La Parka rallied home for a very monumental win for driver Carson Conrad Wednesday, April 26. It marked the first win for the young driver at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, just days after Carson earned his first pari-mutuel career win at Oak Grove Racing Sunday, April 23.
La Parka and Carson Conrad cross under the wire in a new lifetime mark and Carson’s first Harrah’s Hoosier Park driving win Wednesday, April 26. Photo by Dean Gillette
Starting from post two, La Parka got away fourth for Carson as he rode along behind race leader Skyway Legend and Brandon Bates through early fractions of :28.0 and :57.0. Heading past the half, La Parka was flushed to the outside and moved up with authority to take the lead at the head of the lane.
In the stretch, La Parka began moving away from his opponents, winning by five lengths in 1:56.0, a final quarter in :28.3. Straight Jo and Jordan Ross closed gamely for second over Skyway Legend for third.
La Parka was overlooked by bettors, paying $43.40 for the win. The four-year-old son of Sweet Lou is owned by Carson, his mom Sarah, and his brother Carder. His father, Charlie, trains the gelding, who won his first race since 2021. Carson also guided La Parka to a new lifetime win.
Earlier in the week, a horse that Carson has a little more connection to was a winner at Oak Grove Racing. Zig Zag Zoom is a homebred for the Conrad family and is out of the mare, Zoom Past You, who was also campaigned by the Conrads and was the first horse Carson ever owned. She had a very strong career on the track, taking a mark of 1:52.3 and earned nearly $200,000. Zig Zag Zoom, who was named by Carder, is her third foal and she has a two-year-old filly this season by Ponder named Zonder that will be on the track soon.
Zig Zag Zoom has a lot of history with Carson. The current high schooler drove her in many of her races on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit at two and at three. It’s only fitting he got his first pari-mutuel win with her this week.
Zig Zag Zoom started from post three and was out looking for the lead early, crossing over to the front after the quarter in :28.1. From there, Carson kept the JK Endofanera mare focused on her job, even fending off pressure from McCash and Devon Tharps the second half. But Zig Zag Zoom was up to the test, pacing home in :29.3 for the win in 1:56.4. Luv Her Heart and Joey Putnam finished two and one-quarter lengths back in second over Wewillrockyou AS and Tony Hall for third.
Zig Zag Zoom paid $9.04 for the win. The four-year-old mare is owned by Sarah, Carson and Carder. Sarah, Carson and Carson’s grandmother, Roselea bred the mare, who earned a new lifetime mark in the monumental race.
To date, Zig Zag Zoom has three career wins, two of which were recorded by Carson. His dad, Charlie, drove her to her very first win in her very first start at Converse on the ISFC. She now has more than $34,000 in earnings.