It was a short and sweet trip, just like her name, for Sally in the $30,000 final of the Ralph and Dorothy Rose series Wednesday, May 19 at Hoosier Park
. Guided by Mark O’Mara, Sally cruised home the under the wire by one length in a time of 1:59, her first career win.
Starting from Post 1, O’Mara was patient with Sally, allowing others to roll onto the lead and getting away in mid-pack through early fractions of :28.3 and :58.1 compliments of Ideal Secret and Verlin Yoder. The duo grabbed the top spot just after the quarter-mile marker and led the field to the top of the stretch.
Around the turn, Sally was out and moving forward behind heavily-favoured SL Yankee and Peter Wrenn. O’Mara couldn’t ask for a more perfect spot to be in as the field turned for home.
In the stretch, it took Sally a few strides to get in gear but once she did, she was solid, trotting home under the wire with a final quarter of :29.4 for the win. Earls Dreamofglory and Trace Tetrick were chasing hard in second followed by Ideal Secret, who held her ground inside for third.
Owned by Teri Hostetler and trained by her husband, Greg, Sally made her fifth career start a winning one. Unraced at two, the daughter of Primetime Ranger now has 30,000 in career earnings.
“She was just incredibly sore last year, so that is why she didn’t race,” said Hostetler, who trains in northern Indiana near his home in Topeka. “We tried to qualify her five or six times and she was just colt core and a little immature. She has grown up a lot this year and keeps getting better. It’s a good feeling to win this, and we are looking forward to the Indiana Sires Stakes this year.”
Not a bettor’s choice, Sally paid $12.20, $7.40, and $3.40 across the board. Prior to her effort in the final, the three-year-old filly had three second place finishes in four starts.
Hostetler, a longtime horseman on the Indiana circuit, is best known for his work with trotters. The most recognizable star from his stable was Great Navigator, who earned nearly $200,000 and won 15 races during his two and three-year-old campaign on the Indiana circuit in the late 1990s. Hostetler’s wife, the former Teri Leannis, is a former driver and competed at Hoosier Park through the first decade of racing.
(Hoosier Park)