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Photo by Dean Gillette
Indiana Sires Stakes continued Saturday, June 27 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. To set the tone, an oldie but goodie kicked off the night with an upset win as Joker Rockwell got the laugh in the $8,500 conditioned pace.
Driven by Jordan Ross, Joker Rockwell began from post one and when the gate opened, Ross surveyed the field before deciding what to do. He floated Joker Rockwell out and got away in fourth as Premier Romeo and Atlee Bender took over the top spot heading into the first turn. The field was in single file through the quarter in :26.3 and half in :54.3. Hello Sweetie Boy and John DeLong began the chain of outer flow traffic, but Joker Rockwell opted to stay inside around the final turn.
Joker Rockwell was shuffled back to nearly last at the head of the lane. The finish scenario looked a lot different at the head of the stretch than it did late in the race. Joker Rockwell was covered up and appeared to be going the wrong direction. When the passing lane arrived, there was just enough room to get by opponents on the inside. He still had two more horses ahead of him, including race favorite Premier Romeo and Downbythe ocean and Kyle Wilfong.
Ross found a seam between those two horses and shot through to the lead, fending off a late charge on the outside by Low Rider for the win by a neck in 150.1. Premier Romeo was third.
Joker Rockwell paid $28.20 for the win. The six-year-old son of JK Endofanera is owned by Caldwell Mamie Racing and trained by Charles Stewart. Glen Hershberger and Marlin Fry bred the gelding, who is out of Fry’s race mare Nora Rockwell. It was his second win of 2026 and his 16th overall. He took his career best time of 1:49.2 last year as a five-year-old at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
Later in the card, Brooklets Rockette and Kevin Lambright earned another win in the $12,000 conditioned pace for fillies and mares. The Rockin Image four-year-old, owned and bred by Gary Wilcox from a Personal Power mare he trained, moved first over at the half and kept on rolling, winning by two lengths in 1:51.0. Rose Run Vision and LeWayne Miller finished second over Sadhaka N and Trace Tetrick for third.
Brooklets Rockette is trained by Robert Taylor. She is now four for five in 2026 and her win Saturday was a new lifetime best. Overall, she has seven wins and more than $75,000 in earnings.
Earlier in the day, the final Breakfast at the Hop was held featuring two-year-olds in qualifying races. The evening event was Family Friendly Saturdays featuring activities geared toward younger racing fans.
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