What a year it was for the outstanding sophomore trotter Ponda Adventure. Trained by Erv Miller, the Swan for All gelding completed the 160-day racing season at Harrah’s Hoosier Park as the top horse of the meet with 13 wins.
Ponda Adventure and Trace Tetrick fend off a late attack for the win in the sophomore trotting colts and geldings division of the Star Destroyer Friday, Nov. 18 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
After winning eight of 10 starts as a two-year-old, Ponda Adventure used two qualifiers to prepare for his 2022 debut, heading right into Indiana Sires Stakes action in late May. He won 10 straight races, including his only trip outside of Harrah’s Hoosier Park in the Grand Circuit Horsemen Stakes at the Indiana State Fair before a trio of second place finishers in late September, including a runner up finish in the $270,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final. From there, he was back in the winner’s circle four of five starts to complete the season with 14 wins in 18 starts, 13 of which were at Harrah’s Hoosier Park making him the winningest horse of the meet. He was driven by Trace Tetrick in all of his starts.
Ponda Adventure is a son of the Muscle Hill mare Wildflower and was bred and raised by Pond-A-Acres of New Haven, Ind. before being purchased at the 2020 Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale for $28,000. He was part of the second session group that sold and was acquired by Engel Stable of IL LLC, Louis Willinger, and Jerry Graham. To date, he has more than $685,000 in earnings with his quickest time of 1:52.2 taken in late October at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. His younger brother, Ponda Marshall, was the sale topper at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale this past fall for $170,000.
Finishing just behind Ponda Adventure on the roster of wins was M-M’s Dream, who won 12 of 13 races for a total of nearly $500,000 for the 2022 meet. M-M’s Dream, also a three-year-old by Swan for All, is owned by Eleven Star Stables, Frank Baldachino and Hillside Stables. Henry Graber Jr. trains the mare who was bred by Mervin J. Miller of Topeka, Ind. Overall, she has been a winner in 18 of 21 starts with more than $765,000 in earnings with a mark taken this year of 1:52.4.
Other top horses of the meet included Crusher Q and Hilary Barry N, both with 10 wins, and National Sport and Series Miki with nine wins apiece. I Know My Chip, Rockinstorm, Sure Thing Herman and Sweet Ali Lou rounded out the top 10 with eight wins each.