August Salazar wins 2026 debut

Secret or Not scores fifth win of 2026

Just like his namesake, Rip Wheeler is tough. The Indiana pacer never gave in, getting the win by a nose in the $16,000 conditioned pace Monday, April 6 at Oak Grove. Starting from post four, Rip Wheeler left the early speed to others in the race, which included a majority of Indiana sired pacers. One of those was ER Rocky and Marvin Luna from the inside who had an early advantage for a few strides before Whelk Blue Chip, also an Indiana bred, rallied up with authority for Ronnie Wrenn Jr. to take over just after the quarter in :26.4. Rip Wheeler had landed in fourth and was already on the move to the outside before the half in :55.4, but was fortunate to pick up cover behind Jada Caroline and Atlee Bender. As the field approached the three-quarter pole, Jada Caroline could not clear, moving Rip Wheeler three wide around the final turn. At the head of the lane, he only had one horse to catch and that was Whelk Blue Chip, who was still strong on the front end. It took the very last stride to get the win, but Rip Wheeler did it by a head over Whelk Blue Chip. ER Rocky maintained ground for third. Rip Wheeler paid $4.22 for the win. The now seven-year-old son of Rockin Image is owned by Jeff Fought Racing, Brian Carsey, David Fought, and Lili Haynes. The Cornerstone Stock Farm product, making him a homebred for Fought, is trained by Walter Haynes Jr. and is three for four this season. The stocky pacer has 32 career wins from 99 starts with earnings of more than $600,000, thanks to his win Monday at Oak Grove. His career best time of 1:48.1 was taken as a four-year-old at Pocono Downs. Rip Wheeler is out of the mare, Novascotia Hanover, a winner in 1:51.1 and earnings of more than a half million. The mare is a near 100 percent producer as Rip Wheeler joins Rock N Zeus (1:52.3), Uncle Richard (1:51.2), and Nothinbutthebest (1:56.0) as winners from the family. Earlier in the day, E Mode’s Desire earned another win this year at the age of 10 for owner Mike Peterson. The Real Desire gelding has accumulated 30 career wins and took his career mark of 1:49.1 at Hoosier Park as a five-year-old. A one time Indiana Sired Fair Circuit contender, E Mode’s Desire traveled in the two hole before moving in the stretch and grabbing the win by one and one-half lengths for driver Marvin Luna. Great Seats and Wyatt Avenatti finished second over Tickled to Tears and Atlee Bender. E Mode’s Desire paid $5.56 for the win. He is being trained right now by Randy Crisler for Peterson.

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It was an afternoon of delight for owner-trainer Kelly Case as her grey mare rallied past opponents to win the program opener in the $4,600 Fillies and Mares Track Master Rating. Delightful Virgin and David Ingraham pulled in the upset as the longest shot on the board in the race. Starting from post six, Delightful Virgin got away in sixth as Threetimessix and Wallace Watson rallied out to take over the top spot early from the gate. The field stayed in single file through the quarter in :30.0 and nearly to the half in 1:01.1. Just before the half, Dancethebigdance N and Nicholas Graffam pulled out and Delightful Virgin followed his lead to the outside. Threetimessix continued to lead the way as Dancethebigdance N had moved up on the outside. Midway through the final turn, Delightful Virgin tipped three wide and was in perfect striking distance at the head of the lane. In the stretch, Delightful Virgin was widest of all and was making up ground with every stride. She was at the wire in perfect timing for the win by a nose over Dancethebigdance N. So Unnsurreal and Kevin Switzer Jr. finished third. Delightful Virgin paid $56.60 for the win. The eight-year-old daughter of Always a Virgin was bred by Emerald Highlands Farm. It was her first win of 2026 and her 18 th overall. She now has more than $142,000 with a career best time of 1:52.3 taken as a four-year-old at Plainridge. Later in the card, Indiana sired Duncans Ranger and Nicholas Graffam turned in a gutsy effort in claiming action to win by one and one-quarter lengths. The eight-year-old Palone Ranger gelding took over early but was immediately challenged by Furious Beach and McGwire Sowers at the half in 1:01.0. The outside horse could not clear but didn’t go away, forcing St Lads Thriller and Steven Wilson three wide at the three-quarters. Duncans Ranger stayed the course and fended his position to the finish line for the win in 2:00.3. Quan Blue Chip and Aaron Hall moved in for second over St Lads Thriller for third. Duncans Ranger was the favorite, paying $4.80 for the win. He is now owned by Ralph Silvestri and trained by Michelle Lefebvre. Dojea Stables bred and raised the Palone Ranger gelding, who picked up his third win of 2026. Overall, he has nine wins and more than $61,000 in earnings with his career best taken at Springfield as a six-year-old in 1:55.2. Duncans Ranger is from a very successful maternal family. He is a half brother to millionaire Eagle Luck with a mark of 1:48.3 and now standing at stud. The family also includes Hipnumberone, with a mark of 1:51.1 and more than $200,000 on her card.

Photo by Dean Gillette Practical Joke and Trace Tetrick got the last laugh Friday, April 3 in the first round of the Jerry Landess Series. The duo opened up on the field to score the win in 1:54.1, a new career best in their first start of 2026. Practical Joke began from post two and when the gate opened, he hesitated for a few strides before deciding to move on and go out for the lead. Tetrick had him settled on the front end before the quarter in :28.3 and was ahead of Vel Im Good and Doug Rideout by two lengths. Heading down the backside, Practical Joke had his ears up and was comfortable by the half in :57.4 before seeing any pressure on the outside. Ilikeitlikethat and Brandon Bates led the outer flow into the final turn. At the head of the stretch, it only took a little urging from Tetrick to signal Practical Joke to advance. He charged down the stretch and opened up to a four and one-quarter length advantage at the wire, pacing home in :27.3. Don’t Cuss Russ and John DeLong closed in for second over Midnight Vodka and Jeff Dever for third. Practical Joke paid $11.00 for the win. He is owned by Teagan Sage Racing and trained by Tom T. Tetrick. Rocky Road Stable bred and raised the colt, who had two wins last year on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit. He was a $1,000 purchase as a yearling from the Midwest Classic Sale in Shipshewana, the lowest priced foal by Check Six that year. Check Six stood in Indiana for five seasons before moving to Minnesota in 2024. Practical Joke now has $15,000 in earnings to go along with his new mark of 1:54.1. In the other division of the Jerry Landess Series, Trace Tetrick guided F Thirty Five to victory after a rough first half. The three-year-old son of JK Endofanera was parked from the outside past the quarter in :28.0 and half in :56.3 before taking control of the front end. He was in full gear down the stretch and paced home in :27.0 for the win in 1:52.4. Bam Bam and Atlee Bender closed in for second over Echo Canyon and John DeLong for third. F Thirty Five paid $4.80 for the win as the favorite of the field. He is owned by Country Club Acres, Milton Leeman, and William Calvert, all of Ohio. Tyler George trains the gelding, who was bred and raised by Norman Miller. It was his first career start after going unraced at two. He was purchased by his connections as the sixth horse through the ring during the final Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale under the name Machanera from the RND Standardbreds consignment. Tyler George signed the ticket for $18,000 for the colt, who is a half-brother to Samson Blue Chip with a mark of 1:50.4 and earnings of more than $150,000.

Photo of Rockin Charli and LeWayne Miller by Dean Gillette One of the oldest series in track history got underway Thursday, April 2 and had a surprise winner in the end. The first round of the Miss Windfall series was won by longshot Rockin Charli, driven by LeWayne Miller. Rockin Charli began from post two and was able to get away in third as race favorite Rita’s Girl and Kyle Wilfong moved out to the lead from the inside spot. Ambehaving and Mike Peterson used early speed to get in behind the leader before the quarter in :27.4. Rita’s Girl continued to lead the way through the half in :57.3 before horses from the back formed a outer flow of traffic. Rockin Charli remained tucked in third around the final turn. At the head of the lane, Rita’s Girl continued to lead the way. Midway through the stretch, Rockin Charli found room to move out to the center of the track and once she was clear, she took off, rallying past her opponents with authority for the win in 1:56.3. Ambehaving finished four and one-half lengths back in second with Artistic Photo and Atlee Bender finishing third. Rockin Charli paid $63.80 for the win. The three-year-old daughter of Rockin Image is owned by Eash Racing Stable and trained by Don Eash. She was bred by Daryl Lehman and was sold early in the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale from the 3-D Farms consignment. Don Eash signed the ticket for $8,000. Rockin Charli is the second foal from the Always B Miki mare, Angiesmiki Hanover. The second dam is 2007 Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year A And Gs Confusion, a winner of $1.4 million before becoming a successful brood mare. She is the dam of Mohawk Warrior with a mark of 1:49.1 and more than a half million on his card. Rockin Charli was making her first start of 2026, and it was her second career win in six career starts. The win was also a new lifetime mark for the lightly raced filly, who raced on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit last year. The second division of the Miss Windfall was won by Mystical Night, driven by Clint Coy. The sophomore daughter of Capt Midnight rallied out to the lead and was a clear winner at the end, winning by five lengths in 1:56.1. Kobe’s Nani and Brandon Bates finished second over Elliana Grace and LeWayne Miller for third. Mystical Night paid $4.00 for the win. She is owned by Sheila Parcher and trained by Clint Coy. She was sold from the Pond-A-Acres consignment in the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale late in the second session for $15,000. Her second dam is the mother of Illinois standout Mystical Victress with a mark of 1:50 and more than $846,000. It was the first carer win for Mystical Night, who was making her second start of 2026 and her fifth overall.

Photo of Inverness Ave and John DeLong by Dean Gillette Two Indiana trotters from the Ernie Gaskin barn turned in a one-two punch in the first round of the Chad E. Carlton Trotting Series Wednesday, April 1 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The program represented the addition of Wednesday racing to the schedule for pari-mutuel racing in Indiana. Inverness Ave and John DeLong kicked things off in the first division, beginning their race from post seven. The gelding got away in fourth as Deja Frou and Trace Tetrick settled in on the lead through the quarter in :27.4. No change in the order was detected at the half in :27.4 as Deja Frou opened up a few lengths on the field. In the final turn, One Mike Out and Clint Coy were leading the charge on the outside and flushed out Inverness Ave. In the stretch, Inverness Ave went right on by and opened up on the field, trotting home in :27.3 to win by four and one-half lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:56.1. Surf Scoter and LeWayne Miller moved up for second followed by Tuggin Thomas, also a late closer in the race for Marcus Miller. Inverness Ave was making his first start of 2026. The three-year-old son of Helpisontheway paid $2.80 for the win, coming into the race off a qualifying win. He is owned by Ted Engel, Doug Shore, and Ernie Gaskin Stables. The Bay’s Stable, Polger Holdings, and Little E LLC bred the gelding, who was purchased from the Lexington Select Yearling Sale for $20,000. In the second division of the Carlton Trotting Series, Gaskin watched as his sophomore filly pulled in a win to sweep the first round of the series for the stable. Dial Nine One One and DeLong went straight to the lead and held their ground the entire way, winning by a length at the wire in 1:56.4. Hot Martini and Trace Tetrick finished second over Passin With a Sigh and Clint Coy rallied up for third. Dial Nine One One paid $3.40 for the win. Also by Helpisontheway, the filly is owned by Haucks Racing Stables, Wiesman Farms, and Ernie Gaskin Stables. Christina Macri and Gordon Graham of California bred the filly, who was also making her first start of 2026. She was a winner in two of three races last year at two and equaled her career best time in her win in the Carlton Series. She was purchased from the Black Creek Farm consignment, acting as agent for the breeders, from the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale for $15,000. She is a half sister to Remarkable De Vie, a winner of nearly $500,000 while racing in the Delmarva area.

Fruit Snacker throws Open field for a loop Fruit Snacker and driver Tony Morgan threw their opponents for a loop Tuesday, March 31. The Indiana trotter rallied strong through the wire to score the win in the featured $25,000 Open Handicap Trot. Fruit Snacker began from post six and used early speed, but not as much as Benjamin Hanover and Tim Tetrick from post three with Indy Be Quick and Russell Foster also vying for the lead. In the first turn, Foster had trouble getting Indy Be Quick to take a seat to Benjamin Hanover and as soon as he did, Fruit Snacker continued to advance. However, he didn’t get to the top spot until after the quarter in :27.3. The tempo continued to be brisk as Fruit Snacker led the way with several horses from the back of the pack beginning to move out so they could close in on the leader. That group was led by Indiana trotter Duly Resolved, driven by Corey Callahan. At the three-quarters, Fruit Snacker still had control of the lead with Duly Resolved lingering on the outside and Benjamin Hanover getting revved up for the final stages. In the stretch, Benjamin Hanover moved to the outside of Fruit Snacker and the two trotters rallied together to the wire with Fruit Snacker getting the edge by a nose at the wire in 1:52.4 over Benjamin Hanover. Fellow Indiana sired trotter A Blue Million, driven by Montrell Teague moved in for third. Fruit Snacker is owned by Mark Howard of Maryland and trained by Willard Reynolds. The four-year-old son of Dover Dan paid $4.20 for his win. Kenneth Slabach bred and raised the gelding, who earned his seventh win of 2026 out of 10 starts. Overall, he is now 18 for 37 with more than $188,000 on his card. His win Tuesday at Dover was a new lifetime mark. Fruit Snacker began his career at Converse for trainer Nicole Wilfong, posting a win before heading to Harrah’s Hoosier Park and competing in Indiana Sires Stakes action. He moved to the Britney Dillon barn as a three-year-old and was later trained by Robert Taylor before landing in the Reynolds barn last December at Dover. He has now won eight races for his new connections and is on a two-race win streak at Dover. He was initially purchased out of the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale for $10,000 by Nicole and Kyle Wilfong from the Integrity Stables consignment and joined siblings First N Line (1:56.4, $51,000) and Skyway Fusion (1:56.1, $35,000) as winners. Earlier in the night, Indiana trotter Muscledover and Tim Tetrick turned in a gate to wire effort to win the $25,000 claimer by four and one-quarter lengths in 1:53.4. The seven-year-old son of Dover Dan was a winner over Inferno DK and Corey Callahan and Warrior One driven by Tony Morgan. Sartin Racing owns Muscledover with Chuck Crissman Jr. handling the training duties. He was initially from the Black Creek Farm and Hickory Hollow Stables breeding operation and sold for $20,000 at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale during the Covid 19 session. Jesse DeLong signed the ticket for the gelding, who can be traced back to third dam Missy’s Goal, a Grand Circuit contender and dam of multiple stakes winner Missys Goalfire. Muscledover now has 24 career wins and more than $265,000 on his card with his career best time of 1:52.1 taken earlier this spring at Dover Downs. He is now six for 10 in 2026.