Photo by Dean Gillette
Cruisen Halle and LeWayne Miller were on cruise control at the wire to win the $20,000 Kenneth Stohler Memorial Thursday, April 16 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The mild upset winner scored the victory in the fillies and mares event in 1:52.2 for the filly’s first career win.
Starting from post two, Cruisen Halle headed out to the lead from the inside and was the first to show the way in the field of 10 before Klorox Queen and Trace Tetrick reached the lead at the quarter in :26.1. Cruisen Halle let her settle on the front before popping back out and retaking control before the half in :54.4. Lets Justin Turtle and Marcus Miller was then the third leader heading into the final turn. Sweet Mama Drama N and Mike Micallef led the outside charge forward around the field turn with Cruisen Halle getting shuffled back on the inside.
In the stretch, Cruisen Halle found room to move and was out and rolling, getting by her opponents and leading the way to the finish line by a comfortable two length advantage. Sweet Mama Drama N maintained her position for second over Klorox Queen for third.
Cruisen Halle paid $15.80 for the win. She picked a great time to break her maiden in the Stohler Final for her connections, owner William Hartt and Britney Dillon, who also trains. Devon Beechy and Devon Knepp bred the sophomore daughter of Rockin Image, who sold out of the 3-D Farms consignment at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale for $80,000. The well-bred filly is a full sister to the standout older pacer Buzzsaw Russ, making her a hot prospect both on the track and as a brood mare some day.
Cruisen Halle made 10 starts last year as a two-year-old with no luck. She made her three-year-old debut in the last preliminary round of the Stohler Memorial and finished second, setting her up for her maiden breaking victory in the final.
Later in the program the $20,000 Miss Windfall Final was held with Princess Laa and trainer-driver Dale Hiteman picking up the win. The five-year-old Always a Virgin mare is owned by DTM Stable of Ohio and is a product of Velocity Standardbreds from their tough race mare Sugar Nips. Princess Laa was in the mix early, and fought her way to the wire for the win by a neck in 1:54.4. Ishtar and Trace Tetrick finished second over It Liz Again and Kyle Wilfong.
Princess Laa is now two for four in 2026. The win was also a new lifetime mark for the mare, who only started one time as a two-year-old, missed her entire three-year-old season, and then only had two starts last year at four. Her dam, Sugar Nips, used to race in Indiana and earned a mark of 1:50.4 with more than $250,000 in earnings before her retirement. She is a near 100 percent producer with three six figure winners, Sugar Island (1:50.1, $251,000), Velocity Poprocks (1:50.2, $318,000) and Suge (1:52.3, $185,000). Princess Laa is her final foal.
