Frosh series action at Hoosier Park

Freshman pacers took center stage Friday evening, July 2 at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in the second leg of the Sandra Lil series for fillies and Abercrombie series for colts. Third Straight gelding Straight Dancer registered the fastest mile of the night, racking up another victory with a 1:56 performance.

 

Three divisions of the Abercrombie were carded Friday, with Straight Dancer setting the tempo with a wire-to-wire effort in his $15,000 split. Driven by Todd Jones for trainer Steve Carter, who co-owns the pacer with his wife, Tammy, the two year old was sent off as the second choice despite winning three of four contests heading into the night. The winning time was one-fifth short of Straight Dancer’s best, set one week earlier in the series opener. Letmeluz Bluegrass finished a length back in second for Dan Shetler while favored Acadian Flight and Peter Wrenn were third.

 

Paco Labrook won his Abercrombie division in similar fashion, taking command after the quarter and pacing to a 1:56.1 triumph. From the first crop of Panspacificflight, the gelding was driven to victory by Trace Tetrick. Nelson Willis trains the entry, owned by Cynthia Willis and Brandy Pinske Stable Inc. Red Scooter (Shetler) crossed the wire second, half a length off the lead, with My Civil Dollar and trainer Jim Dailey rounding out the trifecta.

 

Wrenn guided Pipecreek Yankee to a 1:57.2 score in the third and final split. Taking a seat just off the lead, the veteran and the Dontgetinmyway gelding won by three parts of a length for conditioner Alvin Miller and owner Twila Harts. For Wrenn, Hoosier Park’s defending leading driver, the victory capped a five-win evening.

 

Earlier on the card Wrenn steered Dollys Joy to victory in the first of four $15,000 Sanda Lil divisions. After racing mid-pack through the opening half, the Pilgrims Punch lass grabbed cover behind Ravishing Yankee and kicked home in :28 to earn a three and one-quarter length score in 1:56.4. The filly was bred by Brian Stephens, who also trains. Ravishing Yankee was second while favorite Ron’s Blue Angel faded to third.

 

Heavy favorite Socoteur Bluegrass romped in her Sandra Lil split, winning by nearly 10 lengths in 1:57. The Whitefish Falls filly, bred by Dr. Luel Overstreet and Ora Miller and owned by Overstreet, was driven to victory by Shetler. Ronnie Guhy trains the freshman.

 

Favorites continued to reach the winners circle in the series’ second leg. Radar Contact and Mark O’Mara used a pocket trip to collect a 1:58.1 victory Friday, winning by a margin of nearly four lengths. Skyway Flight, another Panspacificflight freshman, paced to a 1:58.4 effort for Ricky Macomber, finishing three and one-quarter lengths in front.