Rockin Nola was in high gear Saturday, April 15 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, winning her second race of 2023 in commanding fashion, stopping the timer in 1:50.1. The Indiana sired mare is inching closer to a career that is knocking on the door of $1 million in earnings.
Rockin Nola and Joey Putnam turned in a commanding performance Saturday, April 15 in the Open Pace for fillies and mares, their second win in three starts for 2023. Photo By Dean Gillette
Starting from post six, Rockin Nola changed up the strategy for Driver Joey Putnam and left the gate with authority, getting away second right behind Rose Run Vision and Don Eash at the quarter in :27.1. Putnam tipped the mare to the outside and rallied around to the top spot before the half in :55.0. It was the last time the field got a good look of Rockin Nola.
Rockin Nola hit another gear around the final turn and was on top by more than five lengths at the head of the lane. The talented mare rallied home in :27.1 for the win by more than five lengths. Rose Run Vantage and Trace Tetrick finished second over Western Sierra and Jordan Ross, who traveled first over to finish third.
Rockin Nola was the favorite of the field, paying $2.60 for the win. The seven-year-old Rockin Image mare is owned by J P Racing LLC and Suttons Bay Racing. Mahlon Lambright bred the mare, who was a bargain purchase for $15,000 from the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale by trainer Joe Putnam. Now, six and one half years later, she has 40 career wins in 95 starts. Her bankroll is now over $930,000. She has earned more than $100,000 in earnings in every year of her career. The best time of 1:48.4 was taken as a five-year-old. Besides this year and her two-year-old season, she has taken a sub 1:50 mark every year, and is knocking on the door of that barrier this season. She is now two for three in 2023.
Earlier in the evening, Triathlon AS and Trace Tetrick turned in a gate to wire win in 1:53.4 in the $16,000 Open 3 Trot. The six-year-old daughter of Trixton was the favorite, paying $3.40 for the win over Burrow and Sam Widger and Late Nite Hawk and Kyle Wilfong. Faron Miller and Every Day Stable own Triathlon AS. Matt Rheinheimer, who won an Open Pace on Friday with Yourwishisgranted, trains the trotting mare. ACL Stuteri AB bred the mare in Kentucky.