Parklane Odds and Brandon Bates brought home a first win for the three-year-old’s new connections Wednesday, May 3 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The gelding was recently purchased by former Harrah’s Hoosier Park marketing and on-air talent Liza Markle, who returns to the game after nearly a 20-year absence.
Parklane Odds and Brandon Bates rally home to an easy win, the first for his new connections, including Liza Markle, former on-air talent for Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Photo by Dean Gillette
Starting from post five, Parklane Odds and Brandon Bates went directly to the lead, setting fractions of :26.4, :56.1 and 1:25.1. At that point, he kicked into another gear and began to leave his opponents behind, opening up by more than six lengths and coasting under the wire in 1:52.2. A final quarter of :27.1 brought him to the winner’s circle. Well Said Celeb and Jordan Ross finished second over Shared By Me and Michael Oosting for third.
Parklane Odds paid $3.00 for the win. The sophomore son of Odds on Equuleus is owned by Markle and her mother, Sharon, a retired school teacher, Tim Graber, and Trent Stohler Stable. Stohler trains the gelding, who was bred by Shirley LeVin.
Parklane Odds was making his second start for his new connections. In his three-year-old debut, he finished second before coming back with his dominant win Wednesday, a new lifetime mark. Overall, he now has three wins and more than $25,000 on his card. He was part of the Henry Lunsford Stable as a two-year-old last year before his new purchase and move to the Stohler Stable.
Parklane Odds is the latest foal from the 100 percent producing mare Western Powerful, who has produced three with earnings over the $100,000 mark including Art’s Dragon (1:52.2, $200,000), Parklane Official (1:50.3, $222,000), and Diamond Official (1:52.4, $122,478). The family also has a yearling filly this year named Fear the Powerful by Fear the Dragon. Parklane Odds is the only Indiana bred from the seven winners from the family.
Markle is a graduate of Indiana University and began as an intern at Hoosier Park before moving into a full-time marketing position. During her time at Hoosier Park, she also did work for the newly formed TVG and traveled to California for on-air work. Markle left the horse racing industry and moved into another form of competition with the auto racing industry, first with Indy cars and later secured a position with a racing league in southern California where she has lived and worked for the past decade.
Markle grew up on the family farm just outside of Markleville. Her late father, Don, owned several horses that competed in the early days of Hoosier Park and was also a retired school teacher. Some of the horses the family owned included Achibrky Bluegrass, who won 22 races and more than $135,000 in the late 1990s. She went on to become a brood mare with her most successful foal Alwysbreakinhearts taking a mark of 1:51.2 and earning almost $200,000.