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.

Photo by Dean Gillette Bam Bam and Atlee Bender turned in a knockout performance Friday, April 17 in the $20,000 final of the Jerry Landess Series. The three-year-old earned a new lifetime mark in the effort in a time of 1:52.4. Bam Bam came into the race with one win and one second in his young career. He began from post two and used a little early speed to slide into the three hole as Vel See you later and Clint Coy were the first leaders at the quarter in :29.0. They were overtaken by Ilikeitlikethat and Brandon Bates at the half in :57.2. Heading into the final turn, Bam Bam was out and moving forward and passing up rivals with every stride. In the stretch, Bam Bam took over and took off. He rallied home in :27.1 for the win by three and one-half lengths for a knockout punch to his opponents. Vel See You Later crossed the wire next, but made a break late in the lane and was placed back to third, moving Don’t Cuss Russ and John DeLong up to second. Bam Bam was the favorite of the field, paying $2.60 for the win. The Tellitlikeitis three-year-old is owned by Anthony Lombardi, Engel Stable of IL and Tony Willinger. Erv Miller trains the gelding, who was unraced at two. Bam Bam was a $46,000 yearling purchase from the Walker Standardbred Sale in Illinois. His dam, Podges Lady, took a mark of 1:51.4 and made more than $400,000 and has become a very productive brood mare. She is the dam of six winners in seven foals, including Sams Triple Crown with a mark of 1:49.1 and General Ward, who has more than $300,000 on his card. Of the six winners, four have six figures on their card. The family has a two-year-old this year, an Illinois bred by Somestarsomewhere named Fox Valley Kravitz and a yearling this year, also by Somestarsomewhere named Fox Valley Equinox. In the race before the Landess final, Crooked Smile and Jordan Ross scored a win in 1:49.2 in the upper conditioned pace. After sitting in second behind M-M’s Bud and John DeLong, they found room to maneuver in the lane and rallied home to a length win over Sanday A and Trae Tetrick. Gorgeous Big Guy and Kyle Wilfong finished third. Crooked Smile was a longshot, paying $26.40 for the victory. The nine-year-old Panther Hanover gelding is owned by Wilson Racing Stable and Turn For Home Racing. Tim Wilson Jr. trains the veteran pacer, who earned his second win in his fourth start this year. Overall, he has 40 wins and more than $625,000 in earnings. His career best time of 1:48.4 was taken last year as an eight-year-old at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. He has now won at least once in a sub 1:50 time the past six years of his career.

Sophomore filly breaks maiden in Final

Indiana's reigning older trotter is back

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