Match up between "Mamba" and "Beau"

Dragon Perfect was breathing fire heading down the lane Monday, June 1 at Oak Grove. The Indiana pacer got the jump on the field, pulling away to a victory in 1:53.4. Dragon Perfect had a perfect two-hole starting spot and used a little early speed but could only slip into the four hole at the start for driver Geremy Bobbitt. It’s a JK and Brandon Bates rallied out from the rail for the first lead and was joined by Esteem and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. and Lil Joe IV and Josert Fonseca. Shortly after the quarter in :27.0, Lil Joe V was on the move to the lead and went off stride in the second turn, forcing Esteem three wide to avoid the breaking horse. Dragon Perfect had started to pick up cover behind Esteem but opted back inside to get around the breaking horse. As the field moved down the backside, Dragon Perfect was back out and on the move, briskly taking over the top spot and jetting around the final turn to open up on the field. In the lane, Dragon Perfect was ahead of the field by six and only White Belly and Atlee Bender had a shot of catching him. But in the end, Dragon Perfect was a winner by five and one-quarter lengths in 1:53.4, a final panel paced in :28.4. White Belly finished a comfortable second over Indiana sired Lucks On Time and Pat Curtin for third. Dragon Perfect paid $12.74 for the win. The six-year-old Always a Virgin gelding is owned and trained by John Mungillo. Nathan Miller and Justin Yoder bred and raised the gelding, who earned his first win of the season. Dragon Perfect began his career under the direction of Perry Smith. He was purchased by Smith out of the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale under the name JN First Time for $15,000 as part of the Bluebird Meadows consignment, who acted as agent for Miller and Yoder. He was the first foal of Dragon Damsel, who earned a mark of 1:53.1. Since that time, she has produced two other winners, JN Pretty Damsel (1:52.0) and The Valley (1:54.1) and is currently racing. The family has a three-year-old colt this season named JN Dragonofthenite. To date, Dragon Perfect has nine wins and took his career best time of 1:51.1 last year at The Red Mile. He now has more than $89,000 on his card. He has been with his current connections for the past year. Another Indiana winner closed out the card as Odds on Anubis and Andy Shetler took over after the quarter and withstood the late charging bunch to win by a half length in 1:53.1. Kountry Carrots, an Indiana sired son of Capt Midnight, finished second for Atlee Bender followed by The Legend Hanover and Jamaal Denson. Odds on Anubis paid $2.42 as the favorite of the field. The Odds On Equuleus is owned by Janie Hartley and trained by Shetler. Odds on Nourrir bred the gelding, who has now won two races this season and seven overall. His career best time of 1:51.3 was taken this year in his previous win at Oak Grove.

First look at Indiana two-year-olds

Photo by Dean Gillette Customer Support and Jay Cross answered all questions in the $7,000 conditioned trot Saturday, May 30. The duo completed the month with a victory, timing the wire just right for the win by a nose in 1:55.0. Starting from post two, Customer Support had little early speed and got away in mid pack as Land of Freedom and Jordan Ross rallied from the center of the track and took over the top spot before the quarter in :27.4. Irresistible Son and Kyle Wilfong also left for the lead and took over after the quarter, settling in before the half in :57.2. Horses began to move to the outside from the back, but they were stalled, leaving space for the horses traveling along the inside path to get out at the head of the lane and gain some racing room. This group included Customer Support who made his way to the outside before kicking into gear for the stretch drive. Customer Support was so far back, he was out of the picture of the top horses closing in on the wire. He trotted his final quarter in :26.4 to hit the wire at the perfect time for the win by a nose over Land of Freedom. Dans Credit and Rick Plano held their ground inside for third. Customer Support paid $23.60 for the win. The five-year-old son of Dover Dan is part of the longtime connection of owner Ted Engel and trainer Dave White, who is based out of the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Black Creek Farm and Hickory Hollow Stables bred and raised the gelding, who was purchased by Engel late in the second session of the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale for $22,000. Customer Support is the second foal from the Cantab Hall mare Talkin Tootsie, who is a half sister to the tough racehorse Great Emancipator, a winner in 1:53.4 with nearly a half million on his card. The family has a three-year-old by Swan for All named Jabber Jaw and a four-year-old, also by Swan for All named Swanwayoranother that are both currently racing. Another trotter who stole the spotlight on the night is 2025 Trotter of the Year on to Norway. The now four-year-old Muscle Massive gelding trotted home to his 26 straight victory, staying a perfect three for three in 2026 in the co-featured $22,000 Open Trot. On To Norway and John DeLong took over after the quarter and held his rivals to his back, winning by one length over Ponda Jet and Kyle Wilfong in 1:51.4, just two ticks off his career best. Operator and Marcus Miller finished third. On to Norway paid $3.00 for the win. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Frank Baldachino, Black and White Stable, and Michael Rosenthal. Bennett Farms Inc. of Michigan bred and raised the gelding, who has been with the Ron Burke barn since last April and has not lost a race in over a year. In the co-featured Fillies and Mares Open Pace, last year’s divisional winner Can’ttouchthese and John DeLong scored the victory in 1:51.0, a final panel paced in :25.4. Goo Goo Won and Kyle Wilfong finished second over Fox Valley Lava and Brandon Bates for third. Can’ttouchthese, trained by Roger Welch, is a homebred daughter of JK Endofanera for William DeLong, Wm. Patrick DeLong, and Doug Riccolo. It was her first win of 2026 out of three tries after winning 11 races last year as a three-year-old.

Veteran gelding scores in three-horse photo

Sophomore pacer earns new lifetime mark

HC Caviar gives Detweiler his first PM win

Ponda Rocky and Kevin Switzer Jr. had every reason in the world not to finish strong in the $18,000 conditioned trot Tuesday, May 26 at Plainridge Park. The Indiana trotter was pressured every step of the mile and still finished strong to win in 1:53.4. Ponda Rocky began from post two and moved out to the lead as the race favorite. The large veteran gelding Double Account and Ron Cushing sat in second right at his back with Wendell Blue Chip and Matthew Athearn pursuing the top spot from the outside. Around the first turn, Wendell Blue Chip began gaining ground on Ponda Rocky as the field went by the quarter in :26.4. The tempo slowed a little to the half in :55.3 as Ponda Rocky led only by a half length over Wendell Blue Chip, who sat on his outside like a prompter. Heading to the three-quarter pole, Wendell Blue Chip brought terms up to even with Ponda Rocky in 1:24.1 and was not backing away around the final turn. Double Account was sitting with a big hold from Cushing in third. At the head of the lane, Wendell Blue Chip finally began to back off as Ponda Rocky began to drift to the middle of the track. Double Account had all the room he needed to advance on the inside, but Ponda Rocky was too strong, pinning his ears and trotting to the finish for the win by two and one-quarter lengths in 1:53.4. Wendell Blue Chip held his ground for second over Double Account. Ponda Rocky paid $3.40 for the win. The four-year-old son of Pastor Stephen is owned by Mark Eaton and Robert Griffin of Massachusetts and trained by Eaton. Ponda Rocky carries his farm name with him as a product of Pond-A-Acres. Ponda Rocky picked up his second win of 2026 and his eighth overall. He was close to his career best time of 1:53.0 taken last year at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The former Indiana Sires Stakes contender for trainer Erv Miller relocated to Plainridge at the conclusion of his three-year-old season. The $65,000 purchase from the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale is best known as the younger brother of standout trotter Ponda Adventure, a winner in 1:52.2 with more than $700,000 in earnings as a multiple stakes winner. Ponda Rocky is the richest and fastest performer of Pastor Stephen, who only stood two seasons in Indiana after being exported back to the U.S. from standing in Sweden. He was 2010 Dan Patch Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year and was a millionaire when his racing career was cut short due to an injury at three. Overall, he has 14 in 2:00 or faster from 29 starters out of 36 foals in Indiana. Ponda Rocky was from his first crop with 23 sold at public auction that year. A full brother to Father Patrick, Pastor Stephen now stands at Llowalong Farms in Australia. Altogether, Pastor Stephen has sired nine millionaires, including German Breeders Crown champion Officer Stephen.

Photo by Dean Gillette There’s nothing better than a holiday card filled with Indiana Sires stakes contenders. Memorial Day racing kicked off the 2026 season for Indiana Sires Stakes for three-year-olds with several returning champs and one fresh face. Fresh Face Yankee, who dominated last year on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit, stepped up to win her division in decisive fashion and remain undefeated this year in a division of the three-year-old filly trotters Monday, May 25 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Guided by Jay Cross, who is now handling the training duties of the filly, Fresh Face Yankee began from post six and rallied right out for the lead. Once settled on the front end, she posted fractions of :28.1, :58.0, and 1:27.1 before turning in an amazing final quarter in the stretch to win by one and one-quarter lengths in 1:53.3. Her final quarter was trotted in :26.2. Help Cum Laude and Atlee Bender finished second followed by Expressive Gal and Kyle Wilfong. Every horse in the race but one trotted home in under :27 seconds in the first round of Indiana Sires Stakes action. Fresh Face Yankee paid $3.80 as the favorite of the field. The three-year-old Crescent Fashion filly is owned by Tim Smith, who campaigned her during her freshman season. The filly is now four for four this season and the mile was a new lifetime mark. Overall, she has 13 wins in 19 career starts and boosted her career earnings to more than $89,000 in earnings. In the other division of sophomore trotting fillies, last year’s divisional champion, For Dayze and John DeLong scored a new gate to wire effort to win their $48,500 division of Sires Stakes action. The Swan for All filly rallied home for the win by a half length over Dial Nine One One and Jordan Ross in a time of 1:55.3. Honeymoon and Trace Tetrick finished third. For Dayze paid $3.00 as the favorite. She is owned by William and William Patrick DeLong. Roger Welch trains the filly, who was bred by Ernie Lambright. It was the first win in the second start of 2026 for the filly, who won six of her 10 starts last season. She boosted her career tally to more than $300,000 with her win in the first round of Indiana Sires Stakes action. A full rundown of all Indiana Sires Stakes winners will be provided by Harrah’s Hoosier Park.