Photo of Dr Mantis Toboggan and Kyle Wilfong by Dean Gillette
Dr Mantis Toboggan kicked off the month of racing Thursday, October 1 with his very first win in the evening’s opener at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Guided by Kyle Wilfong, the freshman pacer rallied home in :28 seconds flat to score his very first win in 1:53.2.
Dr Mantis Toboggan began from post three and immediately made his presence known to the field six and took over the top spot before the quarter in :28.1. Taddbitfast and Marcus Miller settled in behind him as he kept the pace steady through the half in :56.4. Fox Valley Agate and Jared Finn began the outer flow and advanced on the outside to the top of the lane.
In the stretch, Dr. Mantis Toboggan was still in full command and was under attack. Taddbitfast was out and advancing along with Westwins Eagle and LeWayne Miller. But the Indiana freshman was too strong, sliding under the wire as the winner by three-quarters of a length over Taddbitfast. Westwins Eagle finished third.
Dr Mantis Toboggan paid $15.60 as a first-time winner. The Tellitlikeitis gelding is owned by Joshua Carter who is also the breeder. He is out of Carter’s tough Illinois stakes winner Just By Design, who won 32 races and nearly $400,000 for Carter before becoming a brood mare. He is a half brother to the tough racehorse Henry the Horse, who has more than $280,000 on his card with a mark of 1:50.1. Both Henry the Horse and Dr Mantis Toboggan are trained by Jay Hochstetler.
Another young horse with a famous mother was a winner in the second race of the night. Dojea Carter and Kevin Lambright took over after the quarter and led the field through the finish in 1:57.0. Cross That Bridge and Kyle Wilfong, a half brother to the great millionaire Bridge to Jesse’s, finished second over Momsshowgirl and Atlee Bender.
Dojea Carter paid $10.40 for the win. The You Know You Do three-year-old is owned by Dojea Stables and is trained by Matt Rheinheimer. The gelding now has two wins this season after going unraced at two. He is the son of the former Indiana Sires Stakes champ ABC Easter for trainer Dan Shetler, who bred the gelding. ABC Easter won 14 of 42 starts and more than $347,000 and took a lifetime best of 1:56.3 as a four-year-old at the former Indiana Downs. She has had several foals with the quickest and the richest being Opportunist, a winner in 1:53.3 with $232,000 on his card. She also has a yearling by Uncle Peter named Dojea Uncle Jake, an Ohio bred son of Dejarmbro.
The highlight of the first racing program of October at Harrah’s Hoosier Park was Indiana Sires Stakes action for two-year-old colt and gelding pacers as well as three-year-old colt and gelding trotters. Full coverage of Indiana Sires Stakes action will be provided by the race marketing team at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
