Dandy's Litl Bro and Atlee Bender slide by on the outside for the win in the final step, Friday, July 31 at Harrah's Hoosier Park. Photo by Dean Gillette
Dandy’s Litl Bro and Atlee Bender kept up the family tradition Friday, July 31 to close out the month of racing with a win in the $16,000 Indiana Sires Stakes eligibles event for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings. The youngster earned his first win in his fourth start in the event in a time of 1:57.1.
Dandy’s Litl Bro was gapping off the gate at the start and slowly moved over to the inside, getting away next to last as Royal Rebuff and Marcus Miller moved out to take the early lead at the quarter in :29.0. Maxximillion and John DeLong moved out and to the lead before the half in :58.4 to keep the tempo brisk for the group of six freshman trotters. Heading into the final turn, Bender moved Dandy’s Litl Bro to the outside and was in third place on the outside before Royal Rebuff moved back out heading into the stretch.
Dandy’s Litl Bro was widest of all and there were four horses across the track midway through the lane. Rollin Giannis and Trace Tetrick were between horses and also moving swiftly to the wire. Dandy’s Litl Bro got the edge in the last step, winning by a nose over Rollin Giannis. Maxximillion held his ground inside for third.
Dandy’s Litl Bro paid $9.00 for the win. The Rebuff gelding is owned by Ervin Miller Stable and Red Barn Stable. Homestead Acres bred the two-year-old, who is trained by Erv Miller. He is a half brother to the standout three-year-old trotter Dan D Man Can, who picked up a new lifetime mark earlier this year of 1:52.4 and has more than $339,000 on his card and counting.
Dandy’s Litl Bro sold as a ridgling last fall in the Midwest Standardbred Horse Sale under the name Melamaster. Bob Black signed the ticket for the horse for $13,000 and he joined the Erv Miller Stable, who also campaigns Dan D Man Can. So far, the older son of the mare Caramela Hanover is a perfect seven for seven for the Miller barn and scored his latest win the night before in Indiana Sires Stakes action.
While the youngsters were in the spotlight, one older veteran scored a win on the Friday program with Shamwow and Trace Tetrick earning a gate to wire win in the upper conditioned pace. Trained by Walter Haynes Jr., Shamwow was a winner by four and a quarter lengths in 1:49.0, a final panel paced in :27.1. Howard Hughes N and Marcus Miller finished second with ER Rambo and Kevin Lambright rounding out the trifecta.
Shamwow, now 10, paid $7.40 for the win. He is owned by Jeff Fought Racing and was a homebred for Fought from his Cornerstone Stock Farm. The Always a Virgin gelding now has 25 career wins and more than $538,000 on his card. He has paced under the 1:50 time barrier several times, but his win Friday was a new lifetime mark for the veteran.
