Photo by Dean Gillette Several new series got underway Wednesday, April 29 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with some surprise winners in the first round. Bluebird Hill and Marcus Miller were one of those pairs, scoring a longshot win in the $12,000 Expression Series for Indiana sired trotters. Bluebird Hill began from post five and got away in mid pack as Hawt Yoga and Kiwon Waldron took over the lead position before the quarter in :28.4. They continued to lead the way through the half in :59.4 with the field staying in single file behind him. In the final turn. Movement began to form on the outside that included Bluebird Hill. In the stretch, Bluebird Hill took flight, traveling home in :27.4 to reach the front position by the wire in 1:58.3. Let’Em, also a longshot, moved up for second for Lamar Wingard while Yawt Yoga held on for third in the 1:58.3 mile. Bluebird Hill paid $28.20 for the win. The sophomore son of You Know You Do is owned by Matthew Miller and John McGill. Miller signed the ticket for the trotter at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale for $26,000. He is a half brother to the standout mare Bluebird Dove, who established a world champion mark during Little Brown Jug Week in a division of the Buckette. She took a mark of 1:52.2 and completed her racing career as a multiple Indiana Sires Stakes winner with more than $226,000 in earnings. The family also includes six-figure winner Bodelicious. Robert Wyman trains Bluebird Hill, who is now two for three this season after only scoring one win last year. He began on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit and later worked his way up into stakes action at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Overall, he has more than $22,000. His mile Wednesday was a new lifetime mark for the gelding, beating his previous mark set last year by one fifth of a second. In the other division of the Expression Series, Marcus Miller guided that winner as well for trainer Jay Hochstetler. The Dover Dan sophomore moved from the three-hole into the final turn and rallied away from the field for the win by four and three-quarter lengths. Inverness Ave and Kevin Lambright finished second over Bravo Alpha and Doug Rideout for third. Sunday Swagger paid $4.20 for the win. He is owned by Connie and Homer Hochstetler, Robert Buddig, and Allen Schwartz. He is a home bred for the Hochstetler barn and was a winner in his first start of 2026 after scoring two wins last year, including his career best time of 1:54.3. Sunday Swagger now has more than $60,000 on his card.

Photo by John Adamsky The Indiana Standardbred Association, Harrah’s Hoosier Park and the Indiana Standardbred Breed Development are partnering together for a special series for owners. The Friday Night Owners Club is set to span four months beginning in late June. The Friday Night Owners Club begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 26 and runs until 7:30 p.m. in the Top of the Park room at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The event will coincide with Friday racing and will be a summer reception for owners, both new and returning, to enjoy a special night out at the races. The Owners event will include appetizers and two complimentary beverages along with a racing program. Self serve betting terminals will be provided in the Top of the Park for the convenience of the participants. The Friday Night Owners Club does not require an RSVP to attend. Those planning to attend should make their way to the Top of the Park for the featured nights. In addition to the kickoff Friday, June 26, events for the Friday Night Owners Club will be held Friday, July 24, Friday, August 28, and will conclude with a Saturday special edition Saturday, September 26. Look for more information on the Friday Night Owners Club on social media or on the ISA’s website at indianaharness.com.

Just Rosas Luck cashed in on a little skill and a little luck Monday, April 27 to win the featured $9,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace at Monticello Raceway. The Indiana mare took a chance on a big move in the final half that paid off in a big way for the win in 1:55.3. Just Rosas Luck began from post six and floated over to the inside as several horses rallied out to get the early lead. Catie Faye Hanover and Ralph Silvestri III were the longest shots on the board and took over the lead with race favorite Jillian Jiggs and Jim Taggart Jr. on the outside past the quarter in :27.3. Catie Faye Hanover would not surrender the lead, leaving Jillian Jiggs on the outside at the half in :56.1. Horses from the back of the pack began to move and so did Just Rosas Luck, who sat right on the back of Jillian Jiggs. At the three-quarter pole, Just Rosas Luck and driver Michael Merton made the decision to flip three wide heading into the final turn. Once they were in full stride, they went right on by their opponents and at the head of the lane, Just Rosas Luck was on top of the field by three. Her lead increased to the wire for the win by six and one-quarter lengths with a final quarter in :29.2. Wish I Had Thyme closed for second with Don’t Chip Me, another Indiana sired mare by Hypnotic Blue Chip, finding room on the outside to advance after traveling inside during the mile for Bruce Aldrich Jr. Just Rosas Luck paid $9.48 for the win. The six-year-old Luck Be Withyou mare is owned by Go For Glory Stable and trained by Rob Harmon. Misty Ridge Stables bred the mare, who scored her third win of the year. Overall, she has 18 wins and more than $214,000 in earnings with a career best time of 1:51.4 taken as a five-year-old at Plainridge. Just Rosas Luck began under the direction of trainer Melanie Wrenn at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. She has had several owners over her career and this is the second time that Go For Glory Stable has owned her in the past year. Her dam, Goddess’s Rosa, took a mark of 1:51.0 and made $189,000 before becoming a brood mare. Just Rosas Luck is the richest of her foals, but she has two others, Rosas Image, and Don’t Tell Rosa, who are also six figure winners. In the very next race, it was two Vel horses fighting for the win at the wire in the photo with Vel Miss Taylor and Michael Merton getting the win in the conditioned pace. She took over after the quarter in :28.0 and maintained her position all the way to the wire to win by a length and a quarter. Obsessed with Lou and Bruce Aldrich Jr. closed in for second, just a neck ahead of Vel Quick Daisy and Kyle Dibenedetto for third. Vel Miss Taylor was the favorite, paying $2.98 for the win. The six-year-old daughter of Ponder is now owned by Cliff Grundy and trained by Tammy Sowers. She began her career under the direction of Larry King on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit and now has 36 career wins and more than $138,000. Her career best time was taken at three at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in 1:54.3 before she relocated to the East Coast.

It was a fight to the finish between two Indiana sired pacers with Heaven Needs Me and Simon Allard getting the final call Sunday, April 26 at Harrah’s Philadelphia. The Indiana sired pacer turned in a last to first effort for the win in 1:52.4 in the $13,500 conditioned pace. Heaven Needs Me began from the outside post seven and showed no interest in getting involved in the race early, moving to the back of the pack as Seaworthy Hanover and Ridge Warren put their rail starting spot to good use and became the first leader. However their time on the top was short lived as Lazarus Star and March Herschberger rallied up and around to take over before the quarter in :28.1. The field stayed in single file through the half in :56.4 and it wasn’t until the field has moved down the backside for the second time that the trailing horses began to shift to the outside. Heaven Needs Me made one move. He moved to the outside to pass horses and had to go three wide in the final turn to reach the top horses in the race. In the stretch, he was widest of all and in full flight as the wire neared. He was able to fend off Son of Era and Patrick Ryder on the inside to score the win by a neck. Son of Era is also an Indiana bred son of JK Endofanera. TH Colby and Tim Tetrick used a move up the inside to finish third. Heaven Needs Me paid $17.20 for the win. The four-year-old son of Capt Midnight is owned and trained by Chelsey Faurot, who also bred the gelding. Heaven Needs Me is now two for three in 2026 after going unraced as a two-year-old. Overall, he has five wins in 22 starts and tops $67,000 in earnings. His career best time of 1:52.2 was taken last year at Pocono Downs. Earlier in the card, Indiana sired Lovers Trouble and Joe Bongiorno turned in a near gate to wire effort after taking over after the quarter in the $11,000 claiming event. Around the final turn, Lovers Trouble began to scoot away from the field and won by three and one-half lengths in 1:52.2. Hesa Kingslayer N and Simon Allard finished second over Duckies Dynasty and Mark Herschberger for third. Lovers Trouble was the favorite of the field, paying $2.40 for the win. The five-year-old Tellitlikeitis gelding is owned by JB Racing and Evans Nation. Bongiorno also trains the gelding, who was bred and raised in Indiana by breeders Zach Miller, Edward Dobrowolski of Indiana and Edward Dobrowolski of Michigan. Lovers Trouble earned his third win of the year in the effort. Overall, he has 13 wins and more than $146,000 in earnings. He picked up a sub 1:50 career best mark as a three-year-old at Pocono Downs. He is the foal from the former Indiana contender SS Lover, who made $68,000 during her career and took a mark of 1:53.0 before becoming a brood mare. She is now a 100 percent producing brood mare with four winners from four foals of racing age. Lovers Trouble is her richest and her quickest to date. She does have a two-year-old this season, a colt by Freaky Feet Pete named Freaky Lover.

BB Lucky Boy finished in a dead heat with Seasideescape Saturday, April 25 through a driving rainstorm at the Meadowlands. The Indiana pacer shared the final time of 1:51.4 with his opponent in the claiming event. BB Lucky Boy began from post six with driver Dexter Dunn and pushed the gate out of the way with early speed. However, several horses to his inside, including Seasideescape and Jason Bartlett, also went to the lead, leaving BB Lucky Boy four-wide heading into the turn. The field began to settle behind Rockme Rollme and Yannick Gingras before the quarter and BB Lucky Boy had the opportunity to move into the four-hole but passed it up as Seasideescape also decided to go onto the lead after the quarter in :26.4. Once Seasideescape cleared the top, BB Lucky Boy became the third leader of the race at the half in :55.0. Heading into the final turn, horses were approaching on the outside by BB Lucky Boy remained in control. In the stretch, the top two pulled away from the field with Seasideescape pulling out of the two hole and emerging on BB Lucky Boy. One last surge brought the horses together at the wire for the dead heat win. Alabamajamma and Colin Kelly moved up for third. BB Lucky Boy paid $2.80 for his half of the dead heat. The seven-year-old son of Luck Be Withyou is owned by Paul Kautz and trained by Cameron Capone. Martin Schmucker bred ad raised the gelding, who picked up his fifth win of 2026. Overall, he has 36 trips to the winner’s circle with more than $300,000 on his card. His best time of 1:49.1 was taken as a three-year-old at Pocono Downs. BB Lucky Boy began under the direction of Robert Taylor at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Later in the evening, another Indiana sired pacer scored a victory at the Big M as Saba Rock and Jason Bartlett moved first over in the middle stages of the conditioned pace en route to the victory by two and one-half lengths in 1:51.2. Captain Crusader A and Tim Tetrick finished second, just a neck ahead of Voukefalas and Jordan Stratton. Saba Rock, a product of the DeLong breeding operation, paid $4.80 for the win. The four-year-old son of Rockin Image is owned by Jeff Fought Racing, Brian Carsey, and Adam Friedland. Per Engblom trains the gelding, who earned his first win of 2026 in the effort. Overall, Saba Rock has nine career wins. After only starting twice at two with no wins, Saba Rock won eight of 19 starts last year as a sophomore. Roger Welch broke and trained the pacer until last fall. Saba Rock is a former Indiana Sires Stakes winner in the Hoosier State.

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Photo by Dean Gillette Lady by a Nose and Brad Ferguson rallied home to a length victory Thursday, April 23 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The duo covered the one mile conditioned trot in a time of 1:56.4, a new lifetime mark. Lady by a Nose began from post seven and joined a group of horses to her inside who displayed early speed. Ferguson was able to identify a spot along the inside in fourth as West Stokes and Brandon Bates moved up to take the lead through the quarter in :27.4. The field remained in single file through the half in :56.2 before Lady By a Nose was moved to the outside in first over fashion around the final turn. In the stretch, Lady by a Nose only had one horse to catch and that was West Stokes. Midway through the stretch, Lady By a Nose moved out to the lead and was able to fend off all late challengers for the win. You Know Dancer and Robert Taylor maintained ground inside for second over Hot Cash and Kevin Lambright, who closed on the outside for third. Lady By a Nose paid $10.00 for the win. The five-year-old daughter of Colie’s is owned by Brad and Augustus Ferguson and Joel Bontrager. Amos Schwartz bred and raised the mare, who is trained by Harry Miller. A one-time contender on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit, Lady By a Nose earned her first win of 2026 in her fourth start of the year. Overall, she now has four wins and more than $40,000 in earnings. She has been owned by the Ferguson family her entire career. In the very next race, newcomer Sensational Tell scored a win in her second career start in the $11,500 conditioned pace. The three-year-old daughter of Tellitlikeitis rallied out to the lead for Trace Tetrick and never looked back, pulling away from the field for a three-length victory at the wire in 1:54.2. It Liz Again and LeWayne Miller finished second over Promiss Me Therock and Robert Taylor for third. Unraced at two, Sensational Tell paid $6.60 for her first career win. She is owned by Country Club Acres, Jeff Eckburg, Joe Sbrocco, and John Fodera. Tyler George trains the filly, who was born and raised at Victory Hill Farm. She was a $75,000 purchase from the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale and is a full sister to Indiana Sires Stakes contender Captain Tell. The maternal family traces back to the great Betting Line, 2016 Canadian and U.S. Three-Year-Old Pacer of the Year with more than $1.8 million in earnings and a mark of 1:47.2. He is now a successful sire.

A new promotion is on the horizon for Harrah’s Hoosier Park (HHP). Through a partnership with the Indiana Standardbred Association (ISA) and a sponsorship from Elite Nutrition, Horse of the Month is being introduced beginning in May. Each month, one horse will be selected. Special t-shirts will be created with the Elite Nutrition logo and depicting the “Horse of the Month.” Each Friday, a limited number of t-shirts will be placed into Hoosier Park’s regular t-shirt toss. Those who catch the special t-shirts will then be invited to come back and watch the “Horse of the Month” race. Those with the t-shirts are encouraged to wear the shirts for the horse’s next race. If they wear their “Horse of the Month” shirts and the horse wins its race, they will be invited into the winner’s circle and will be part of the post race presentation and photo of the winning horse. The “Horse of the Month” will change each month and will be announced before the end of the previous month. The purpose of the promotion is to build a fan base around some of the horses that excel at Hoosier Park and also encourage on-track attendance for the races. Gabe Prewitt, vice president and general manager of racing, will assist the ISA with selecting the “Horse of the Month” during the 2026 racing season. Watch for more details on the new “Horse of the Month” promotion via social media and on-track. The first “Horse of the Month” will be announced soon and will be for the month of May. T-Shirts will soon circulate on Fridays at HHP to get the promotion underway. The “Horse of the Month” promotion is one of the latest provided by ISA and HHP to encourage engagement with racing fans and help showcase Standardbred racing in the state of Indiana.

Fortunada kicked off the Tuesday, April 21 program at Yonkers with a win in the evening’s opener. The Indiana sired pacer crushed her opponents as she rallied home a winner by open lengths in 1:55.2. Fortunada and Joe Bongiorno began from post one and tried to use early speed, but had big challenges from the outside from Disaronno Hill and Jason Bartlett and Ideal Skies and Jim Marohn Jr. Horses were three-wide in the first turn as Fortunada was doing everything she could to maintain the top spot. There was contact between Ideal Skies and Disaronno Hill for a few strides before Ideal Skies dropped in behind Fortunada and Disaronno Hill went onto the lead at the quarter in :28.1. From there, the field stayed in single file through the half in :57.3. Horses from the back of the pack began to inch out which prompted Beantown Babe and Jordan Stratton to the outside in first over fashion. Bartlett popped the earplugs on Disaronno Hill at the three-quarters in 1:26.1. Beantown Babe could not close the gap on the leader, allowing Fortunada to move to the outside in the final turn. Once the field straightened out in the stretch, Fortunada found another gear. The Indiana mare cruised home for the win by two and three-quarter lengths over Disaronno Hill. Beantown Babe finished third. Fortunada was a mild upset winner, paying $15.14 for the win. The six-year-old daughter of Luck Be Withyou is owned by Flatland Racing and trained by Ricky Bucci. She was bred and raised by William DeLong, Gordon Wright, and William Patrick DeLong. It was her first win of 2026 and her 20 th overall. She now has more than $400,000 in earnings with her career best time of 1:51.1 taken as a three-year-old at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The former Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final winner as a two-year-old was campaigned for the DeLong family by Trainer Roger Welch. Following her three-year-old season, she shipped East and has raced mainly in the New York area since. Fortunada is the final foal from the Modern Art mare Lauren, who earned more than $370,000 in her career. She began in Canada under Bob McIntosh and was a strong Ontario Sires Stakes contender before eventually coming back to Illinois to race. She was also trained by Roger Welch.