track record for two-year-old pacing fillies.
Glorious Virgin and Trace Tetrick established a new track record for freshman pacing fillies Wednesday, Aug. 22 in the $75,000 final for the Indiana Sires Stakes at Hoosier Park. The time was also a new national season’s mark. (Photo by Linscott Photography)
Starting from the center of the track in the 11th race on the card, Glorious Virgin waiting until the dust settled before moving to the front. From there, the Always A Virgin filly sat comfortably before turning her speed up a notch in the stretch to rally home with a :27 second final panel. She was a two-length winner over Pure Maid and Ricky Macomber. Lady Capulet and John DeLong finished third.
Glorious Virgin was retained by breeder Emerald Highlands Farm of Mount Vernon, Ohio, who co-bred the filly with James Sprow III. With five wins in six starts under the direction of trainer Shane Bowermaster, the talented filly definitely has the bloodlines to soar to the top of her class.
Glorious Virgin’s dam, Bound For Glory, made more than $300,000 during her career with a best time of 1:52.0 taken at three. Also bred by Bruce Trogdon’s Emerald Highlands Farm and Sprow, she competed in all the major stakes races as a two and three-year-old, including the Jugette and the Breeders Crown. Since entering the broodmare band at Emerald Highlands Farm, Bound For Glory, a grey mare with Laag in her lineage, has been a 100 percent producer with the slowest of eight foals of racing age obtaining a record of 1:54.3. She has a grey Ohio bred Rockin Amadeus colt named Aim For Glory that will be a two-year-old in 2019.
Impressively, the previous track record for freshman pacing fillies was set last fall by Youaremycandygirl in an elimination of the prestigious Breeders Crown. Glorious Virgin is keeping very talented company. Her new career best also equals the fastest mile by a freshman of any sex for the 2018 racing season.
“I really think she (Glorious Virgin) could be one of the top three fillies I’ve ever sat behind,” Tetrick noted after the victory in a Hoosier Park press release. “At this stage in the game, she’s better than any filly I’ve driven. She’s a true professional, getting handier with every start and just has unbelievable talent.”