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Jacob Rheinheimer and Joe Morris present a check To Jennifer Daniels of the Standardbred Transition Alliance for money raised from Empire of Hope. Photo by Dean Gillette Harrah’s Hoosier Park held its annual Empire of Hope Saturday, July 25 to raise funding and awareness for racehorse aftercare initiatives. With several stations in play for the night, more than $50,000 was raised and presented to Jennifer Daniels of Standardbred Transition Alliance (STA). The day began with a rummage sale on the backside with various items for sale. The Horseshoe Café offered Lemon Shakeups with all proceeds to STA while a silent auction was held on handmade wooden planters. Rides around the racetrack were provided by several of the horsemen at Harrah’s Hoosier Park for a small fee earmarked to STA and T-shirts were on sale. Other fundraising activities included Give $5, Get $5 with patrons receiving $5 in play for their $5 donation. Joe Morris, Senior Vice President of Racing for Caesars Entertainment, was trackside to make the presentation to Daniels with a check for $50,843.00 from Empire of Hope. The event also included food trucks, vendor market, mystery vouchers, and kids’ activities. The Casino floor also offered Reins to the Road with patrons entering a chance to win several big items, including a golf cart and zero turn mower.

Photo by Dean Gillette Bluebird Twilight and Trace Tetrick scored an impressive victory at dusk Saturday, July 25 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The duo was a winner during a special Empire of Hope event with the evening dedicated to racehorse aftercare and several fundraisers to benefit the Standardbred Transition Alliance. Bluebird Twilight began from post six and immediately made her presence known to the field in the $16,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Eligible event. She was leading the field through the quarter in :29.0 before passing by the half in :58.4 with everyone staying in place behind her. Around the final turn, Bluebird Twilight opened up on the field by three lengths as she turned for home. In the stretch, Madame Clicquot and Kyle Wilfong had been tracking her every move from the two hole and moved out to challenge. They were closing in but Bluebird Twilight held her ground for the win in 1:57.1. Madame Clicquot was a strong second over Help My Heart and John DeLong for third. Bluebird Twilight paid $9.40 for the win. The Rebuff filly is owned by Jeff Fought Racing, Brian Carsey, Sara Haynes, and Y-Not Racing Stable. Walter Haynes Jr. trains the freshman filly who was bred and raised at Daryl Miller’s Blue Bird Meadows. The Haynes Stable signed the ticket for Bluebird Twilight last fall at the Midwest Standardbred Horse Sale for the daughter of first crop sire Rebuff for $10,000. She sold early in the sale of the first session tagged as the Gold Session. It was the third career start for Bluebird Twilight and her first career win. She previously raced on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit at Converse to kick off her racing career in June. With Indiana Sires Stakes on the program for leg two of the series for two-year-old trotters taking center stage, it was an older Indiana bred who stole the spotlight in the sixth race. Ponda Jet, current track record holder on the trot, turned in a gate to wire effort for driver Kyle Wilfong. The six-year-old son of Dover Dan fended off a late challenge by Finite and Trace Tetrick for the win by a half length. Drink Up Drink Up and Brandon Bates finished third in the 1:52.3 mile. The effort by Ponda Jet ties his fastest win to date for 2026 taken at Oak Grove earlier this year. Ponda Jet paid $2.60 for the win. He is owned by Connie Hochstetler, Robert Buddig, and Allen Schwartz. Pond-A-Acres bred the superstar gelding, who has now won half of his starts in 2026. Overall, he is 39 for 86 with more than $859,000 on his card. His career best remains as his track record performance at four in a time of 1:50.0 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

Photo by Dean Gillette Miss Alexis graduated to a new level Friday, July 24, winning the $16,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Eligibles for three-year-old pacing fillies. Guided by Marcus Miller, the Indiana pacer covered the mile in 1:51.4, a new lifetime mark. Starting from post six, Miss Alexis used just enough early speed to get away in mid pack as Willow Larue and Kyle Husted took off to the front spot with Rock the Charm and John DeLong holding their ground from the inside. Just past the quarter in :26.2, Tell’s in the Game and Atlee Bender moved out and around to take over the top spot. The top three pulled away from the rest of the field as they approached the half in :55.2. Miss Alexis was moved to the outside and began inching up on the outside in first over fashion. She was fully prepared to remain first over but did flush Rock The Charm to the outside in the final turn. She followed that cover into the stretch before flipping three wide and picking up the pace. Willow Larue snuck through on the rail to also close but it was Miss Alexis for the win with a final quarter paced in :26.4. Willow Larue finished three-quarters of a length back in second followed by Rock The Charm for third. Miss Alexis paid $17.60 for the win. The sophomore daughter of Capt Midnight is owned by Pollack Racing and Jeff Cullipher, who also trains. John McGill bred and raised the filly, was originally purchased by John Merkel, John Vorbeck, and Dan Smith from the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale. Pollack and Cullipher acquired her at the beginning of her racing career last July. To date, Miss Alexis is from a 100 percent maternal family that includes Grand Circuit (1:52.2, $113,000) and Think Fast (1:51.4, $84,000). The mare, Ginger Tree Alexis, took a mark of 1:51.2 and earned more than $448,000. She has a yearling to sell this fall named Tellitlikeginger, a daughter of Tellitlikeitis. Also a winner on the Friday card was Ponda Executive, a six-year-old son of Check Six. The Jordan Ross driven gelding moved from his mid-pack spot in the final turn and paced home in :26.1 for the win by one-half length in 1:51.0. Round Here Buzz and Trace Tetrick finished second over Low Rider and Marcus Miller. Ponda Executive paid $9.00 for the win. He is owned and trained by Perry Smith. Pond-A-Acres bred and raised the gelding, who is a half brother to the great Ponda Warrior. His younger brother, Ponda Executive, has a mark of 1:49.0 as the second fastest of a strong maternal family. He now has in excess of $275,000 on his card.

Photo by Dean Gillette Ishtar and “Big Ticket” Brandon Bates delivered big dividends to their backers Thursday, July 23 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The duo turned in a perfect trip to score the win in a new lifetime mark in the $10,000 fillies and mares non winners of one event. Ishtar began from post six and left the gate with some speed but was swallowed up on both sides by early speed. Bates was able to slide the sophomore filly in behind opponents, passing by the quarter in :26.3 in fifth place. Foolish Beetrayal and LeWayne Miller took over the early lead from the outside before Lady Wonder and Trace Tetrick were out and rolling forward at the half in :56.1. Once settled on the lead, Lady Wonder led the field around the final turn before being joined by Variant and Jordan Ross on the outside. In the stretch, Lady Wonder was challenged by Foolish Beetrayal as they two headed for the finish line. Bates opted to stay inside with Ishtar around the final turn and moved up the inside into third. Ishtar then found room to maneuver through traffic and found herself on the outside of Lady Wonder and Foolish Beetrayal. It was a three-horse photo at the finish line with Ishtar getting the edge by a neck over Lady Wonder and Foolish Beetrayal, with a nose separating them for second and third respectively. Ishtar was a surprise, paying $37.00 for the win. The daughter of Highalator is owned and trained by Brett Selby. Cavallo Stable of Illinois bred the filly, who picked up her second career win after winning her first in early June at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Ishtar has spent her entire career at Harrah’s Hoosier Park with no wins last year at two. Overall, she now has more than $25,000 on her card and was purchased by Selby last spring before taking on ownership in solo form earlier this spring. She is the first foal from the Shadyshark Hanover mare Karefree Kara, who took a mark of 1:51 and made more than $170,000 during her racing career. She has a two-year-old this season named Vel Illpay Yalater, a daughter of Keystone Velocity who has not started yet. Indiana Sires Stakes action was on the Thursday card with two-year-old trotters on tap. Temporal Power and Joey Putnam pulled in a big upset in their division, rallying home in :28.4 to win in 1:56.4. Steppinouttohelp and Robert Taylor finished second over Tipsy in Vegas and Jordan Ross. Temporal Power paid $71.40 for the win. The Temporal Hanover colt is owned by Per Eriksson, Michael Midford, Michael Retherford, and PCW Racing. Kristin Shetler trains the colt, who was bred and raised by Amos Schwartz. The colt sold with the Blue Bird Meadows consignment last fall at the Midwest Standardbred Horse Sale with Dan Shetler signing the ticket as agent for $15,000. It was his second career start and his first win in the race. He is the son of Mystical Power, who took a mark of 1:55.3 and made more than $100,000 during her career. She is the dam of Power Hill, an Ohio bred who has a mark of 1:53.1 and made more than $110,000 and is still racing. She also has a yearling colt this year by Don’t Let’Em named Don’t Be Mystical, who will most likely be in the Midwest Standardbred Horse Sale this fall. Per Eriksson, former standout trainer in the United States, returned to Sweden in 2001. During his career in the States, Eriksson won three Hambletonians, multiple Breeders Crowns, and five World Trotting Derbies, to name a few. He was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2022. Some of the standouts he conditioned included Trotter of the Year Giant Victory, Alf Palema, also Trotter of the Year and Lookout Victory, a winner of the Breeders Crown and Hambletonian Oaks.

Second time turned out to be the charm for Dashing Dover and Peter Wrenn. The freshman trotter rallied home to his first win in his second career start Wednesday, July 22 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Beginning from post nine, Dashing Dover had a little speed at the start, but so did a herd of horses to his inside. Like a Rock G and Atlee Bender got the first lead before Rollin Giannis and Marcus Miller took over at the quarter in 30.2. Dashing Dover became the third leader heading down the backstretch and led the field to the half in 1:02.0. Opponents were out around the final turn as Dashing Dover kept leading the way. In the stretch, Rollin Giannis moved out to challenge before going off stride as did Bluebird Hemi and Kyle Wilfong. Dashing Dover kept his mind focused on the finish and was a winner by three-quarters of a length over Like a Rock G, who moved out late in the lane to finish second. Topville Hamilton and Jay Cross finished third in the 2:01.1 mile. Dashing Dover paid $9.40 for the win. The Dover Dan son is owned by Stone Crest Farm of Loogootee, Ind. The homebred gelding was bred by Vernon Ray Wittmer and is now trained by Melanie Wrenn. Dashing Dover is the latest foal of Muscle N Beauty, who is the dam of Help N Beauty, a daughter of Helpisontheway and a winner already this year in 2:02.1. Dashing Dover now has $9,000 on his card from two starts. Also a winner on the Wednesday card was Woggy in the conditioned claiming pace. The three-year-old son of Tellitlikeitis got away in mid pack for driver John DeLong before getting flushed out for the second half of the race. In the lane, he took over at the head of the lane and fended off his rivals at the wire for the win in 1:54.3. Stop the Vanity and Kiwon Waldron, who cut the mile, finished second over Lou’s Beach Body and Kevin Lambright for third. Woggy paid $7.40 for the win. He is owned and trained by Alvin Miller. Jeff Jones of Illinois bred the gelding, who earned his first career win. He is the latest foal from several tough racehorses, including Always Woggy, a winner in 1:52.1 with $371,000 on his card and Woggy Rocks, who earned more than $137,000 during his racing career and took a mark of 1:51.4. Overall, the family has five winners from six foals.

Photo by Dean Gillette Jordan Ross hits 1,000 wins Jordan Ross has turned his young career into an impressive one. The Tennessee native added another milestone to his career Thursday, July 16, winning his 1,000 th race behind Tipsy in Vegas in the $15,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Eligibles event at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Ross had the inside and moved right out for an early lead before being overtaken at the quarter by Ponda Avenue and Marcus Miller in a time of :28.3. Tipsy in Vegas was right back out and rolling to the lead, settling in before the half in 1:00.0. From there, Ross let the trotter out a notch and he moved away from the field. He trotted the final quarter in :27.2 well under wraps for the win in 1:57.1. Ponda Avenue finished second over I’m Tempted and Atlee Bender. Tipsy in Vegas paid $8.80 for the win. The freshman son of Helpisontheway is owned and trained by Missy Essig. Brookside Stables bred the gelding, who is now two for two in his brief career. His win Thursday was a new lifetime mark alongside Ross’ milestone. Ross was greeted in the winner’s circle by the Essig Stable and family and friends holding up numerous signs to celebrate the occasion. Ross continues to be among the track’s top five drivers. He earned a win later in the night to begin working on his next 1,000 th win, which was his 100 th win of the meet. Ross is one of five drivers already over the $1 million mark for earnings at Harrah’s Hoosier Park this year. It’s his fifth straight year with seven figures in earnings. The 28-year-old reinsman began his driving career in 2015 with a handful of drives and won three of five races in 2016 on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit for Robert Taylor, who has mentored him into his career. Ross’ first full year of driving was in 2017.

Photo of Vel See You Later and Clint Coy by Dean Gillette The Larry King Stable swept all three of the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit (ISFC) divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings Monday, July 20 at the Jay County Fairgrounds. Among the winners in that category was Vel See You Later, who continues to dominate amongst the three-year-olds this season. Vel See You Later used his quick speed to get out of the gate and get on top for driver Clint Coy as they hustled out of post four and had full control of the field, who followed along in single file through the quarter in :30.3. Heading the half, Vel See You Later was able to back the pace down considerably, which moved Every Mile Beach and Kevin Detweiler to the outside from the back of the pack and that move flushed out Bullitt Ranger and Mike Peterson past the half in 1:03.1. Vel See You Later and Bullitt Ranger were locked in a fierce battle to the three-quarters in 1:30.4 before Vel See You Later took off and moved out to an open length advantage in the stretch. He eventually was a winner by four lengths in 2:00.0, a final quarter in :29.1. Bullitt Ranger finished second over Whiskey Neat and DeShawn Horton for third. Vel See You Later is owned by King Racing Stable and Therl Hensley. The three-year-old son of Highalator was bred by Alvin Schwartz and is trained by Larry King. It was the seventh win on the ISFC this year for Vel See You Later, who leads the standings with 357 points. After going undefeated last year at two with six wins in six starts, the sophomore picked up a new lifetime mark earlier this year at Scioto Downs in 1:54.1. He is 14 for 20 lifetime. Joining Vel See You Later for a win on the Monday card at Portland was Vel Big Shocker, who is ranked second on the list for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers on the ISFC. Guided by Doug Rideout, Vel Big Shocker got away in third before moving first over and challenging Automatic Andy and Clint Coy on the lead from the half on. The two were still battling heading into the stretch before Vel Big Shocker got the edge over Automatic Andy for the win by one length in 1:57.4, a final quarter in :28.1. Brown Magic and Kevin Lambright finished third. Vel Big Shocker is owned by Kin Racing Stable and trained by Larry King. Alvin Schwartz bred the Straight Shooting gelding, who now has four wins on this year’s ISFC. He has 295 points this season. He has 11 wins total with his career best time of 1:55.4 taken last year at Northfield as a two-year-old. Vel Im Good rounded out King’s trifecta of winners in the sophomore pacing category with a gate to wire victory in 1:59.2. Charging Thunder and Mike Peterson moved up late in the race and joined Vel Im Good and Rideout at the wire for the win in a dead heat. Skyway Mr Midnight and Kevin Detweiler finished third. Vel Im Good is owned by King Racing Stable and bred by Alvin Schwartz. It was his second win of the season on the ISFC and he remains in the top eight on the list of horses seeking a spot in the Governor’s Cup Championship at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

The Indiana Sired Fair Circuit (ISFC) is headed into the stretch for the Governor’s Cup Championships in August at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Action is back Monday, July 20 with 22 races featured for the late morning start at the Jay County Fairgrounds in Portland, Ind. The first 12 races on the card will feature two-year-old trotters and pacers. The first race includes Skyway Storm from the Doug Rideout Stable. The son of Rebuff has not been worse than second in seven starts this year with five wins. His quickest mile was recorded at Harrah’s Hoosier Park during ISFC action in a time of 2:03.4. Norvell Road Crew of Groveland, Fla. owns Skyway Storm, who begins from post one to kick off the 11 a.m. post time for the Jay County Fairgrounds program. The second division of two-year-old colt and gelding trotters includes Brookview Holiday from the Joseph Wagler barn. The Temporal Hanover son begins from post two with Kevin Detweiler in the bike, who has driven the gelding in each of his starts. His quickest mile was recorded in 2:04.1 in his last start at Frankfort. He is currently on a five-race winning streak. Two undefeated fillies headline the two-year-old pacing filly division. The first on display is Sassie Kassie in the 10 th race of the day. The Capt Midnight filly is four for four and hails from the Lambright Stable. Kassandra owns and trains with Kevin Lambright in the bike. Her fastest mile was also recorded in ISFC action at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in 1:56.1. Joining Sassie Kassie is undefeated Bella Notte in Race 12. The Capt. Midnight filly is five for five for Trainer Joe Putnam. She turned in her quickest mile two starts back at Frankfort in 1:59.0. Joey Putnam is set to drive Bella Notte after his dad, Joe, came out of retirement in her last start at Frankfort to drive when Joey was in Kentucky racing. Bella Notte begins from post five.