Paycheck and Joey Putnam turned in a near gate to wire effort to win the $16,000 final of Indiana Sired Mini Series action Thursday, Aug. 18. The duo scored the win in 1:56.0.
Paycheck and Joey Putnam scored a near gate to wire win Thursday, Aug. 18 in Indiana Sired Mini Series action at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Photo by Dean Gillette
Starting from post three, Paycheck rallied out in the early action and was joined by Amiercan Cactus and Robert Taylor from the outside in pursuit of the top spot. Paycheck had to wait until after the quarter in :28.0 to cross over to the lead. From there, Putnam kept the Check Six gelding on task, passing the half in :57.4 and three-quarters in 1:27.4.
In the stretch, American Cactus made another move toward the leader up the inside but Paycheck repelled him, winning by a half length over American Cactus. Fireball Freddy and Brandon Bates finished a charging third.
Paycheck paid $4.00 for the win. He is trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, William Switala, James Martin and Weaver Bruscemi. John Graber bred the gelding, who is part of the first crop by Check Six. He was a $30,000 yearling purchase last fall from the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale. He is a half brother to Martha Bigrig, winner in 1:55.2 with $41,000 in earnings. The family has a Riggins yearling to sell this fall named Dontmatter.
Paycheck is now two for four in his brief career. He took his career best time of 1:55.1 last week at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with Putnam in the bike. Putnam is now two for two with the gelding.
Earlier in the night, another Check Six gelding was a winner as ABC and Brandon Bates scored a gate to wire effort. Trained by Mike Hollenback, ABC was on top from the start by open lengths, posting fractions of :27.0, :55.4 and 1:24.4 before opening up on the field.
Dapper Fella and Trace Tetrick made up ground in the stretch to close the gap but ABC was tough to the wire for the win in 1:54.2. Dapper Fella was second over Fugleman and Jimmy Whittemore for third.
ABC paid $2.80 for the win. He is owned by Hollenback and Pral LLC. Ed Miller and Frontier Farms bred the gelding, who earned his first win in his sixth career start.