Ponda Jet made his 2026 debut Saturday, March 14 in qualifying action at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The trotting track record holder in Indiana, with a time of 1:50.0 set in 2024, was on auto pilot the entire mile, which turned out to be a training mile with a starting gate rather than a qualifier.
Ponda Jet and Kyle Wilfong began from post six and when the gates wings were folding, Ponda Jet zoomed out. That was the last time the field got a glimpse of him as they headed into the first turn. Ponda Jet leisurely passed the first quarter in :29.1 and extended his lead to 10 at the half in :58.2 for a perfect rated first half. Nighthawk Zette and LeWayne Miller led the rest of the field down the backstretch and into the final turn.
When Ponda Jet was at the head of the lane, he was on top by 12 which quickly turned into 15 lengths. Wilfong let him out a notch and he effortlessly turned in a final quarter of :27.3 to win in 1:54.4 by 18 and one-quarter lengths. Nighthawk Zette, the three-year-old who was also making his 2026 debut and had traveled in second the entire mile, finished second a half length ahead of Cara Donna T and Marcus Miller.
Ponda Jet comes into his six-year-old season with 34 career wins and more than $779,000 in earnings. Jay Hochstetler has trained him his entire career and he was purchased out of the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale by Jay’s mother, Connie Hochstetler, Robert Buddig, and Allen Schwartz. Jay has definitely inherited his skills as a trainer, especially with trotters, from his father, Homer, and his grandfather, the late Doug Ackerman, who had numerous Grand Circuit and year-end champions during his stellar career.
Ponda Jet was purchased for $40,000 with Homer signing the ticket. The Dover Dan gelding is the second foal from the mare Pondas Lucky Lady, who was a sister to several black type racehorses with six figures on their card. The third dam is the mother of the great ABC Easter, who was a top contender in the Indiana Sires Stakes during her racing career and earned nearly $350,000. Ponda Jet has a younger sister, Ponda Fashion, who took a mark of 1:53.3 last season and made $119,000 for the Hochstetler barn.
Matching Ponda Jet’s effort on the card was another trotter from the Hochstetler barn as General Grant and Wilfong turned in a similar mile in their qualifier, winning gate to wire by 11 and three-quarter lengths in 1:54.4, a final quarter in :28.1. Elan Hanover and Atlee Bender finished second over Bluebird Yoshi and Jordan Ross for third.
A four-year-old son of Fiftydallarbill, General Grant is owned by Serenity Racing Stables of Ohio. He was bred and raised by Leon Lehman. A recent acquisition by his connections, the gelding has two wins already this year in Ohio with seven wins overall. He was just a tick off his career best win of 1:54.3 taken earlier this year at Miami Valley.
