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.

This is a subtitle for your new post

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.

Indiana filly wins first pari-mutuel race

Indiana sired Lucky Streak closed out the Sunday, April 19 racing program at Shenandoah Downs in Virginia with a win. The gelding rallied home with an impressive final quarter to score the win in 1:57.0 in the $5,000 conditioned event. Lucky Streak was out of the gate in a flash for driver Eric Davis heading into the first turn. Horses were three wide as Lucky Streak made his way to the front, finally getting his wish heading down the backstretch. Western Flames and William Carter had settled into second but they were not satisfied to follow, moving out and around before the quarter in :28.4. From there, Western Flames controlled the tempo with Drunkonaplane and Corey Braden moving out first and joined Western Flames on the front end at the three-quarters in 1:28.1. Lucky Streak was still on the inside, but Davis grabbed hold of the gelding and moved him back and out, swinging three wide in the final turn. At the head of the lane, Lucky Streak hit another gear and moved away from the field for the win in 1:58.0 by two lengths. Drunkonaplane finished second between horses with Western Flames in third. Lucky Streak paid $9.00 for the win. The six-year-old son of Luck Be Withyou is owned by Spencer Goldin and trained by Alexandria Goldin. He was bred by Elmer Yoder. It was his first win of 2026 and his 13 th overall. Lucky Streak has accumulated more than $72,000 during his career with his career best time of 1:53.0 taken at Shenandoah. Despite being an Indiana sired gelding, Lucky Streak began his career in Maryland and has never raced in Indiana. He has been with his current connections for the past two and one-half years.

Select Friday and Driver Mark Herschberger pulled in a mild upset Saturday, April 18 at The Meadowlands. The duo pulled away from the field late in the lane for the win in the TrackMaster Series in a time of 1:53.1. Select Friday began from post seven and was one of four horses who left the gate for the lead. Swifty Lazar and Joe Bongiorno had the first advantage inside with Select Friday to his outside. Sono Confuso and Scott Zeron continued to pursue the top spot as Select Friday slid in behind Swifty Lazar. Sono Confuso was the new leader after the quarter in :27.2. It didn’t take long for Swifty Lazar to move out and around and retake the lead at the half in :56.1. Only a few strides later, and Select Friday was flushed out of his resting spot heading into the final turn. Select Friday was strong on the outside and moved up with authority. At the head of the lane, Herschberger asked him for more speed and he responded, pulling away for a two-length win at the wire over Lincoln Boulevard and Yannick Gingras, who closed to second. Sono Confuso finished third. Select Friday paid $16.80. The eight-year-old son of Rockin Image is owned by Chad Colasanti and trained by Donald Maiorano. Frontier Farms bred and raised the gelding, who picked up his third win of 2026. Overall, he now has 32 wins in 183 starts with more than $218,000 in earnings. His career best was taken as a five-year-old at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Select Friday began his career at Pocono Downs, turning in two qualifiers before venturing to Indiana where he joined the LeWayne Miller barn for a few starts and later moved to the care of Trainer Lyle Scurlock. He initially was named Frontier Romance and sold from the Newfound Stables consignment in the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale. He brought $20,000 through the ring as the second foal of the mare The Face of Love with a mark of 1:52.1 and more than $162,000 in earnings. She is a half sister to the standout Illinois gelding Iam Bonasera, a winner in 1:49.2 with more than $850,000. Another Indiana winner was part of the Saturday program at The Meadowlands later in the card as BB Lucky Boy and Jason Bartlett scored a gate to wire win in the $20,000 claimer. The seven-year-old son of Luck Be Withyou stopped the timer in 1:51.0, one and one-half lengths ahead of Gallie Getaway and Braxten Boyd. Dancing Lew and Todd McCarthy finished third. BB Lucky Boy was the favorite of the field. He is owned by Paul Kautz and trained by Cameron Capone. Martin Schmucker bred the gelding, who earned his fourth win of 2026. Overall, he has 35 wins and topped the $300,000 mark in earnings with his latest victory. He took his career best time of 1:49.1 as a three-year-old at Pocono Downs. BB Lucky Boy began his career with the Robert Taylor barn at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.