The Miss Windfall is one of the original series implemented at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in the 1990s. Today, it’s still going strong and showcasing some of the state’s up and coming fillies and mares, including Royal Tell. The sophomore filly has the pedigree to be a superior racehorse as she is the half sister to the Indiana superstar Little Rocket Man.
Jordan Ross is all smiles crossing the wire with Royal Tell in the first round of the Miss Windfall Series Thursday, April 6 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Photo by Dean Gillette
Starting from post three, Royal Tell got away right where she started in the three-hole for Jordan Ross. I’ll Check Her out and Brandon Bates reached the front before the quarter in :28.4 and was joined by Martz Renee and Michael Oosting, who cleared the front down the backside and became the second leader of the race. Just past the half in :58.4, Ross pulled Royal Tell to the outside and made a move toward the leaders at the three-quarters in 1:27.4.
Once in the stretch, Royal Tell opened up on her opponents by three lengths, but as the wire neared, several of her opponents came charging back. In the end, Royal Tell was a winner by one and one-quarter lengths with Ross smiling across the finish line. I’ll Check Her Out finished second over Boujeeful and John DeLong for third in the Indiana sired event. Time of the mile was 1:54.4.
Royal Tell was overlooked at the betting windows, paying $17.20 for the win. The daughter of Tellitlikeitis is owned by Pollack Racing LLC and Jeff Cullipher. Cullipher trains the filly, who was bred by Victory Hill Farm.
Royal Tell earned her first career win in the Miss Windfall. She had limited starts last season and was making her second start of 2023 in the first leg of the series.
Royal Tell is the latest winner for the brood mare GT Miss Royal, who is now a 100 percent producer. In addition to Little Rocket Man, who has more than $715,000 on his card, she has produced another sub 1:50 performer in JK Victory with a mark of 1:48.2. She has a two-year-old Rockin Image filly this season named Vicki Lester who is in training and a yearling filly that is unnamed, who will head to the sales this fall.
Cullipher and Pollack also connected in a leg of the Kenneth Stohler Memorial, also for fillies and mares just getting started. Pols Image, driven by Kyle Wilfong, moved to the lead at the half and held the lead all the way to the wire for the win by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.4. Dash N Cache and Dale Hiteman finished second over Goldies Rockin and Brandon Bates for third.
Polks Image was the favorite of the field, paying $2.80 for the win. The three-year-old Rockin Image filly, trained by Cullipher, is now two for two in 2023. The time in the Stohler Memorial was also a new career mark for the filly.